Change isn’t an easy sell. And, in business, pivoting in a new direction requires teams to work together cooperatively. While a half-hearted agreement to adopt a common goal may get you short-term momentum, if you want to initiate lasting change that creates sustained action, you need to give your audience a reason to believe. You need, as the title of this book suggests, to say what they can’t unhear.
From renowned strategist, author, and speaker Tamsen Webster comes this compact and actionable guide that will get you thinking differently about where change comes from and how to initiate it. By introducing and exploring nine “persuasion proverbs,” Webster highlights the behavioral, cognitive, and psychological principles that underpin lasting change, and offers a powerful alternative to the standard tactics of influence and persuasion. The outlined concepts are easy to remember, simple to implement, and will give you the tools to transform any audience of lukewarm prospects into passionate believers.
If you’re looking to spark change in your audience in a way that has them excited and motivated, that pushes them beyond temporary action, and that makes them feel empowered instead of manipulated, then Say What They Can’t Unhear is the resource you need in your back pocket.
Tamsen Webster is also the author of Find Your Red Thread.

Tamsen Webster's profile page

Sarah Brohman's profile page

Tamsen Webster helps impact-focused leaders build buy-in for big ideas. As a message designer and speaker, she has helped organizations, including nonprofits and startups, craft their case for change. She spent over nine years as an executive producer and idea strategist for TEDxCambridge and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar in 2022. Her trademark Red Thread storytelling approach was the subject of her first book. She and her husband, two sons, and two retired racing greyhounds (Hazel and Walnut) live in Boston, where she's now lived long enough to develop a Bostonian alter ego named Karen O'Sullivan.

"A tour de force. Tamsen Webster has managed to distill a complex idea—how to use language and messaging to make behavior change stick—into a simple and actionable framework that any leader can leverage to drive more successful outcomes."

Wall Street Journal–bestselling coauthor, The Challenger Sale and The JOLT Effect; founding partner, DCM Insights

"An indispensable manual for leaders, this book teaches the foundational principles of the vital, yet rarely taught, skill of securing support for transformative change."

Nido Qubein, president, High Point University; founder, National Speakers Association Foundation

"The book you and your team must read to succeed in a fast-changing world."

Ramon Ray, publisher, ZoneofGenius.com; host, The Rundown with Ramon

"Empathy, connection, and alignment instead of convincing, coercing, and manipulating—what a refreshing relief to read Say What You Can’t Unhear and learn that the science of creating change relies on leaning into our humanity. Ding!"

Steve Pratt, author, Earn It; cofounder, Pacific Content

"Drawing from keen insights into human psychology, Say What They Can’t Unhear suggests how to create lasting change through authenticity, empowerment, and alignment with people’s deepest values and identity."

Vikas P. Sukhatme, MD, ScD, Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Medicine, former dean, Emory School of Medicine

"Say What They Can’t Unhear presents clear and actionable solutions for shifting our focus for change from victory to actual improvement and alignment."

Award-winning speaker; author, Indivisible

"If you’re a changemaker, you know just how hard it can be to have an impact. This book will make your job 10x easier... and make the world better."

Bestselling author, The Coaching Habit

"Say What They Can’t Unhear provides unconventional wisdom about how to create change by working with people’s basic psychology rather than against it. This is the evidence-based insight you need to become a more effective change agent."

Liane Davey, PhD, author, The Good Fight

"An instant classic! Clear and captivating, this is the instruction manual for wielding the most important power you possess: the power to persuade."

Jay Baer, business strategist; 7x author, including The Time to Win

"I’ve long admired Tamsen Webster’s unique perspective on driving change. She’s a brilliant strategist and communicator, and her work never fails to push my thinking in new directions."

Alison Levine, New York Times–bestselling author, On the Edge; faculty, Thayer Leadership, West Point

"If you’re in the business of changing hearts and minds, this book is a must-read! Tamsen Webster reveals what it really takes to move people to make big things happen."

Jonathan Fields, bestselling author, Sparked; host, The Good Life Project

"Phenomenal! Say What They Can’t Unhear reveals precisely what leaders should do to construct a case for lasting change."

Nancy Harhut, author, Using Behavioral Science in Marketing

"No one guides organizations through lasting change better than Tamsen Webster. Her approach empowers people to embrace new perspectives authentically."

Erica Dhawan, award-winning keynote speaker; Wall Street Journal–bestselling author, Digital Body Language

"Tamsen Webster shows us the art and science of how to persuade effectively, making our businesses more successful and our lives more meaningful."

David Meerman Scott, international bestselling author, The New Rules of Marketing & PR

"In today’s world in flux—and a future full of uncertainty—Say What They Can’t Unhear illuminates how to catalyze positive, values-driven change."

April Rinne, author, FLUX

"Nobody understands the psychology of buy-in quite like Tamsen Webster. Her unique principles will turbocharge your ability to create true believers in your vision."

Wall Street Journal–bestselling author, The Long Game; executive education faculty, Columbia Business School

"In Say What They Can’t Unhear, Tamsen Webster beautifully writes and roadmaps how lasting change happens... and how to manufacture it."

Mitch Joel, cofounder, ThinkersOne; author, Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete

"By far, Tamsen Webster has taught me more and delivered more measurable value to my professional communications success than any other human, living or dead."

Chris Brogan, New York Times–bestselling author, The Impact Equation; chief of staff, Appfire

"In this go-to guide, Tamsen Webster follows her own advice. Trust me, you won’t be able to un-read the brilliance in this book. It will change how you change."

Ron Tite, author, Think. Do. Say. and Everyone’s an Artist

"Say What They Can’t Unhear is required reading for entrepreneurs, marketers, creative directors, and anybody who wants to influence people."

Gina Pell, content chief, The What Media