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20 years ago this month, I followed the CEO of a major company up a treacherous path on Whistler Mountain in British Columbia. We had ridden the ski lifts as high as they went, then took off our skis and hiked up even further, towards a chute filled with jagged rocks. It was his idea, not mine; I was a young guy just thrilled to be there.
As I struggled to catch each breath, my heart pounding madly in my chest, he cut a path twenty yards in front of me. A former college athlete, the CEO was in great shape and anxious to prove it.
The slope was so steep, I was staring at the ground in front of me, rather than looking up at him. His last word was, "Shit!" as he lost his balance, dropped his skis and plummeted down the slope towards the razor-sharp rocks below.
For a second, my brain couldn't process what happened. The path was so steep, I couldn't turn quickly, or I would have also slipped and fell right behind him.
My first thought was: I just killed my client. I experienced that moment of horror, and I will never forget it.
By telling this story from my point of view, my intention is to show you - rather than tell you - how memory works.
If you don't know how to tell a memorable story, you can't be an effective leader, can't raise money for a startup, can't be the number one sales professional, and can't even get your kids to listen.
My client didn't die; he slid 300 yards, regained his composure, and hiked back up the slope. After climbing a bit higher, we skied down without incident.
Dr. Carmen Simon is an expert in the science of memorable presentations. She and I just pooled our efforts to create a visual catalog of ten techniques that make communication memorable, five of which I used in this story:
- Evoke emotion
- Spark mental images
- Be shocking and visual
- Tell a story
- Exaggerate (mostly with the implication my client may have died)
We are not just talking about PowerPoint decks. These principles apply to the way you present ideas to colleagues, friends, relatives and casual acquaintances. Whether you are trying to sell a new idea to your boss or raise money for a charity, your first challenge is always to have the other person remember what you said.
Carmen reminds her clients that people remember just ten percent of what you tell them... you can't change this retention rate significantly, but you can influence what other people remember. The way you do this is to use one or more of these techniques in association with the 10% you most want others to remember.
But enough words... if you click through the images below, you'll see what we mean:
Bruce Kasanoff is a ghostwriter for entrepreneurs. Learn more at Kasanoff.com. He is the author of How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk.
Image: Tim Shields BC/Flickr
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