Howard Hendricks, a teacher of teachers said, “To teach is to cause to learn.” Here are five steps for creating a statement so memorable that others can’t help but learn.
Five Keys to Quotability
- Keep it simple.
Do you remember that acronym K.I.S.S? It stands for keep it simple silly–or stupid–depending on the version that you learned. K.I.S.S. is a brilliant reminder that uncomplicated is better. The easier your words are to recall, the more quotable you will be.
- Make it memorable.
“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Jesus begins his statement by going one way, and then turns things upside-down. Being counterintuitive is one way of making a statement memorable.
Earlier this week, I met with a friend who is studying the art of memory. He tells me that the more unique the statement, the easier it will be to recall. If you can paint a vivid picture in the mind of your audience, you will be memorable.
Try asking, “What is memorable about my statement?” Is it…
- Counterintuitive?
- Thought-provoking?
- Imaginative?
- Different?
- Visual?
- Ask, “Is it true?”
I heard a speaker say he had an incredible quote for his recently released book. He described this particular statement as “sleek, shiny, and sexy.” The only problem is that the quote was not entirely true. As a result, he removed it. This author is a man of integrity. Although flashy quotes are attractive, if they are not true, they will break our audience’s trust and ultimately do more harm than good.
- Be tweetable.
Twitter is powerful. It is an incredibly effective way of quickly spreading a message. Whittling a quote down to 140 characters or less can be challenging. Yet, it’s worth the effort. In short,
“Be tweetable, because tweetable quotes are spreadable quotes.” @jjurchenko.
Now, that’s a quote worth tweeting.
- Add value.
Value is key. Although “See Jane run,” is memorable, it doesn’t hold much significance unless you’re a kindergartener learning to read. So, before publishing your quote, be sure to ask yourself, “What value does this add to my audience?” Valuable quotes are simple but not simplistic.
Your Checklist for Great Quotes
To be quotable, start by narrowing down your next speech, blog post, sermon, or lecture to 3-5 key points. Any more than this will be difficult to remember. Then, reduce each point down to a single sentence. Thus, a speech with three main points will contain three key sentences. Finally, refine, refine, and refine some more. Rework each statement to the point that it is…
- Simple.
- Memorable.
- Tweetable.
- True.
- Valuable.
Then, watch the magic happen. Your audience’s faces will light up as they take in your content in an easily digestible format. You will also find that speaking comes easier because the information is well organized in your head. You can read more about the value that comes from being quotable in my previous post, The Two Words that Help Me Grow as a Speaker. Although being quotable is hard work, it’s well worth the effort!
Love this. “Is it true?” is so important. As a writer, I like to fill in the blanks and sometimes those blanks are filled in with what comes to mind first. When I go back in write, I have to edit out what might sound catchy, but doesn’t really work in application.
Your thoughts here are very much in line with a book I mentioned in response to your last post: “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath. I think it’s easy to forget that most people truly don’t get the importance of these points when speaking.
I’ve heard many speakers ramble, be dry as dirt, take dozens of rabbit trails and be unmemorable. Educational and motivational speakers. Clergy. Those running meetings. And it all goes to show you that being clear and memorable are NOT the only ways to “make it” as a speaker.
You can make it on position (e.g., people have to listen to you, regardless of your content, because you are their boss).
You can make it on charisma: by being a memorable, eccentric or ebullient person that people simply want to like, and so they root for you, even if you don’t speak well.
You can make it by intimidation: using jargon and gobbledygook that make you sound important and cause others who are insecure to believe that you are smarter than they are.
You can make it by ruse: shuffling the cards and being smart enough to wear the emperor’s new clothes.
The central question is motive. Do you speak for attention and self-aggrandizement? Or do you truly speak to benefit the listener? Even if all Jed’s suggestions are followed, if the motive is to be memorable for the sake of making a name for yourself — you can certainly do that. You may even become famous for it, and build a large following in so doing. But you will not truly change people’s lives. I stand by that.
I’ve mentioned before that the same action can be done with entirely different motives. And the outcome of the actions differs based on the motive. There are people who can speak well with slick and well-crafted speeches — and people will clap and cheer loudly at the end. Then they will go and seek another emotional thrill. Or there are people who speak simply and honestly — and people leave quietly afterward, moved, full of conviction, determined to do something different.
I would also add that context has a lot to do with the memorability of a message. For instance “See Jane run” has little impact alone. But paired with a message of hope and determination could be a successful campaign slogan for Special Olympics or prosthetic research.
As always, Jed, I love that what you write makes me think and challenge myself to remember what is important. Without those constant reminders, like anyone, I can easily forget. I appreciate you!
Thanks Erik, I appreciate you too! I love this response. It would be an excellent book chapter or blog post, “The Right Way to Succeed as a Speaker.”
Great insights into the importance of having the honorable motives too! Sure appreciate your comments. They always encourage me to keep thinking & growing 🙂