How to Make Your Presentation Memorable: The Sticky Secrets

My daughter showed me a short film of herself talking to camera from a few years ago. It was from when she was going through a really tough time and it instantly brought back a wave of memories and emotions in one very powerful hit. 

As presenters we’re often trying to do something similar. We’re presenting our strategy for next year, we want our audience to at least remember why it matters, what it is, and what the listeners are expected to do next. But the truth is if we were to speak to our audience a week later it would be a minor miracle if they could remember even half of that. 

But it doesn't have to be that way. Chip and Dan Heath, in their brilliant book "Made to Stick," unveiled six surefire techniques to make your presentation unforgettable. 

And here they are. Six sticky secrets:

1. Simple: Keep It Clear and Concise
Firstly, simplicity is your best friend. Imagine you're explaining your idea to an 11 year old. Would they understand it? Boil your core message down to its essence. Avoid jargon and fluff. Think of it as the X version of your idea—short, sweet, and to the point. Remember, a clear and concise message sticks infinitely better than a convoluted one.

2. Unexpected: Surprise and Delight
Nobody remembers the mundane. Sprinkle in some surprises to keep your audience on their toes. When working with a medical education company who do whole day events, we agreed that they’d aim to surprise their audience every ten minutes. Feedback scores shot up. 

Throw in a shocking statistic, a surprising fact, or an unexpected twist in your story. This definitely doesn't mean you should be gimmicky; it just means you should break the pattern. Surprise not only grabs attention but also makes your message more memorable.

3. Concrete: Paint a Clear Picture
Abstract ideas are slippery; concrete ones just stick. E.g. “Yesterday I flew to Scotland.” Or “Yesterday I flew to Scotland in one of those cheap airlines that seems as though the interior design has been inspired by an 80’s motorway service station.” Use sensory details to make your point tangible. Use metaphors, analogies, and visual aids to anchor your ideas in the real world. When people can see, touch, and feel your ideas, they’re more likely to remember them.

4. Credible: Build Trust
Your message needs to be believable. Show your audience why they should trust you through data and evidence. A credible message is a sticky message.

5. Emotional: Make Them Care
Just as with my daughter’s short film, people remember what they feel. Whether it’s through a heartfelt story, a passionate delivery, or evoking a sense of urgency, make your audience care about your message. When they feel something, they’re much more likely to remember and act on it. So, don’t be afraid to get a little emotional.

6. Stories: Engage and Inspire
This is the most powerful of the six as the very nature of a story usually encapsulates the other five techniques in one. A good story will have surprises, be simple credible, concrete and emotional. We’re hard-wired for stories. Stories give context and help illustrate your point in a relatable way. It’s why I used a micro story about daughter at the beginning of this blog. It’s to grab attention and also give context and meaning. So share personal anecdotes, case studies, or fictional scenarios. 

Finally a bonus memory tool. The senses. Whether that’s a piece of music or as with my daughter’s film something visual, our senses – sight, sound, touch or smell, are amazingly powerful at creating instant short cuts to memories. Just have a flick through older photos. Within a split second you are taken back to place and time, as the photo creates super fast neural pathways to the history in your head. 

There you have it—six or seven tools to making your presentation as memorable as your favourite movie. By keeping it simple, surprising, concrete, credible, emotional, and wrapped in a story, you’ll have your audience hanging on to your every word.