Do people remember what you said?
“Perception and reality are two different things.”
~ Robert Thomas, The Riddle of Oz
An economist was about to testify before Congress.
A recognized expert on the topic, he’d authored numerous studies as well as a popular book and often appeared in the most prominent media outlets.
I was asked to help with the final prep for his testimony. I walked into a conference room and sat down. A dozen others were already there. We all had printed copies of his remarks.
The economist delivered his prepared testimony to us. A few people told him he sounded great.
I was confused. I’m no expert on economics, but neither was his audience (the members of Congress). I understood that he explained a problem and offered three potential solutions. But I couldn’t say what his three solutions were. So I asked him:
“Is there any way you could be more clear about what you’re saying?”
He said no.
I turned to one of the research assistants in the room. I asked him to explain what the economist just said. The research assistant sheepishly said that he couldn’t. So I asked the person next to him. She couldn’t tell us either. We went around the room. I asked everyone and not a single person was able to tell us what the economist just said.
He was shocked. The economist had no idea we didn’t understand him.
The truth is this happens all the time – and not just with Congressional testimonies. We’ve all failed to effectively connect with others when we speak.
Chip Heath runs a similar experiment every year in his How to Make Ideas Stick graduate class at Stanford University.
Ask yourself: “Is there any way I could be more clear about what I’m saying?”
He gives his students data on crime patterns. Then he has them research, write, and deliver one-minute persuasive speeches. Half the class argues that non-violent crime is a real problem. The other half argues it is not.
Heath divides the students into small groups and has them deliver their speeches. They evaluate every speech in their group. The students typically give each other high marks.
When they think the exercise is over, the actual experiment begins.
Heath shows the class a few funny Monty Python video clips. Then he asks the students to pull out paper and write down every idea they remember from every speech in their group.
The students are stunned.
They quickly realize that they remember almost nothing. Just ten minutes have passed, yet they struggle to recall even a single idea from each of the presentations.
The average student in Heath’s experiments uses several statistics in their speech. Only one in ten tells a story. And while most of these stories get remembered in the recall exercises, 95 percent of the statistics are forgotten after just ten minutes.
95 percent. Gone. In ten minutes.
The speeches that stick most have one clear idea that is brought to life with a compelling story. This is true in Stanford graduate classes. And it’s just as true in Congressional testimonies, keynote speeches, and everyday conversations.
Our tendency when we talk is to share too much information. And get technical without simplifying. And use statistics without concrete examples and stories.
How do we know whether we are communicating effectively? Unless we get honest feedback from our audiences, we don’t.
A retention test guarantees honest feedback.
All you have to do is bring a few people together. Present an upcoming talk you are preparing. When you finish, take a short break and then ask them to write down everything they remember from your presentation.
This exercise will immediately sync your perception with reality. Consider adding it to your preparation for important presentations and conversations.