Get Chunky

21 Apr Get Chunky

Researchers say that audiences can retain three to four pieces of information at a time. But what if we’re pitching a product, service, or program containing disparate and complex elements? We must get chunky. Chunking compresses large amounts of data into manageable bits that can be accessed efficiently.

Chunking employs recognizable, predictable patterns, like the 3-2-4 pattern of your Social Security number, or the 3-3-4 pattern of telephone digits. The more you embrace patterns and sequences, the more efficient you will be at utilizing them. Experience counts

At Eloqui, we train clients to pause and change up their energy when transitioning to a new section of a presentation. This separates their content and forms a memorable chunk.

Or you can create a visual marker, as Jim McFarland (“America’s Cobbler”) did on an NBC interview. He read a letter from a man who had lost his 16-year-old son. They wore the same size boots, which he brought to Jim for repair. Jim said, “I took every ounce of love I have inside and put them into those boots. And I hope when he puts them on, it gives him some kind of Band-aid on his heart.” Chunk created. Memory stored. Success.

Note: Thanks to Charan Ranganath, author of Why We Remember.