Persuading individuals to contribute their time or resources to a cause, without offering any tangible compensation, is an exceptionally challenging endeavor within the realm of business. This remarkable ability to solicit support without a traditional transactional exchange is an invaluable skill, particularly in today’s digital era characterized by a barrage of written appeals vying for attention in our email inboxes and social media feeds on a daily basis.
Those who have achieved mastery in the art of successful solicitation can leverage this talent across a wide range of professional settings. Whether it involves spearheading crowdsourcing or crowdfunding initiatives, or recruiting volunteers for less glamorous responsibilities, the ability to effectively garner support holds immense value.
Soliciting help
Research from George Mason University School of Business explores why it’s so hard to solicit uncompensated help. The paper suggests that a big part of the problem is that we fail to “keep it simple stupid” (KISS).
The underlying assumption behind the “KISS” principle is that concise and straightforward writing resonates most effectively with readers, requiring minimal cognitive effort. However, a body of research, incorporating algorithmic analysis and a randomized controlled trial (RCT), challenges the notion that simple and punchy prose is always the most persuasive when it comes to soliciting donations.
The researchers’ algorithm builds upon the hierarchical attention network (HAN) model, which employs deep learning techniques to categorize documents by identifying their most significant features. They explain that “hierarchical attention enables us to discern the words and sentences that have the greatest impact on success, whether positive or negative.”
Understanding decision making
To train and evaluate the algorithm, the researchers utilized data sourced from DonorsChoose, a crowdfunding platform that supports public school teachers in their quest for classroom project funding.
After training with over 60,000 DonorsChoose projects spanning the years 2009 to 2017, the algorithm pinpointed the sentences within the project proposals that played a pivotal role in determining the outcome – whether they secured funding or not. Subsequently, a randomized controlled trial was conducted, wherein teachers revised their essays, with half receiving recommendations from the algorithm and the other half not. A group of undergraduates then assessed the revised works.
Overall, the essays that incorporated the algorithm’s suggestions were deemed 4.5 percent more likely to secure funding, representing an additional influx of nearly $10 million. The algorithm’s classification of sentences as either “beneficial” or “detrimental” to success revealed a consistent set of characteristics that emerged across the data.
“More concrete and specific content tended to be in the beneficial sentences,” the researchers explain. “Acronyms and insider terms also appeared often in the more persuasive sentences.”
Beneficial sentences
Contrary to the widely embraced “KISS” rule, sentences that prove beneficial in conveying information were found to be slightly lengthier, requiring readers to invest more effort. On average, their readability score stood at 9.51, surpassing the 8.72 score recorded for sentences deemed detrimental. (Readability scores indicate the grade level necessary to comprehend a sentence.)
For instance, instead of employing vague language to depict diversity, such as stating “Our school has a very diverse student population,” a more advantageous approach entails crafting sentences densely packed with pertinent details. For instance: “Our school, categorized as a Title 1 institution, caters to a dynamic and varied student population, consisting of 80 percent students of color and nearly half composed of English Language Learners.”
These discoveries have provided supplementary insights to the official guidelines provided to writers on the DonorsChoose website, which emphasize the avoidance of jargon, the art of storytelling, and the showcasing of students’ achievements. While adhering to the principle of avoiding jargon is generally sound advice, the algorithm has identified exceptions to this rule. There are circumstances wherein the use of specialized terminology can fortify a rational argument for assistance or funding. Similarly, narratives and instances of student accomplishments should be accompanied by precise details that effectively highlight their relevance and value.
“The readers are in cognitive mindset, trying to compare many options because they also have a limited budget,” the researchers conclude. “In this context, objectively delivering information can be more persuasive. Facts win out over emotions.”
