I was recently interviewed for an article on being “memorable.” This is a quality that is important for any business professional. I thought I’d share my answer to the interview here with all of you…
To be “memorable,” a business professional (or anyone for that matter) must:
- Be willing to be contrarian. Agreeing with everything and everyone becomes white noise. Even if one agrees with the concept, they must find a different way of framing it to create interest.
- Be a compelling storyteller. If we think about those people that we consider memorable, I bet everyone of them was a great storyteller. Stories stick – you’ll find these in both your professional and personal life – and those people that can match a story with a message are even more notable.
- Have a broad vocabulary. In an age where perspicacity around vocabulary seems to be on the decline, those with a strong one stand out. It should never be meant to be snobbish, rather a component of creating a better understanding with the right words.
- Have a 35,000 foot view of life. I’m always amazed when people say they don’t like to travel. Travel is the quickest way to broaden your perspective around other cultures and peoples. Those that are able to broaden their own view through things like travel, reading, education, and accomplishments, will transfer that characteristic to to their personality, and lend themselves to being memorable.
- Leave something lasting. It might be a book, a speech, a movie, a song, etc. People that leave something as a legacy that comes out of their talent and skills leave a lasting memory.
Read the entire Fast Company article HERE
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Dan – thank you for this one. I had the occasion to write and deliver my oldest brother’s eulogy recently – and this makes one really consider exactly these points. (and a few others.) That is a good exercise for any of us to consider…and I am grateful to have been asked to do this by my siblings. Though it was initially with great angst, the “doing of it” was a gift.
Thanks for sharing, Debbie!