Last week, we took an overview of how to make your message sticky, so it
will be listened to & passed on. This week, I’m going to reveal what could
be the most crucial element of making your message super-sticky.
Even great orators don’t try to get more than one message across – they keep
it simple. Many years ago, I went on a superb public-speaking course with an
MP called Greville Janner. We watched videos of some of the world’s great
speakers, we studied various techniques, & we practiced in front of the
group. One of the things Greville said was this: “When you’re giving a
speech, focus on getting one message across, your core message.” He
explained that while great orators could sometimes get away with two or even
three, it was still rare for them to do so. I don’t consciously remember
many of the other details of what we learned, but this one really stuck with
me.
So,
to recap: in Dan & Chip Heath’s superb book “Made to Stick”, they reveal the
master keys to making your messages & ideas “sticky”:
·
Simplicity
– They convey something in a way that is simple & straightforward.
·
Unexpected
– They use surprise, interest & curiosity to get & keep attention.
·
Concrete –
They connect with what we can see, hear, feel, smell & taste.
·
Credible –
They are believable (testable against your own experience, if possible).
·
Emotional
– They connect with us on an emotional level.
·
Stories –
Stories resonate deeply with human neurology – they’re the ultimate delivery
system for ideas.
This week we’re going to focus on Simplicity.
I
once heard a story about the general, Norman Schartzkopf, who led the US
forces during Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Apparently, the goal for the
mission was to get the Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. All ideas, whether they
be to solve problems or to achieve goals were evaluated against the
following question:
“How is doing this going to help us get the Iraqi forces out of Kuwait?”
The
key was in its simplicity. Unless there was a clear indication of how a
given plan or suggestion would help them get the Iraqi forces out of Kuwait,
it wasn’t going to happen.
We
see this in all sorts of other areas:
·
What are
the three keys to buying property wisely? Location, location & location.
·
What’s the
message behind the story of the tortoise & the hare? Slow & steady wins the
race.
Aesop wrote dozens of fables, but each one of them had at its heart a
single, simple message. I guess he could have put them into one big story,
an uber-fable, but he knew that simplicity is the key.
1) Think of an idea you’d like to convey. What is its core
message?
I’ve seen dozens of powerpoint presentations that drowned me in information,
but where the core message was unclear. What’s your core message?
2) What do you want people to do or think as a result of
getting your
message?
Typically, we want to convey messages for a reason – we want people to think
something or do something. What is your reason?
3) How can you
keep adjusting your message until it is as simple as you can get it, while
still conveying the essential information so people will think or do what
you want them to?
Keep playing with it, until you’ve boiled it down to the essence of
simplicity. Then watch as people respond!
Have a great week,
Best wishes
Your friend
Jamie
Jamie Smart
director of training
jamie.smart@saladltd.co.uk
If you have found this tip useful, please share it with any friends,
family, colleagues and associates who you think will be interested. You are
welcome to reprint it (with copyright and subscription information) and
continue to enjoy the tips. I am always grateful for any comments,
criticisms or other feedback that you may have. Please send them to
jamie.smart@saladltd.co.uk
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