When I forget things (which seems to be happening more and more as I age), I tell my kids:
“I have too much information stuffed in my brain. Some of it leaks out.”
When I plan workshops, I often organize my outline around an acronym. A short, catchy acronym cements my lesson’s main points into my students’ long-term memory.
Jack Napoli wrote an excellent guest article for the HubSpot blog about how to create acronyms. He granted me permission to re-print it. Here’s a meaty excerpt from Jack’s article:
Use can use acronyms to:
- sell to potential clients.
- expand your footprint with existing customers.
- attract investors.
- educate sales & marketing people.
- communicate with your executive teams.
I, like most people, find that retaining large amounts of information can be difficult. Information is easier to recall when written and spoken communications are grouped into nuggets of distinction.
I’m an acronym lover and have been using acronyms for as long as I can remember. They are a learning tool that I’ve used throughout my schooling and my career. I swear, if not for acronyms, there would be no diplomas at any level. Now, I pass on the secret to creating lasting acronyms to you.
Create Remarkable Acronyms Using the 4 R’s
To become remarkable, I believe an acronym needs to have the characteristics of the 4 R’s:
- Retain – Is your message simplified so your audience can retain it?
- Recall – Can the audience recall your message in 2 minutes, 2 hours, 2 days, 2 weeks or 2 martinis later?
- Repeat – Can they repeat it?
- Research – If they cannot do the above, do they at least know what the acronym is so they can research why you are relevant in their world?
Give Your Acronym Meaning, Stickiness and Legs using SIMPLE
Acronyms simplify your message and make it easy for the masses to articulate your value proposition when you are not around (which is usually about 99% of the time). If your audience can’t remember what you, your reps, or champions told them after your conversation, you’ve only created more work for yourself.
Use my SIMPLE acronym to help give your acronym maximum impact and longevity:
Simple – Are they 3-6 characters in length?
Immediate Impact – Do they communicate your competitive advantage, product superiority or customer intimacy?
Meaningful – Does the acronym compliment the subject matter?
Purposeful - Do you have so many acronyms that you actually dilute the overall effectiveness of your message?
Lasting – Does it have quantifiable, tangible, or distinctiveness at its core so it’s value is immediate and will stand the test of time?
Engaging – Does it jump out at you and your audiences so your message is remarkable?
Acronyms Help the Swarm Carry Your Messages Away
Acronyms are the gifts you give your swarm, so they should be SIMPLE enough for them to carry away. First step to accomplishing this is to known what information is hard for your audience to understand, then simplify that information into an acronym using SIMPLE.
To read Jack’s complete article, visit:
About Jack Napoli: With 31 years in high tech and 26 years in direct sales, customer care & sales development, Jack has a lot of experience getting his messages through the clutter. He’s now a semi-retired entrepreneur and acronym enthusiast focused on sales education, coaching, and consulting. Contact him at jack.napoli@cox.net.
