If a veterinary practitioner has tried to persuade a client to take action and nothing happens, is the problem that the client did not listen well or that the practitioner did not communicate well? An understanding of a few communication and behavior change models can enhance one's ability to make change a reality. Key principles of risk communication and social marketing of behavior will be discussed in the context of controlling mycobacterial diseases of animals (MDA). Risk communication can be understood as the process of sharing information and opinion about something hazardous, where uncertainty is a characteristic feature of the risk. When addressing Johne's disease or bovine tuberculosis, the disease is the hazard and uncertainty is associated with disease progression, detection, and success of control strategies. An approach known as message mapping can be a useful tool when developing risk communication messages. According to Prochaska’s stages of change model, the process of converting a decision-maker into a change-maker takes time and involves distinct changes in attitude toward doing something new or different. To have the most effective conversations, it is important to identify at what stage of change the decision maker is and to tailor one's key points accordingly. Selling someone on behavior change to prevent or control a disease is a lot like selling someone on buying the latest gadget. The Academy for Educational Development has developed a process for marketing behavior change using the BEHAVE framework. This framework involves asking a few more questions before developing a strategy designed to achieve a behavior change. The strategy guides the development of a marketing plan. An essential element of a BEHAVE-based marketing plan is prototyping and pre-testing messages and aspects of the plan. When practicing risk communication and social marketing of behavior, it is essential to actively listen to the client or potential change-maker. Converting a decision-maker into a change-maker makes all the difference in controlling diseases such as Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis.