Make It Memorable
The bad news is that science has not advanced to science fiction, in which a pill or procedure can guarantee the way the human brain digests and retains short-term and long-term information. The good news is, that if you follow a few simple guidelines in crafting a message, you can at least improve the odds that some of what you say will be remembered:
Be sure what you say will land with the audience. Have you probed the psyche of this group to know what will persuade them?
Keep it simple. Life is complicated enough without you rattling off abstract concepts and twenty-dollar words, unless your audience needs and desires them. Use nouns and verbs, not a lot of adjectives.
Focus your bottom line to only a few quick sentences of about twelve to fifteen words apiece. The larger the list of messages, the more likely it is that things will begin to fall off it. Every presentation, no matter if you’re making a point to one person or a group, should have a clear statement of your bottom line, and it should be mentioned early. Especially when it comes to informal presentations (elevator, hallway) you could be cut off at any minute.
Jump right in. The first thirty seconds is everything so you need a good grabber. Introduce the topic in a catchy, arresting, even amusing manner—maybe an anecdote, prop, bottom line. Personal references break down barriers. Just avoid jokes as they usually fall flat.
Remember the rule of first and last. People are most likely to remember the first and last things you tell them, so craft that opening and conclusion with care.
Repeat! Three is a magic number. Experienced and successful speakers, writers, broadcasters, and others all know that three words are often better than one. There’s a rhythm to speaking just as there is rhythm in music, and the rhythm coming from a sequence of three words is more likely to become implanted in the memory. If you’re presenting a lot of facts in your presentation, it’s a good idea to summarize your progress from time to time.
Draw it out for them. If you can help them visualize or create a mental picture of what you’re saying for them, all the better.
Keep them involved. The more interactive the experience, whether you’re building in Q & A or looking for active solutions for problem solving, the more likely you are to keep their attention.
Excerpted from Loud and Clear by Karen Berg. Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/wm2tod4