meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

272. Say What Sticks: The Neuroscience of Memorable Communication

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Think Fast Talk Smart

Career, Public Speaking, Career Growth, Career Skills, Language Learning, Education, Communicating, Careers, Communication, Influence, Business, Improv, Leadership

4.7 • 806 Ratings

🗓️ 16 March 2026

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

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:

Connect:


Chapters:

  • (00:00) - Introduction
  • (02:22) - Attention vs. Memory
  • (04:58) - Novelty & Surprise
  • (06:19) - Why Attention Isn’t Enough
  • (07:47) - The Power of Priming
  • (09:20) - Priming in Business Communication
  • (10:04) - Why Audiences Forget
  • (13:15) - Smart Repetition
  • (14:51) - The Final Three Questions
  • (22:12) - Conclusion

********
Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.

Strawberry.me. Get 50% off your first coaching session today at Strawberry.me/smart

Join our Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community and become the communicator you want to be. 

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hi, Matt here. Imagine what it would be like if you could feel less nervous and more confident in your high-stakes communication. Well, you can. With a new free three-day communicate with calm, confident quest, you'll join people from around the globe to learn simple, proven strategies to manage anxiety, calm your body, and reframe your thoughts. On March 24th, 25th, and 26th, we will join

0:23.3

together live and discuss our quest task for the day. If you can't join live, no worries, you can

0:28.9

watch the video recording later. Go to FasterSmartter.io slash learning to sign up for this free

0:34.8

quest and learning community access. Again, that's Faster Smarter.io slash learning.

0:41.0

Now a word from one of our sponsors.

0:43.2

Their support allows us to bring you quality content free of charge.

0:47.7

Hi, Matt here.

0:49.0

Career coaching often comes through our workplaces, which can be a great starting point.

0:53.6

But sometimes you want space

0:55.1

to focus on your priorities, not your organizations. That's where strawberry.me comes in. It's career

1:01.1

coaching you choose for yourself. You answer a few quick questions, get matched with a vetted coach,

1:07.0

and in many cases, you can start within 24 hours. You choose the coach, you decide the goal,

1:12.6

and you get to talk honestly about what actually matters, whether that's a promotion, a pivot,

1:17.5

burnout, or even leaving. There's no HR involved, no performance review lens, and if it's not

1:23.5

the right fit, you can switch coaches. What I appreciate is the sense of agency. When you're

1:28.9

feeling stuck, waiting rarely helps. If you've been thinking something needs to change, you don't

1:34.2

need permission to explore that. Go to strawberry.combe slash TFTS. It's coaching focused on you. Think of it

1:41.7

as therapy for your career.

1:53.4

To combat the inevitable forgetting of your content that your audience will experience,

2:00.6

you need to define your 10% message. My name is Matt Abrahams, and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of

2:02.1

Business. Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast. Today, I am really excited to speak with my

2:08.7

friend Carmen Simon. Carmen is a cognitive neuroscientist, author, and speaker who studies the way

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Think Fast Talk Smart, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Think Fast Talk Smart and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.