This is true because your friends, co-workers, and relatives are more likely to trust information coming from you than from someone they don't know. We often go to a movie, read a book, or visit a restaurant based on a friend's recommendation. The same can be true with the visual blight: Our friends and family are more likely to get involved when we ask them to. By showing others that you care about visual blight, you can inspire them to learn more and get involved.

We'll stop visual blight and move toward a more attractive city when more of us chat with a friend over lunch about billboards, talk to a neighbor about LED signage, or urge a relative to get involved. It's not someone else's job -- it's our job -- and these personal connections will shift the tide.

In addition to talking to your friends who are likely to "get it" on visual blight, don't be afraid to talk to people who might be skeptical. Many times, these people are relying on outdated assumptions or have never had the opportunity to talk seriously about the issue. So take a moment and take a chance -- bring them into a conversation or invite them to get involved. You might be surprised to find how easily they can be persuaded when you share your views and provide them with the correct information.

You should talk about visual blight in a way you feel is compelling, but here are some useful tips and resources:

1. Invite people to be part of the solution. Don't attack them for not being fully informed or not being involved.
2. Try to address your friend's particular needs and interests. We are not all moved by the same arguments or ideas, so consider arguments best suited to your friend's particular situation. For example, some people might be motivated to protect their neighborhoods, but others might be worried about the impact on local businesses.
3. Talk about the impact of visual blight on the quality of life in Houston
   • The quality of life in Houston is directly impacted by the look of the city.
   • Local businesses are treated fairly when rules are enforced even-handedly.
   • Recruiting new businesses and new employees to Houston is made easier when visual blight is reduced.
4. Talk about solutions. The solutions that move us toward a more visually appealing city are good for Houston
5. Talk about what they can do. Each of us can take meaningful action to help stop visual blight. Encourage them to visit our Action Center.
6. Respect that we all learn about issues in different ways and at different paces. Our different backgrounds lead us to view similar information in different ways. Let's not let our differences -- one of Houston's great strengths -- ever get in the way of respectful and thoughtful communication.
7. Be patient -- Many times someone will say something with such little basis that you don't know how to respond. You're not going to be able to convince everyone. At some point, you might simply need to redirect your energies towards friends who are ready to listen.