As we approach party political conference season I wonder how many of the speeches we see will really appeal to electorate?

How many of our politicians will have figured out that to really engage people you need to be appealing to them on an emotional level, possibly even a subconscious level. Forget clause this and policy that what are you going to do to make things better for me?

Scientists tell us that the human brain can only hold 7 pieces of data (+/- 2) at a time, the things that we remember are the ones that talk to our subconscious. Sounds a bit too close to voodoo? Not really; Neuro-linguistic –programming has been with us for 30 years or more and that is really all about tapping into the power of the subconscious. So if you’re speaking at a conference in the coming months here’s some tips to get into the heads of your audience.

Focus on the emotional value:
The facts /the data/ the detail are necessary but not sufficient. Too many arguments focus purely on the logic without translating what that will mean what it will feel like to those involved. We are humans essentially driven by emotion; ignore this at your peril.
Use metaphors:
People absorb messages from metaphors quickly and easily without you having to say it or certainly not labour it. If you’re talking about a corporate “journey”, people will automatically assimilate messages around you’re not there yet, there’s things still to be done to get there and you could face problems en route.
Use stories:
Stories appeal to our subconscious and particularly to our right brain, that isn’t concerned with facts and figures but with aesthetics and fluid sounds. People’s subconscious tend to absorb messages delivered via stories, they seem to by-pass the critical reasoning facility and go straight to acceptance, that is why parable and fables have been so popular as learning and indoctrination tools throughout history !