Others won’t be able to make the same intuitive leap that you have made, so you will need to develop and then tell a compelling story that sticks. I was originally going to discuss identifying the need for change, working with people to refine your story, and then I remembered a great session by Jonah Berger, PhD at The Wharton School on “What makes ideas sticky.” Messages succeed based on their fit with our memory. Our memory is built so that some ideas are stickier; they fit better with the way our mind is built. Beware of the “curse of knowledge.” The more we know, the more we assume that others know. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case. To communicate effectively, you need to get out of your own mind and get into the mind of your listener. There are some good articles and books out these on creating sticky stories, ones that people will remember. Dr. Berger highly recommends “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. The 6 SUCCESS principles of Stickiness are: • Simple • Unexpected • Concrete • Credible • Emotional • Stories The more SUCCESS ingredients you use, the more successful you’ll be. You don’t need to include all the ingredients. However, the more of them you incorporate, the more likely your message will succeed. Simple • Keep it simple • Focus on your #1 thing you want people to walk away with, your core message • Analogies can help people relate to a new idea or concept. • Apply the Grandmother test: Will your grandmother understand what you’re talking about? Unexpected: • Violate expectations by breaking a pattern • Go against conventional wisdom • Open a curiosity gap. Start with a mystery instead of a title slide. Concrete • Make it as specific as possible • Eliminate buzz words, jargon, and techno-speak • Show vs. tell people; can you see or picture it? Credible • Put your information into context so people understand or believe you • Numbers can work well, but for the best results, use comparisons to something your audience already knows and understands • Get your audience to try/test it for themselves; they will convince themselves Emotion • Evoke emotion, inspire, to get people to care • Go beyond numbers/stats to focus on individuals • Highlight/focus on expected benefits vs. features • Appeal to self-interest (what’s in it for me) • Other motivations such as fitting in, belonging, being part of something bigger, etc. are very powerful o Use the “3 Whys” or “5 Whys” until you hit something core • The more emotion you can evoke, the more action you’ll get Stories • To make a point, use a story vs. focusing on information • Attention is a scarce resource; simple stories work better • Turn passive listeners into active participants by drawing in people o Visual and auditory cues activate areas of the brain • Act as flight simulators, help avoid counterarguments, are more persuasive What stories to tell? • Identify the key point, #1 take away • Look for existing stories • While the story you use must convey your message, it doesn’t have to be YOUR story or about YOU! Simple – KISS, less is more, focus on your core message Unexpected – use curiosity gaps to draw people in & hold their attention Concrete – be specific; show vs. tell people to help them understand Credible – put info into context and get people try it for themselves (testable credentials) Emotional – focus on benefits (what’s in it for me) to get people to care vs. features Stories – use narratives to persuade & drive people to take action Happy story telling!!

This is a tricky question! I think it's all about learning to be a great communicator and angling your pitch around what other people are looking for. Have you taken any speech/communication classes?