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SEE-Membering: People Remember What They See

I have a confession to make. I was back on the road, doing what I do, this week. And boy, it sure felt sweet to be in front of a live and lively audience.

Throughout the course of my keynote, I sported 6-8 Courage bracelets. When people spoke up—which can be hard in front of their peers—there was a transfer that happened from my wrist to theirs. I do it for a few reasons. The tip-of-the-iceberg surface answer is you want to reward conversation and participation. But, I turn to my talented friend Anne McColl—expert sketch artist—to articulate the deeper meaning:

people remember what they see

There’s a reason monkey-see, monkey-do is a cliche.

We have a hard time imitating behavior we don’t see. In fact, as Anne shares in her sketches, the math is quite staggering on what lands and what doesn’t. Funny enough, I posted on my socials this week that I’m not in the business of sharing knowledge—I’m in the business of transferring knowledge. If you’re paying attention, that small shift brings a big difference. It forces me to really think through how I go about crafting my material.

As the sketches remind us, people remember 10% what they hear, 20% what they read, and 80% of what they see.

If you want your message to stick, then make sure people can SEE your magic in broad daylight.

It is not over my head that only 20% of you will remember what you READ here. And perhaps that’s why I freely give out courage bracelets.

So if we remember what we SEE, then I want those who believe in being courageous to see my courage bracelets when they need it most. Hard to do when that bracelet’s sitting in a drawer.

Want a Courage bracelet?

Reach out to me here and we’ll find a way to get you one.

Ryan Berman
Ryan Berman
Ryan is an author, keynote speaker, and the founder of Courageous. His book, Return on Courage, shows how during these courage deficient times, courage is a competitive advantage for those leaders who choose to unlock it.
Twitter @ryanberman | LinkedIn @ryanberman

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