Sticky Communication

Have you ever spent a great deal of time formalizing and developing a great idea, concept or plan only to have it flop once you share it with others?! Many times we spend hours, days, or even years developing ideas or messages we know are important only to have them rejected by others and then eventually forgotten. How frustrating and disappointing! Although we spend loads of time developing the idea, this often occurs because we then spend simply a few minutes on how we will present it—failing to realize that conveying the message is just as critical as the actual message itself. There are times in our lives though when our message is so important and so crucial that it must stick. And this can only be done by compellingly presenting it so that it captures the attention and hearts of its intended audience. So, here are three “S’s” to help us present those important messages that need to stick!

#1 Simple

To some this may seem contradictory to a compelling message and to others it may be a no brainer but no matter what side of the fence you are currently on, research has proven that simple messages stick. Often when we are excited about something, we know a lot about it and thus we can talk about if for hours and hours but people don’t have that kind of time!! Thus, in order to present a sticky message we must be able to focus on the core elements and central points of the idea to have the greatest effect. Trimming out the fat and developing a message that is simple and concise will help it become memorable and understandable. Thus, keeping it simple is the first step.

#2 Stories

It’s true, people learn better and remember more when they hear stories. Thus, we must find ways to convey our message using simple, and powerful stories that illustrate the points we’d like to make. We should use stories to replace vague abstractions such as “this will result in outstanding customer satisfaction.” Rather than saying the abstraction, we can tell a story that proves it. We should also use stories to provoke emotion in our listeners. If we can successfully eliminate the abstract and stir the emotions of listeners, we are well on our way to presenting a sticky message.

#3 Shock

Finally, a message must have some element of shock or surprise if it is truly going to stick. People hear so many messages each day that they automatically tune out messages that are common. In order to get people to tune in and then remember, there must be some element of shock in what we are presenting. Think about what is uncommon or different about your message. What is it about your message that makes it so important and/or unheard of? Once you can successfully answer these questions, make sure it becomes an important part of the message you convey.

Next time you have something really important to present, an idea that must be remembered, take time to introduce it using the three “S’s” of simplicity, stories, and shock. By using these three elements when conveying messages, we will have much greater success in presenting ideas that stick!