Made to Stick

Identify Your Core Message: Start by asking yourself, 'What is the one thing I want my audience to remember?' This could be for a presentation, an email, or even a conversation. Write it down in one sentence.

Simplify Language: Review your core message and remove any jargon or complex language. Ask, 'Could a friend outside of my field understand this?' If not, simplify further.

Use Analogies or Metaphors: Find a simple analogy or metaphor that relates to your core message. This makes complex ideas more relatable and memorable.

Test Your Message: Share your simplified message with a small group from your target audience. Ask them to repeat it back to you in their own words to ensure it's clear and sticky.

Repeat Key Points: In your communication, repeat the core message in different ways to reinforce it. This could be through stories, examples, or restating the message at the beginning and end.

If you're presenting a new software tool to non-technical staff, instead of detailing every feature, focus on how it will make their daily tasks easier. For example, 'This tool is like having a personal assistant for your most tedious tasks—it automates them so you can focus on what you do best.'

When writing an email to advocate for a new company policy, instead of burying the request in details, start with the impact. For instance, 'Implementing a four-day workweek could increase our team's productivity and job satisfaction significantly, similar to how a well-rested athlete performs better.'

Start with a Bang: When you're about to share information, especially if it's in a presentation or an article, begin with a surprising fact or statistic that challenges common beliefs. This could be something like 'Did you know that the most successful people are not necessarily those who work the hardest but those who procrastinate creatively?'

Incorporate Storytelling with a Twist: Use stories in your communication but ensure they have an unexpected turn. For instance, if you're teaching about resilience, tell a story of someone who failed numerous times but the twist is how their biggest failure turned into their biggest success, in a way no one would expect.

Use Visuals that Surprise: In presentations or social media posts, use visuals that grab attention because they're not what one would expect. For example, if talking about productivity, instead of showing a typical busy office, show an image of someone meditating or taking a walk, then explain how these activities surprisingly boost productivity.

Imagine you're giving a talk on the importance of failure in achieving success. You could start with a surprising fact: 'Thomas Edison failed over 1,000 times before inventing the lightbulb.' This not only grabs attention but also sets the stage for discussing perseverance and innovation.

Writing a blog post about healthy eating? Start with a counterintuitive statement like, 'Eating chocolate can be good for your heart.' Then, delve into the specifics of how dark chocolate in moderation can benefit heart health, challenging the common notion that all chocolate is unhealthy.

Use Analogies to Explain Complex Ideas: When you're trying to explain a complex idea, find a simpler, more familiar concept that shares similarities with the complex idea. This makes the new information more digestible and relatable.

Incorporate Vivid Imagery in Your Explanations: Whenever possible, use descriptive language that evokes images or scenarios in the mind of your audience. This could be through storytelling or painting a picture with words to make your point clearer.

Leverage Real-life Examples: To make an abstract concept concrete, tie it to a real-life example. This helps bridge the gap between theory and practice, making the concept easier to grasp and remember.

Use Metaphors to Create Connections: Metaphors are powerful tools for making abstract ideas concrete. By comparing a complex idea to something well-understood, you create a mental shortcut to comprehension.

Explaining the Internet as a 'series of tubes' to someone unfamiliar with digital infrastructure. This analogy simplifies a complex network of servers and connections into a concept that's easier to visualize.

Describing the process of photosynthesis by comparing it to a factory. In this analogy, the factory (a plant) takes raw materials (carbon dioxide and water), uses machinery (chlorophyll) in the presence of energy (sunlight), and produces products (glucose and oxygen).

Seek Out and Share Expert Opinions: When you're trying to persuade someone or share knowledge, bolster your argument with expert opinions. This could mean quoting a well-respected figure in the field, referencing a study, or even inviting an expert to speak on the topic if possible.

Incorporate Statistics That Support Your Point: Find and use relevant statistics to back up your claims. Make sure these statistics are from credible sources. Present them in a way that's easy to understand, such as through infographics or simple percentages.

Share Personal Experiences Related to the Topic: Nothing makes your message more relatable than sharing your own experiences. When appropriate, tell a short story about how the information has impacted you personally or how you've applied it in real life.

Demonstrate Success Stories: If you're advocating for a particular approach or idea, share examples of others who have successfully implemented it. This could be through case studies, testimonials, or before-and-after scenarios.

If you're trying to convince your team at work to adopt a new project management tool, you might start by sharing data on how it has increased productivity by 30% in similar-sized companies, according to a recent study. Then, you could share a personal anecdote about how using the trial version of the tool helped you organize and complete a personal project ahead of schedule.

When discussing the benefits of a plant-based diet, you could reference a well-known nutritionist's opinion on the health benefits, followed by statistics showing reduced risk of heart disease. Adding a personal touch, you could share your own journey of switching to a plant-based diet, including the challenges you faced and the positive outcomes you've experienced.

Identify the Emotional Core of Your Message: Before you communicate, think deeply about the emotional core of what you're trying to convey. Ask yourself, 'Why should anyone care about this?' and 'How does this affect them on a personal level?'

Use Storytelling to Convey Your Message: People connect with stories more than data. Share real-life examples or hypothetical scenarios that illustrate your point. Make sure these stories highlight the emotional stakes involved.

Be Authentic in Your Emotional Appeal: Authenticity resonates. Ensure that any emotional appeal is genuine and reflects true consequences or benefits. Avoid exaggeration that could undermine your credibility.

Incorporate Visuals to Enhance Emotional Impact: Whenever possible, use images, videos, or other visuals that complement your message. Visuals can evoke emotions more quickly and powerfully than words alone.

Encourage Empathy by Showing Impact on Real People: When appropriate, share testimonials or case studies that show how real individuals have been affected. This can help your audience empathize and see themselves in the situation.

A non-profit organization aiming to raise funds for clean water initiatives shares a video story of a young girl in a developing country, detailing her daily journey to collect water and how it affects her education. The story is paired with a call to action, encouraging donations.

A health coach trying to motivate clients to adopt a healthier lifestyle shares personal stories of transformation, focusing on the emotional journey of overcoming obstacles rather than just before-and-after photos. They highlight feelings of accomplishment, happiness, and increased self-esteem.