7 Steps to Transform the Mundane into the Memorable

Have you ever pondered, “How can I make bland subjects more appealing?” Recently, a client of mine had to attend an all-day training on a new database system, and the challenge was to make this interesting. Today, I’m going to guide you through six easy-to-remember, immediately applicable traits that make a subject truly memorable. These come from one of my favorite books, “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath, and I’ll also add one more to the list.

Traits to Make a Subject Memorable

• Simplicity:

Find the core of an idea and make it quick.

• Unexpectedness:

Just doing something that people aren’t expecting will wake them up and make them remember.

• Concreteness: 

Ensure your idea is graspable, touchable, tangible. For instance, using props makes the topic more engaging, like me holding a brick while talking about the importance of making an idea concrete.

• Credibility: 

Credibility is vital to make information more engaging and believable. However, you want to avoid feigning credibility, which can lead to misinformation. The idea behind Chip and Dan Heath’s perspective is that an idea is much more likely to be remembered if the source is real and credible.

• Emotion: 

As emotional beings, we tend to remember experiences that evoke strong emotions. For instance, reading a poignant book to my two-year-old son Otto, I was moved to tears. That emotional moment is something I’ll never forget.

• Storytelling

Narratives are memorable. Instead of just advising “use emotion,” I shared the touching story about reading to Otto.

Bonus: Specificity

Inspired by a favorite John Hodgman quote, “Specificity is the soul of narrative,” sharing specific details makes a narrative more engaging and memorable.

Application of the Traits

Now, if you’re dealing with a seemingly boring topic, try applying these seven traits: simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotion, storytelling, and specificity. Even if it’s a commercial, which might be thought of as mundane, using these elements can make it memorable.

For example, my brother, a Kia Soul owner, despises the old commercials featuring hamsters. But, due to its unusualness, it left a lasting impression. Similarly, the gecko in Geico’s ads is remembered due to its specificity, emotion-evoking humor and visuals.

Checklist for Presenting a Topic

So, whenever you need to present a topic, just go through this checklist. Is it simple? Is it unexpected? Is it concrete? Do you have credibility built-in? Is there emotion involved? Do you tell a story? And is it specific enough?

If you enjoyed this, you’ll appreciate my video titled “How to Be Interesting,” essentially a mini master class on how to employ these seven items in your own storytelling.

I’m Chad Littlefield, have an awesome day!