EYN #005 - How To Be Memorable And Elevate Your Impact.

Read time: 4 mins

So here's the problem.  How do you become more memorable?  There is too much information in the world.  People are constantly hit with new facts, top tips, life hacks, scientific research, data points, conflicting opinions, it's exhausting. 

• So how do you stand out from the crowd. 
• How do you become more memorable? 
• How do you influence people to remember the important things you have said?

Answer: use stories to create an emotional connection with people. 

In the tech world we often focus heavily on how technically sound our solution and opinions are.  We focus on how the logic is compelling, and the solution elegant.  We over-index on the how.

But to be memorable we need to combine that logic with a strong emotional connection.  Scientific research suggests that emotional events are easier to remember.  Why? Well from a neurological standpoint the amygdala and hippocampus fire at the same time.  Which strengthens a memory. 

So practically, how do you do this?

• Explain the WHY not just the HOW
• Share the real lived experiences of people
• Use basic storytelling techniques

Explain the WHY not just the HOW

Simon Sinek wrote a great book "Start With Why".  He argues that people and organisation that have  a clear "Why" are way more successful.  People love to understand why they are doing something - they connect with it both emotionally and logically.  But so often we get stuck in the weeds and detail of how something will be done.

In one of my podcast episodes Tony Whitehorn, former CEO of Hyundai UK spoke about his experience working with techies and said "You are giving me confidence that you understand what the issues are, you understand what you need to do to solve those issues, i.e the solutions, but you don't need to tell me HOW you're going to do it - that's the key".

So spend time talking about the impact of what you're doing.  Don’t over-index on the how.  Make sure you talk about WHY.

Share lived experiences of people

People love to hear the real stories and experiences of other people.  Think about some stories and experiences that are relevant to your topic and share them.   Tell them about the tech disasters you've seen, the success stories of project go lives, the lives impacted by the solutions you've deployed.  Polish those stories up and share them.

Human brains are wired to remember stories not facts.  Take advantage and share relevant experiences that help engage your audience the way nature intended.  For millennia humans have used stories to help pass knowledge along - use it.

Use basic storytelling techniques

• Create Structure.  Give your anecdote a bit of structure and it will really lift the tale.
• Beginning - Set the context and introduce the problem
• Middle - Share the adventures of solving the problem
• End - Give a resolution.  It could be positive or negative.
• Use People.  Make the stories about people.  The tech isn't the hero, the people are.  Tell stories that show the impact on people.
• Create conflict.  Conflict is interesting.  Who wants to hear a story where everything went well?  People want to hear about struggle, about adventures, about overcoming difficulty.  Stories don’t need to be sickly sweet. 
• Stretch the emotional range.  Life isn't always positive.  Share that negativity to create some dynamic.  If something is bad make it horrific.  If something is good make it amazing.  Stretch the emotional range, no-one wants a beige story.
•  

Let me bring this to life in the tech world.  Here's a worked example of a short story you could use in a tech presentation as an introduction.

Old Typical Tech Version

The UK National Health Service needs to improve the quality of technology provided to its frontline workers.  Our solution will provide a secure, scalable and performant platform that will enable those frontline workers.

The solution works by XXXX,  YYYY,  ZZZZZ …

Boring!!

Memorable Version - Using the above techniques

My friends mum is a community midwife in Lancashire.  She is brilliant at helping vulnerable women prepare and bond with their unborn babies.  Often these women have the most heartbreaking life circumstances.  But every day the wifi is intermittent, the note taking tool constantly crashes, and she struggles to book the follow up services these women need.

She's focused on troubleshooting tech issues, and managing her stress levels, not providing the care to these women that they need.  And she's doing this with a diary stacked full of back to back appointments, with each future mum spending ages in the waiting room.

That is what we want to solve.  The challenges like this, that are all too common in the NHS.  We want to provide midwives and others with an easy, reliable, secure solution that lets them play to their strengths and improve the lives of others.

So give it a go!  Try writing down some of your experiences and generate some memorable and influential stories.

Cheers

BenP

Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

• Podcast:  Insightful guests sharing tips and stories on how to thrive in the tech world.  Also on Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.
• Technical Storytelling for Individuals: Accelerate your career, increase your impact and influence people.  World-Class course and coaching available for individuals.
• Technical Storytelling for Organisations: Programs designed to increase the impact of your team.  Inspire, develop and motivate your team to influence key stakeholders and generate action.