What do you do when you have a long test and you have to memorize a bunch of theories and formulas?
What do you do when you have a new mobile number, which of course, you have to memorize?
Have you ever offered to take your friends’ orders in a fast food chain and ended up having to memorize a variety of complicated ones?
What did you do?
One technique you probably used was to keep repeating these things to yourself so that you would remember them.
You see, repetition helps you reinforce the information in your head. Naturally, when you do the same thing every single day, it becomes a routine. When you sleep and wake up at the same schedule or take the same route a couple of times, you’ll find it easy to repeat it without having to worry. In the same sense, repetition is an effective tool when you do public speaking.
Here are two reasons why:
1. It sticks
Repeating something over and over again resonates in the minds of your listeners. It makes the audience remember what you tell them, which means that you are an effective speaker. Think of those commercials that keep on airing every time you watch television. Aren’t they effective in making you recall their lines and jingles?
2. It dictates acceptance
When you repeat something over and over again, you make sure that you get the message across and that you are correctly understood. Not only that, but you also encourage acceptance of your idea. When you repeatedly hear something, it makes you believe that it is true.
Given that you are the only one speaking, no other ideas can oppose yours. You push your ideas into the minds of the listeners.
Furthermore, to effectively use repetition to your advantage, here are a few tips you can take:
1. Triggers:
A trigger is something that may be associated with your message.
For example, the first thing I think about whenever plastic straws come up in conversations are turtles.
You might be wondering why.
There is this video of people who were removing what appeared to be a hookworm inside a turtle’s nose. Apparently, it was a plastic straw. From then on, I have always thought of turtles whenever I hear the word “plastic straws.”
The same goes for your speech.
Triggers may be remembered by your audience even after you finished giving your speech. Make sure to associate your message with something that is memorable and repeat it a couple of times in your speech.
2. Intervals:
Repetition is a useful and intelligent technique when giving speeches, but overdoing it can be the reason for an ineffective speech as well.
When you hear someone say the same thing over and over again, doesn’t this person sound annoying?
To ensure the strategy’s utmost effectiveness, you may want to consider repeating it in intervals.
3. The Power of Three:
Another helpful tip that you might want to use is the power of three.
This technique is a truly powerful one as proven over the course of history. With this, you will be able to convey concepts thoroughly, highlight your points, and increase the importance of your message. That’s the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. See what I did there?
Take a look at these examples:
- “Friends, Romans, Countrymen. Lend me your ears.” – Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
- “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.” – Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
- “Veni, vidi, vici.” – a Latin phrase popularly attributed to Julius Caesar
- “Stop, Look, and Listen.” – public road safety slogan
- “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” – from the Three Wise Monkeys
Repeating phrases and lines in your speech can be very effective if done properly. You get to impart a useful message, and most especially, you get to emphasize your key points to your listeners. You fulfill the purpose of doing a speech in the first place!
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