272. Say What Sticks: The Neuroscience of Memorable Communication

2026-03-16

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People are forgetful. Here’s how to make your messages more memorable.After any presentation, your audience will forget about 90% of what you said. That’s okay, says Carmen Simon — just make sure they remember the right 10%.Simon is a cognitive neuroscientist, speaker, author, and expert on how the brain processes and retains information. Her research reveals a humbling truth: “We forget our lives almost as quickly as we live them,” she says. But instead of fighting our forgetfulness, Simon believes we can work with it — by getting intentional about what we want people to remember. “...

People are forgetful. Here’s how to make your messages more memorable.

After any presentation, your audience will forget about 90% of what you said. That’s okay, says Carmen Simon — just make sure they remember the right 10%.

Simon is a cognitive neuroscientist, speaker, author, and expert on how the brain processes and retains information. Her research reveals a humbling truth: “We forget our lives almost as quickly as we live them,” she says. But instead of fighting our forgetfulness, Simon believes we can work with it — by getting intentional about what we want people to remember. “So many people aspire at attention and memory, but very few really know what they want to be memorable for,” she says. “Ask the question: what is my 10% message?”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Simon and host Matt Abrahams discuss how to distill your communication for maximum memorability. Whether you're pitching an idea or presenting to a team, Simon’s practical techniques will help you ensure your 10% message is the one your audience takes away.

Episode Reference Links:

Carmen Simon
Carmen’s Book: Impossible to Ignore
Ep.39 Brains Love Stories: How Leveraging Neuroscience Can Capture People's Emotions

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Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction
(02:51) - Attention vs. Memory
(05:27) - Novelty & Surprise
(06:48) - Why Attention Isn’t Enough
(08:16) - The Power of Priming
(09:49) - Priming in Business Communication
(10:33) - Why Audiences Forget
(13:44) - Smart Repetition
(15:20) - The Final Three Questions
(22:11) - Conclusion

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