If Your Audience Can’t Remember It, They Can’t Retell It!

Why do some people speak for forty minutes and are forgotten before lunch, while others tell one simple story that people repeat for years? 

Recently, one of my clients who provides Business Executive training said that overseas clients often expressed the thought that we Irish had the natural gift of being good communicators and asked whether this could be taught to other nationalities. 

Yes, is the answer; it’s not unique to Ireland, although perhaps it comes easier to us! 

Before I head out to play golf on a Sunday morning, I listen to the John Bowman show entitled “From the Archives”; I find it magical and inspiring because he interviews creative people from our past.

There was a poet on the show some years ago, regrettably whose name I do not remember, who explained why James Joyce’s book Ulysses was a masterpiece.

What the poet explained was that what Joyce had done was capture the spoken word on the page. I have tried to read it without success on several occasions.

As a result, I listened to dramatised readings of the book and now understand both what the poet meant and how enjoyable and humorous the book is.

I regularly remind my clients that how you would say something is very different to how you would write it. 

For example, entrepreneurs are encouraged to answer the questions asked on a ‘Lean Canvas’ document, so they can explain their business idea.

This is an important document but can often be very dry and unengaging if a presenter delivers their pitch in this formulaic way.

Your audience is rarely your final audience. 

One important point to remember is that the investor, client or manager sitting in front of you will almost certainly have to retell your story to someone else, hopefully the person who signs the cheque.

“If Your Audience Can’t Remember It, They Can’t Retell It” 

Billy Connolly transformed stand-up comedy by weaving jokes into stories. We remembered the stories—and because we remembered the stories, we remembered him.

A good storyteller must first enjoy telling their story. If they wish to retain the attention of an audience while informing and entertaining them in equal measure, the story should be full of colour and detail with elements of fun and pathos.

I will tell you how to do this in part two of this article on the 19th August

If you want to be remembered, tell stories. Stories are a window to your soul, and people want you to reveal something of yourself when you engage with them.

Facts inform.
Stories travel.
Stories persuade.
Stories are remembered.

If you want your ideas to live beyond the moment you speak them, learn to tell better stories.

That’s the work I love doing every day.

By Executive Coach Andrew Keogh of Aristo.ie