Listeners cycle in and out of attentiveness–mostly out. Twenty percent of your audience will be spaced out at any given time. Not because they’re stupid, but because they’re thinking about what you’ve said. So when you begin, establish your themes, and as you move through each section remind them where they are on the journey. When you get to the end, repeat your key points, with this special caveat: use slightly different language to make your points.<\/p>\n

Research indicates that attention-getting messages are simple, unexpected, and concrete. I worked with a guy who brought 11 different bottles of ketchup to a meeting to make a point about competition for shelf space in supermarkets. It was entertaining, memorable, and demonstrated his commitment and expertise.<\/p>\n

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“No ideas but in things,” said the wonderful American poet William Carlos Williams. The mention of an object creates a visualized idea in our minds–we form an image of the thing, and retain it in our memory. This doesn’t happen at the mention of abstractions, like “value” or “memory.” But mention ketchup, and we know what you’re talking about.<\/p>\n

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