Description
Persuasive Communication: Influencing Patients, Partners and the Public
Note: This workshop has limited capacity. This is an online, interactive workshop on February 5, 2026, from 9:15am-12:30pm ET. Please note that this is 30 minutes later than most Public Health Practice Academy Workshops. Participants will use Zoom to join with both video and audio. This workshop is sponsored by The Region IV Public Health Training Center.
Training Description:
Do you like to be told what to do or how to think? Most people don’t! But, as public health professionals, we are tasked with influencing behaviors, communities, and systems for the greater good. How do we persuade others in way that everyone wins?
This workshop borrows techniques from improvisational theater to help practitioners convey resonant, compelling public health messages to a variety of audiences. Participants will throw out the script and—instead of simply dispensing information—learn how to be present, show empathy and build real relationships with stakeholders. They will learn to quickly build connections, listen fully to get valuable information about an individual’s motivations, master body language to send signals of similarity, and strategize an effective plan so people feel heard, understood, and taken care of. Public health professionals can apply this training when building coalitions, working with teams, crafting public information messages, and developing partnerships across other sectors.
Because listening and communication skills cannot be taught in a lecture or in a book, this workshop is full of fun and memorable learning experiences. Participants will be engaged in hands-on exercises, demonstrations, group activities, and games. Everything is designed to build participants’ abilities to be confident, effective communicators when they get back to workplace.
About the Trainer:
Fresh off her recent TEDx talk, Shana Merlin is touring her fun and interactive presentations nationwide. She specializes in using the tools and techniques from improvisational comedy to teach team building, communication, sales, persuasion, leadership, making meetings matter, medical communications, and creativity. Some of her clients have included Methodist Medical Center, Region IV Public Health, Lone Star Dental Seminars, The University of Texas Dell Medical School and Texas Medical Liability Trust. Shana is an associate at the Center for Health Communication at the University of Texas, was a Professor of Improvisation at St. Edward’s University, and is the Founder of the Merlin Works Institute for Improvisation.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,404,138. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
Objectives
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
• Apply an empathetic, audience-centered approach to communication on the job.
• Explain the purpose of and steps to becoming a deep, present listener and communicator.
• Choose when to use GPS and blending techniques to guide people to where you want them to go.
• Demonstrate the seven signals of persuasive communication.
• Formulate a plan for applying persuasive communication strategies in the workplace.
Certificate
By completing/passing this course, you will attain the certificate PHPA Updated: Persuasive Communication
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