You know the power of Behaviour Thinking. It’s not just another framework, it’s the key to solving real problems and driving results.

But your stakeholders? They’re not convinced.

“It’s a buzzword.”
“Isn’t this just overcomplicating things?”
“Sounds expensive.”

Sound familiar? Here’s the challenge: stakeholders don’t need to be sold on Behaviour Thinking. They need to see how it delivers outcomes they care about.

Here’s how to turn scepticism into support, unlock budgets, and make Behaviour Thinking a trusted part of your work.

1. Understand Their Perspective

Stakeholders have pressures: hitting targets, staying on budget, and proving results. They’re not resistant, they’re cautious. Your job? Show them how Behaviour Thinking makes their lives easier.

How to Do It

• Start With Their Priorities: What keeps them up at night? Retention? Growth? Budget? Position Behaviour Thinking as the solution.

• Match the Tools to Their Needs:

  • Conversions low? Use nudges to guide decisions effortlessly.

  • Retention slipping? Build habits to keep customers coming back.

  • Customers unhappy? Feedback loops adapt the experience in real-time.

  • Launching something new? Spark attention and sustain engagement over time.

  • Running a campaign? Craft messaging that sticks and drives action.

  • Service clunky? Use choice architecture to simplify decisions and remove friction.

Tip: Speak their language. Frame Behaviour Thinking as the shortcut to hitting their targets.

2. Frame It in Business Terms

Stakeholders don’t care about theory. They care about outcomes. The key to selling Behaviour Thinking? Show them how it impacts the bottom line.

How to Do It

• Talk ROI: Explain how Behaviour Thinking increases conversions, reduces churn, and improves customer satisfaction.

• Identify High-Impact Behaviours: Highlight where behaviour gaps are costing the business—missed opportunities, inefficiencies, or customer frustrations.

Tip: Tie every Behaviour Thinking principle back to measurable results. This isn’t about “understanding people”; it’s about making the business better.

3. Show Impact With Real-World Examples

Abstract ideas don’t win budgets. Concrete examples do.

How to Do It

• Case Studies Over Concepts: Share success stories from similar industries or challenges. Show how a single behaviour-focused intervention led to massive results.

• Make It Relatable: Avoid academic examples. Stick to practical, real-world wins.

Tip: A quick search for Behaviour Thinking case studies will give you plenty of ammo. Pick examples that align with their challenges.

4. Simplify Without Dumbing Down

Behaviour Thinking sounds complex. Your job? Break it down in ways that anyone can grasp—without losing its credibility.

How to Do It

• Ditch the Jargon: No one needs to hear about “heuristics” or “choice architecture.” Instead, say: “We make it easier for users to choose what they need.”

• Use Stories: Explain Behaviour Thinking through examples they encounter daily. Show how it’s already working in their lives.

Tip: Relate Behaviour Thinking to their experiences first—then scale it to their projects.

5. Prove Value With Quick Wins

Stakeholders love big-picture thinking, but they trust results. Show them how Behaviour Thinking works in practice—fast.

How to Do It

• Start Small: Tweak a headline, simplify a form, or adjust a call-to-action. Small behaviour changes can create big results.

• Build Momentum: Use early wins to prove the value of Behaviour Thinking. Once you have their trust, pitch the bigger projects.
  

Tip: Avoid pitching Behaviour Thinking as a “transformational overhaul.” It’s a precision tool.

6. Address Objections Before They’re Raised

Stakeholders will have doubts. Anticipate them, address them, and shift the narrative.

Top Objections and How to Respond

• “This isn’t new—it’s what we’re already doing.”
  No, it’s what you wish you were already doing. Behaviour Thinking doesn’t replace what’s working—it strengthens it by shaping actions and safeguarding against unintended ripple effects.

• “Will this slow things down?”
  The opposite. Behaviour Thinking reduces trial and error, saving time by getting it right from the start.

• “Isn’t this manipulation?”
  Influence, yes. Manipulation, no. Behaviour Thinking is ethical by design, ensuring user-friendly, transparent solutions that safeguard long-term trust.

• “What if users don’t respond?”
  That’s the beauty of it. We test, adapt, and refine—lowering risk and building deeper insight with every step.
  

Tip: Don’t shy away from objections—use them as a chance to show your expertise.

7. Educate and Empower

Behaviour Thinking isn’t just a tool—it’s a mindset. Stakeholders don’t need to become experts, but they do need to feel confident in what it offers.

How to Do It

• Lunch-and-Learn Sessions: Use informal sessions to introduce Behaviour Thinking. Show them its principles in action—without the pressure of a sales pitch.

• Offer Resources: Share simple guides, short videos, or case studies to give them a taste of what’s possible.

• Keep Them in the Loop: Regularly update stakeholders on progress, wins, and insights. Transparency builds trust.
  

Tip: Respect their expertise. Stakeholders often already know Behaviour Thinking—they just don’t call it that yet.

Selling Behaviour Thinking isn’t about explaining the science. It’s about connecting it to what your stakeholders care about: results, efficiency, and growth.

• Speak their language.

• Focus on outcomes.

• Prove it works.
  

When they see Behaviour Thinking as the key to their success, you won’t need to sell—it’ll sell itself.

Author

Catch-up

Lauren Alys Kelly

Founder

Lauren makes behaviour behave. As the founder of BehaviourKit and Alterkind, she’s helped teams like Meta and Microsoft tackle behaviour challenges with clarity and impact.