Make
it Memorable.
One of the best ways to help
people remember your message is through using a word picture. Winston
Churchill did this when he described a communist world that lay behind an “iron
curtain.” Hillary Clinton speculated about a “vast, right-wing conspiracy.”
President George W. Bush spoke of an “axis of evil.” Word
pictures are effective because they grab and direct attention and lock thoughts
into our memory. A call to action can be greatly enhanced by the creative
use of a word picture.
Other visual devices are also effective in helping us communicate. An
often repeated statistic states that: people remember 40% of what they hear and
see, 30% of what they see, 20% of what they hear, and only 10% of what they
read. Always reinforce your spoken or written message with something that
evokes a mental memory, either through a word picture or a visual
image.
"Take
advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that
when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the
sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people." Jim Rohn
