Make It Memorable

You have just delivered a presentation, and it went well. The audience was smiling nodding and clapping. But will they remember it?

Here’s where a sound bite comes in.

A soundbite is a short, memorable, and impactful excerpt from your speech, often used in media to capture attention or summarize a key point. It's typically just a few seconds long and is designed to be easily understood, quoted, and shared.

I was talking about this today in a workshop and it remined me of a client I worked with few years ago. I was delivering ‘Staple It To Their Heads – Make You Message Stick’ workshop for the Federal Police in Canberra, and we were discussing memorable messages. The guys from the police training department shared the ‘Don’t Touch Tilt or Tamper’ motto from the bomb squad.

Later in the day we were discussing the challenge of increasing engagement with ‘boring’ topics. One participant was in the process of writing a workshop for harassment in the workplace when it occurred to me that the ‘Don’t Touch Tilt or Tamper’ slogan could be used.

Touch could refer to inappropriate contact, Tilt to teasing and bullying and Tamper to people’s personal space and possessions.

The goal is to distil complex messages into concise, catchy phrases that are memorable and recognisable.

I call them staples.

A fabulous staple that is both expressive and memorable. Staples are everywhere – you only have to look.

And if you have trouble finding one, try ChatGPT.

Here is one that it came up with for Persuasive Presentations:

"Facts tell, but stories sell. When you connect with emotions, you inspire action."

This soundbite highlights the importance of storytelling in persuading an audience, suggesting that while facts are essential, emotional engagement is key to driving decisions and actions.

Have a crack and let me know how you go!