This is a question every communicator wrestles with, especially because we know how easily most of us forget what we hear! I have just a few thoughts from my experience as a communicator:
Keep it simple. Every time I teach a message, I’m tempted to cram in way too much information because I’m pumped up about the subject and want to share everything I learned in my research. It takes discipline to simplify my message into something people can actually latch on to and remember. Word choices matter. Take the time to play with all kinds of options as you develop the key phrases you want people to remember. Bring a fresh idea to life with new words that sing and soar, rather than using words worn out from overuse.
Tell great stories. Every communicator knows that storytelling is key. Be on a constant lookout for personal stories. And read—a lot. Fill your mind with all kinds of possibilities as you search for just the right story to illustrate the truth you want to teach. Just recently I heard a terrific message from our youth pastor that began with a very funny story about himself and his wife. He held my interest, and I will remember that story for a long time (probably longer than some of the other information he communicated).
Make it visual. People learn in all kinds of ways, but most of us can latch onto whatever is visual—an image on the screen, a prop, a dramatic scene, a video clip. Don’t craft messages that only tap into what people hear. Most of us aren’t gifted enough to hold an audiences’ attention without relying on visual elements. John Ortberg once taught at our church about how God is the potter and we are the clay while a real guy sat at a potter’s wheel during the entire service working with real clay. I still remember what that looked like, and how he had to start over several times when the clay wasn’t cooperating. I heard what John said while I saw with my own eyes the truth lived out. If the masterful teacher John Ortberg seeks the assistance of visual aids, the rest of us certainly need to!
