Yes, it is possible to change minds.

It’s a subject that came up frequently during our Health, Safety & Wellness workshops at the Design-a-thon: how do you overcome stakeholders that are ready to throw caution to the wind? To tackle this thorny issue, the work shoppers came up with a bunch of clever techniques and strategies. We’ve grabbed our favorite four tips to deal with skeptics, naysayers, and resisters.

1. Change the frame

Who’s leading this circus? We bet you feel like you are. And we bet you don’t love that responsibility. All you seem to get for your troubles is dug-in heels. People start to focus on the business objectives and numbers instead of the people attending their event. Well, what if you asked the jugglers, elephants, and acrobats how they would run things? People are more likely to buy in, especially to a new idea, if they have a big hand in identifying the problem and crafting solutions.

2. Appeal to their wallet. (And then to chill out by remembering the 80-20 rule.)

If your event stakeholders are concerned about perceived extra costs for health and safety, remind them that it actually costs more to not be safe. And no, we’re no just talking about the risk of being sued. Safety measures also help them scale their revenue. Conclude by reminding them not to worry about the 20 percent of people who say they don’t care about safety but to instead focus on the 80 percent who do. Putting a stake in the ground with safety is sexy, fun, and appealing to most ticket buyers.

3. Play “what if.”

Reverse roles with your skeptics. Start a conversation with them. A real one. Look them in the eyes, as you would a friend, as you would someone you respect. Say, “If you were attending the event, tell me what you would want to know and what would you need to feel safe.” When you put the question to people, you may be surprised at how fast the skeptics transform from naysayers to problem-solvers.

4. What’s in a name?

Always—always—return to this: your reputation takes decades to build and seconds to wreck. Invest in protecting your precious name by making sure that you are doing everything you can to keep people safe.

Like all of you, we’ve gotten it drilled into our heads: the word should is taboo. But in this case, we’ll use it, empathically: there are a ton more insights to be found in the Health, Safety & Wellness Chapter—you really should download it. And then don’t miss the next Untethered—registration for the next Studio Tour is now open.