How important is one vote?

If you want people to believe they can make a significant difference, it's important to give them a vision of what's possible. A Senior Manager of Marketing did that early in her speech when she asked her audience to ponder this question: "How important is one vote?"

After a brief discussion about whether or not one single vote could make a difference, she asked them to consider the following:

• In 1776, one vote gave America the English language instead of German
• In 1845, one vote brought Texas into the Union
• In 1868, one vote saved President Andrew Johnson from impeachment
• In 1876, one vote gave Rutherford B. Hayes the Presidency of the United States
• In 1923, one vote gave Adolph Hitler leadership of the Nazi Party

With these interesting but little know facts, she made her point quickly and effectively, setting the stage for the rest of her remarks.