Public Speaking: Mnemonic Devices-Barfing Your Way to Success

Mnemonic devices for public speaking have been used for thousands of years.

The initial application was to help speakers remember what they were going to say as they delivered the speech. (For an overview and history of mnemonic devices used by the ancients--remember, the great Greek orators didn't have teleprompters--CLICK HERE.) 

Some mnemonic devices, however, are also useful to help the listener retain and recall your message.

The acronym is one of those. 

Many Americans learned the names of the Great Lakes with the acronym H-O-M-E-S (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior). K-I-S-S (Keep It Simple Stupid) and A-I-D-A (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) are well-known acronyms applying to persuasive speaking.

Which brings us to barfing your way to success.

Recently I heard William H. Nixon, Chairman and CEO of Policy Impact Communications, speak to a management group about his formula for business success, organized as

an acronym: BARRFFS (pronounced "barfs").

Two days after I heard him, I thought I'd see how much I could remember without using my notes. Here's what I came up with. (I'll tell you at the end if I had to cheat.) It's excellent advice for those of you just starting your careers and for those of us who have been around for awhile.

1. Build your own BRAND. There are many ways to do so. The key is to create a consistent experience for people that gets you remembered and trusted. 
2. Take ACTION. Be actively engaged in your endeavor. Create churn, even it that means working for little or no pay to gain experience and hone your skills.
3. Accept Responsible RISK. Nothing great happens without the willingness to take risks. But do so being aware of how it will impact all of your responsibilities.
4. Make and strengthen RELATIONSHIPS. You are only as valuable to others as the quality of your relationships. Have a system for staying in contact.
5. Do not fear FAILURE. If you are getting things done, you will have failures. Learn from them and move on.
6. Cultivate FAITH by working for something larger than a paycheck. Connect your professional goals and daily activities to that higher purpose.
7. Always be engaged in the SEARCH for truth and knowledge.

So how well did the acronym work? 

B-A-R-R and S were easy to remember. It took me about 30 seconds to recall Faith. And I had to look at my notes to remember Failure. Still, that's 6 out of 7, a lot more than I would have remembered otherwise 2 days after the talk.

Mnemonic devices work. Use them.

Comments

[Lou Hampton]

Dorothea,
Excellent example! Making the message memorable with an acronym is good. Making the acronym itself memorable is the ideal.
Thanks for commenting.

[Dorothea Stuart]

Quite agree that mnenomics are useful. I've heard Phillip Khan-Panni use several including KKKK (his version of AIDA). This has an additional prompt as he refers to them as the 4Kings so his audience can remember the kings in playing cards. It all helps our overworked memories!