What will your audience remember? | Opinion
Entrepreneur magazine is a favorite of mine because of its creative ideas for entrepreneurs and franchisees. Jason Feifer is the editor, and I always find his editorials absorbing. His trailblazing essay in the December 2022 issue titled “What Will They Remember?” holds true for the same reason. It has persuasive relevance. According to his column, “We want to give people a lot of value, but they may appreciate us more if we give a little less.”
Feifer’s column accurately explains how public speakers try to engage their audience. Presentations sometimes aim to educate listeners with lots of information, facts, diagrams and illustrations. This is what he terms “Density Mode.” Feifer makes an excellent point. Consider: “What if, no matter what, your audience will only remember one thing you said or did?”
His point is well-taken. The way you approach an audience might change dramatically if you consider his premise. Lesson: Don’t throw everything and the kitchen sink at an audience. Here, in The Club, many folks prepare presentations on a variety of subjects for different clubs. Our presentations often depend on the singular message we leave with the audience.
Feifer described the amount of detail he and his fiancée had to deal with before their wedding. It was staggering. The couple asked themselves what they wanted invitees to remember about the nuptials. They chose their wedding vows and a surprise flash mob they arranged with friends. Afterward, these always stood out to the guests, and Feifer and his wife accomplished what they set out to do.
He then reflected on how this concept applied to his work. He asked: “… how can we put this idea to use? Simple: instead of slamming people with stuff they won’t remember, carefully illuminate the one thing they will.”
Speakers need to be aware of people’s short attention spans and constant exposure to social media and ads. They also need to realize that the public is tired of constant news and overwhelming statistics. Now, more than ever, giving your audience one or two pertinent sound bites to remember is imperative. Remember, too, that they will probably fidget with their mobile devices even as you speak. Face it. Many have the attention span of a fly.
Early in my career, I felt obligated to provide supporters with a lot of information about my organization. An honest mistake. Today’s truths were also true then. This applies to both written and verbal presentations. Charitable organizations often feel obligated to include every program detail in their reports. It’s unnecessary.
It is not uncommon for public speakers to provide comprehensive descriptions of six to 12 points in their presentations. Your audience then gets lost in the Byzantine maze of information they have to navigate to understand your message. This is why the KISS method works. Keep it short and simple! (Haha, you thought I was heading elsewhere, didn’t you?)
An effective orator should leave you with one or two meaningful ideas to contemplate. When speaking to a crowd, I find it most effective to connect with them through humor or emotion by sharing relatable stories. If you flood the audience with data, they will lose interest.
I once lectured on planned giving. My goal was to encourage supporters to consider making a bequest for our organization via a lump sum, a percentage of their estate or through a residuary gift. I injected a touch of humor because the subject was very cut and dry. The following was a story I shared with the audience that captured their attention.
The story is told about an older gentleman who had serious hearing problems for several years. He went to the doctor, and the doctor had him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the man to hear 100%.
A month later, he returned to the doctor, and the doctor said, “Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.”
“Oh, I haven’t told my family yet,” the gentleman said. “I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I’ve changed my will three times!”
My joke broke the ice and drew their attention to our principal topic. As a result, several supporters approached me after the seminar to discuss suitable legacies. We focused their attention on one message that day. The minutiae were unnecessary.
Think about what your audience will remember as you prepare a speech. Success or failure may depend on it.
Norman B. Gildin is the author of the popular book on nonprofit fundraising “Learn From My Experiences.” He lives in Boynton Beach with his wife, Barbara. Visit normangildin.com.