2. Finding the Core The key to keeping an idea simple is finding the core. Ask yourself: What is most important about what I want to say? Core = Stripping an idea down to it’s most critical essence You have to find the MOST important idea
5. Decisions are made based on their core- if not serving chicken saladmeans lower airfare costs then Southwest doesn’t serve chicken salad- whatever it takes to keep costs down.
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7. Don’t Bury the Lead Journalists are trained to convey the most important idea in the first sentence of their article- called the lead This strategy also works for keeping it simple- you need to focus on the lead James Carville, political advisor to Bill Clinton during his 1992 campaign “If you say three things, you don’t say anything” Carville’s lead for Clinton’s campaign: “It’s the economy, stupid” The economy was the core of the campaign- everything else was focused around the core It’s the economy, stupid!
8. The Simplicity of Proverbs Ever wonder why you remember proverbs? “Short sentences drawn from long experience” “Bird in hand” proverb is an incredibly sticky idea It’s survived for 2,500 years Spread across numerous countries and languages Spreads on it’s own- no need for advertising
9. The Simplicity of Proverbs Proverbs are helpful in guiding individual decisions, much like Southwest’s ‘Low-Fare Airline’ Like a proverb, you can make your idea stick by finding the core and compacting it into a short, meaningful statement Sticky = Core + Compact
10. Now it’s Your Turn! Test the stickiness of these two tests: Study the following letters for 15 seconds. After 15 seconds, minimize the screen, take out a piece of paper and a pen, and write down as many letters as you can remember J FKFBI INAT OUP SNA SAI RS
11. Now it’s Your Turn! Now, try it again- same rules, but turn your paper over to the other side JFK FBI NATO UPS NASA IRS
12. Results Did you remember more letters the second time? The second set of letters were more compacts They were also arranged in a way that allowed you to use prior knowledge- many of us have heard the initials JFK, FBI, or UPS at some point in our lives
13. Pomela? If I asked you to pick up a pomela at the grocery store would you know what I meant? Definition 1: “A pomela is the largest citrus fruit. The rind is very thick, but soft and easy to peel away. The resulting fruit has a light yellow to coral pink flesh and can vary from juicy to slightly dry and from seductively spicy-sweet to tangy and tart Definition 2: A pomela is basically a supersized grapefruit with a very thick and soft rind
14. Last Note About Keeping it Simple Which definition are you most likely to remember? To keep it simple, capitalize on what people already know, use existing schemas And remember Simple = Core + Compact Would anyone like a pomela?
