Want to be Easy to Remember and Hard to Forget?

"What people don't GET, they FORGET." - Sam Horn, author of POP!

Quick.?Think of the last meeting, conference or zoom call you attended.

Can you repeat anything you heard - word for word?

If not, everything that was said is now out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

Those people may have spent hours (weeks?) preparing their slides, collecting their research, organizing their thoughts, and sharing their insights/requests.

Yet all that effort went down the drain if we can't repeat anything they said.

Because if we can't repeat it, we didn't get it.

And if we don't get it, we won't remember it and that means we won't be trying, buying, recommending, or acting on what they said.

The good news is, I've developed a step-by-step process for crafting more memorable communications that capture and keep attention. Enjoy!

Sam Horn's Six Steps to Being Easy to Remember and Hard to Forget

Step 1. Distill Your Main Point into a Single Sentence

What is the shift you want people to make, an action you want them to take?

Condense that into one sentence. Follow author Elmore Leonard’s advice and “leave out the parts people skip.” You know it’s perfect when there's no word clutter and you wouldn’t change a thing.

Step 2. Craft that Sentence into a Phrase-That-Pays

What’s a phrase-that-pays??It’s a pithy, profound one-liner that resonates. Resonate is defined as “to have extended effect or impact beyond that which is apparent.”?That means people need to be able to repeat your sound-bite after hearing it once. If they can, it will pay off for you because people will take you and your message viral.

Step 3: Put your Sound Bite into a Beat To Make It Easy To Repeat

Think of your phrase-that-pays as a jigsaw puzzle. At first, the words don’t fit. They feel awkward, sound clunky. Start talking out loud and experimenting with synonyms and different word combinations.?Keep playing with variations until your ears tell you you've found the perfect mix because there is a rhythm, a cadence, that sounds and feels right.?

For example, say, “If you see something, say something.” Feel how easily those words roll off the tongue??When a phrase is fun to say, people voluntarily share it with others which produces bottom-line results.?This Week magazine reported that “What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas” is “one of the most recognized ad campaigns in history, and has generated billions of dollars in additional revenue." That’s why this isn't word-play, it's word-profit.

Step 4: Use Words That Start with the Same Sound

Have you ever put a “cardboard insulating sleeve” around a hot cup of coffee so you didn’t burn your fingers??Entrepreneur Jay Sorenson saw an opportunity.?He knew it’s hard to build a business around an unpronounceable name. So, he played with alliteration, came up with Java Jackets and cornered the market.?In fact, Jay says, “Customers who meant to call our competitors call us because they can’t remember our competitors’ name.” Wouldn’t it be nice to have customers calling you because your name or tagline is top of mind? Increase the likelihood of that happening by using alliteration. It makes your language lyrical.

Step 5. Use Rhyme If You Want To Be Remembered Over Time

The U.S. government was concerned about the number of injuries from car accidents. So, they launched a public service campaign to convince people to wear their safety belts. They called it?Buckle Up for Safety.?Yawn. No one noticed.?No one cared.?No one changed their behavior.

Back to the drawing board.?This time, they called it Click It or Ticket.?That phrase-that-pays not only got people’s attention, compliance went up and injuries went down. What does that prove? A well-crafted meme isn’t silly semantics; it can change behavior - for good. It can even save lives.

Step 6. Pause and Punch So Your Phrase-That-Pays POPS!

People often race through a presentation, proposal or pitch when they’re nervous. They’re sub-consciously trying to get it “over with.”?The problem is, people can't remember what you say when you "rush and blush."

Arthur Levine, editor at Scholastic of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, came up to me at Maui Writers Conference after watching me emcee and said, “Sam, I like the way you speak. You put space around your words."

When I coach clients on their presentations and pitches, we put space around their... big idea... so it stands out and people are more likely to notice it, imprint it and act on it it. They practice pausing before... and after... their phrase-that-pays so people have time to hear it, absorb it, reflect upon it, and remember it.

So, what’s an important communication you’ve got coming up??

What do you want people to stop, start, or do differently?

Have you crafted a phrase-that-pays that people can repeat and want to repeat??

If so, good for you.??

If not, use my 6-step process so you're the one people remember and take viral.

That's a win for you and for your listeners, readers and viewers.

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Want Sam to help you craft content that's easy to remember and hard to forget?