You want your audience to remember and act on your message, whether you're delivering a pitch, a report, or a speech. But how can you make your message more memorable and persuasive? Here are some techniques you can use to craft a compelling narrative for your message and connect with your listeners.
The SUCCES model is a framework developed by Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the book Made to Stick. It stands for Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Stories. These are the elements that make a message stick in the minds of your audience. For example, you can simplify your message by using analogies or metaphors, make it unexpected by using surprise or curiosity, make it concrete by using sensory details or examples, make it credible by using statistics or testimonials, make it emotional by appealing to values or feelings, and make it a story by using a plot, characters, and conflict.
One thing I have found to be impactful is evoking empathy in the audience. The speaker has to truly believe the message they are delivering. It would also help if the anecdotes or metaphor (as was mentioned above) are personal. Whether your audience is large or small, they can sense sincerity.
What if I told you by reading my addition to this article, you could win any person to your way of thinking? Any message that is delivered is received better if the listener understands what is in it for them first. Always seek first to understand your audience and what they want. Then express your understanding that gets your audience saying “yes”, then they are ready to receive your SUCCES message. This framework looks great. Keep in mind that people only listen once they feel you understand what they want.
The 3-act structure is a classic storytelling technique that divides your message into three parts: the setup, the confrontation, and the resolution. The setup introduces the problem or the opportunity, the confrontation shows the challenges or the options, and the resolution shows the solution or the call to action. This structure helps you create a clear and coherent narrative that engages your audience and leads them to your desired outcome. For example, you can use the 3-act structure to present a new product, a case study, or a proposal.
The rule of three is a rhetorical device that uses repetition and grouping to make your message more memorable and persuasive. It works by presenting three items, words, or ideas that are related, contrasted, or parallel. The rule of three creates a sense of rhythm, balance, and completeness that appeals to your audience's cognitive and emotional processing. For example, you can use the rule of three to highlight your main points, emphasize your benefits, or create a slogan.
Visuals are powerful tools to enhance your message and make it more memorable and persuasive. They can help you capture attention, illustrate concepts, simplify data, evoke emotions, and reinforce your brand. However, you need to use visuals wisely and strategically, avoiding clutter, confusion, and distraction. You can use visuals such as images, icons, charts, graphs, diagrams, or videos to complement your message, not to replace it.
The rhetorical triangle is a model that helps you balance the three elements of effective communication: ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos is your credibility and authority, pathos is your emotional appeal and connection, and logos is your logical argument and evidence. You need to use all three elements to make your message more memorable and persuasive, depending on your purpose, audience, and context. For example, you can use ethos by showing your expertise or credentials, pathos by sharing stories or testimonials, and logos by providing facts or statistics.
The primacy and recency effects are psychological phenomena that influence how your audience remembers your message. The primacy effect means that your audience is more likely to recall the first information they hear, while the recency effect means that they are more likely to recall the last information they hear. You can use these effects to make your message more memorable and persuasive by placing your most important or impactful information at the beginning and at the end of your message, and by summarizing or repeating your key points.