Impossible to Ignore: Creating Memorable Content to Influence Decisions

by Carmen Simon

Overview

A groundbreaking approach to creating memorable messages that are easy to process, hard to forget, and impossible to ignore―using the latest in brain science

Audiences forget up to 90% of what you communicate. How can your employees and customers decide to act on your message if they only remember a tenth of it? How do you know which tenth they’ll remember? How will you stay on their minds long enough to spark the action you need?

Many experts have offered techniques on how to improve your own memory, but not how to influence other people’s memory—and impact their decisions. Drawing on the latest research in neuroscience and cognitive psychology, Carmen Simon, PhD, reveals how to avoid the hazards of random recall and deliver just the right amount of content. No more redundant meetings, rambling e-mails, or anemic presentations. In Impossible to Ignore, she shows you how to execute a proven three-step plan for persuasion:

1. Create cues that attract attention and connect with your audience’s needs
2. Use memory-influencing variables to control what your audience remembers
3. Turn today’s intentions into tomorrow’s actions

This practical guide is filled with case studies, examples, and a checklist to help you put the power of cognitive science to work for your business. Whether you’re giving a presentation, conducting a meeting, delivering training, making a sales pitch, or creating a marketing campaign, these field-tested techniques will help you develop content that speaks to people’s hearts, stays in their heads, and influences their decisions. It’s not just memorable—it’s Impossible to Ignore.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781259584138
Publisher:	McGraw Hill LLC
Publication date:	05/11/2016
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Carmen Simon, PhD, is changing how the world communicates. A cognitive scientist, she has helped America’s most visible brands craft memorable messages by focusing on how the brain works. Carmen is the cofounder of Memzy, a presentation design and training company. She holds doctorates in both instructional technology and cognitive psychology, and is a recognized expert in presentation design, delivery, and audience engagement. Her sought-after keynote speeches unveil science-based techniques for getting others to see your way, remember your way, and go your way.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Author's Note ix

Chapter 1 Memory Is a Means to an End: Why Memory Matters in Decision-Making 1

Chapter 2 A Business Approach to Memory: Three Steps to Influence Memory and Decisions 17

Chapter 3 Control What Your Audience Remembers: Practical Ways to Avoid the Hazards of Random Memory 35

Chapter 4 Made You Look: How Cues Pave the Way to Action 51

Chapter 5 The Paradox of Surprise: The Price We Pay for Extra Attention, Time, and Engagement 71

Chapter 6 Sweet Anticipation: How to Build Excitement for What Happens Next 89

Chapter 7 What Makes a Message Repeatable? Techniques to Convince Others to Repeat Your Words 113

Chapter 8 Become Memorable With Distinction: How to Stay on People's Minds Long Enough to Spark Action 133

Chapter 9 "I Write This Sitting in the Kitchen Sink": The Science of Retrieving Memories Through Stories 149

Chapter 10 How Much Content is Too Much? How to Handle Content Sacrifice 193

Chapter 11 How Does the Brain Decide? The Neurobiology and Neuroeconomics of Choice 203

Chapter 12 The Right to Be Forgotten and the Intent to Be Remembered: How to Balance Accidental and Purposeful Forgetting 235

Checklist for Memorable Content 241

References 249

Index 263