POV: you’re looking at the bookshelf by my bed. 

Is there anything more vulnerable that you can show a person? My toiletry cabinet would tell you less. If y’all don’t consider us best friends, do not tell me. Please.  

Last night I was looking over the shelves with a furrowed brow as I picked up my current read (not pictured but brilliant). 

“WTH happened in The Perfect Stranger? Did I even read Everything Everything?” 

Yes, I thought, I’m sure of it.

I’ve read hundreds of books, right?

Surely I’m getting close to the thousands when you consider the Accelerated Reading program from elementary school. AR POINTS??? Hello?! When we were a proper country!

(If you skimmed the Little House on the Prairie series just to take the AR tests and get the highest amount of points towards a Pizza Hut coupon - you own a business now, congratulations.)

And still, out of the presumable hundreds, it seems like I only really remember a handful of books.

Now, me seemingly blacking out after reading The Woman in the Window is pretty low stakes. I don’t think anyone is losing sleep over that.

But the principle of how little that we, as consumers, remember is what should keep us up at night… especially when you’re out here trying to build powerful brands and sell your totally life-changing services and raise the next generation. No pressure??

Definitely pressure. AND pressure is a privilege.  

4 Ways to Make Your Message Memorable in a World that Forgets Almost Everything:

#1. Use Specificity

Why say “I was watching TV” when you could say “I was in the middle of a Love is Blind binge”? Our brains are begging for something to grab onto. I’ve never seen Love is Blind AND at least I had to think about it for a second. When someone says “watch TV,” we all start reviewing our grocery list in our heads. Generic content gets you forgotten.

#2. Bring the Action

Give your presentations an element of ACTION and I don’t just mean fire and stunts (although we would almost certainly remember that). Use your facial expressions, hands and props to drive a point home. How to bring the action through written text? So glad you asked. Remember 2 minutes ago when I showed you my bookshelf and didn’t just tell you about my bookshelf?

#3. Tell Us a Story

People loving stories is a tale as old as time. But we don’t just love them, we remember them. Parables are the poster child! Our brains get GIDDY at the first hint of a story because they allow for patterns that our tired minds are primed to receive and recall. If you haven’t studied storytelling, add it to your list of complimentary skills.

#4. Look the Part

Effort into your appearance can be a reason that you’re remembered. Don’t shoot the messenger. I can hear the rebuttals now. I was once a skeptic too until I realized that it doesn’t have to be feathers and a $300 blazer. One of our favorite ways to increase likelihood of a message sticking? A swipe of lipstick. Grace did the Lord’s work on this article laying out the best drugstore lipsticks money can buy. Be remembered for $5? Sold.

Don’t forget to (be) remember(ed).

Xo, The Salesgirls