Last month I talked about structuring a presentation and I promised that this time I’d give you a technique for how to remember what you want to say.

The technique has many names, including the Loci method, Memory palace or Roman room, and is said to date back to the great Roman and Greek orators. The format may change slightly for each but the concept is that you link memorable images for what you want to say to a route you know well or around your house.

Last time I explained how I might talk about Partners With You.

• I could start with the fact that 20% of business people will make up an excuse rather than make a presentation.

• I would then introduce myself and how we work with the 20%.

• Thirdly, I would give a tip such as imagining you’re wearing a bolero jacket and someone pulls it from behind which will open up your chest and make you look more confident.

• And then I’d give you a call to action (perhaps download a free tip sheet) and

• Remind you who I am again.

In this process, having broken what I want to say down into chunks, I next need to imagine a route I regularly take or walk around a room in my house - let's pick my kitchen. Standing in the doorway looking left, I see a green fruit bowl, the cooker, the kettle, the sink and the microwave.

 

Associating points with objects in a route around your kitchen can help you remember lists or points. Photo: Pixabay

Associating points with objects in a route around your kitchen can help you remember lists or points. Photo: Pixabay

 

Now all I have to do is create an image for each point in my presentation to remember at each stop on my route.

The image needs to be memorable – so try images that are mad, bad, lewd or rude! For example, I could imagine five business people in my fruit bowl, four in fluorescent yellow suits and dancing wildly while one in a dark green suit is trying to hide against the sides of the bowl. This might be all I need to remember that first I want to talk about 20% of business people who make up excuses rather than present.

The advantage of the route of images is that if I get distracted, so long as I remember where I was in along the route, I can go back to where I was.

This technique works well for remembering shopping lists too. If you try it let me know how you get on at questions@partnerswithyou.co.uk.

  • Sally Hindmarch is a communication skills specialist and runs Partners With You, a company that helps people improve the way they come across at work