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Stanford Graduate School of BusinessMatt Abrahams: "How to Make Your Communication Memorable"
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At a glance
WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Practical structures and habits that make your messages unforgettable
- Matt Abrahams explains how to make communication memorable by first improving the speaker’s ability to remember through preparation habits, clear goals, strong structure, and targeted practice.
- He describes “presentation hygiene” (eating well, exercising, sleeping, and using supportive technology tools) as foundational to confidence, focus, and memory.
- He argues that all high-stakes communication should begin with a goal defined by what the audience should know, feel, and do, and then be organized using simple, repeatable structures.
- He outlines practice methods that improve delivery under pressure, including standing while rehearsing, warming up, chunking content, practicing in realistic settings, and using techniques to recover from blanking out.
- He shows how to make messages memorable for audiences by adding variation (voice, evidence, visuals), tailoring for relevance (knowledge, expectations, attitudes), engaging participants, and leveraging emotion appropriately.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideasMemorable communication starts before you ever write a slide.
He defines “presentation hygiene” as the life and logistical preparation that supports memory and performance—what you eat, how you move, and whether you sleep enough—rather than last-minute cramming.
Set a goal in terms of information, emotion, and action.
He says a goal should specify what you want the audience to know, how you want them to feel, and what you want them to do, and that having this goal lets you judge success beyond merely “getting through it.”
Use structure as the map that keeps you and your audience from getting lost.
He argues structure both prevents “losing the audience” (by setting expectations) and improves recall (by giving a map), and he offers three go-to structures: comparison–contrast–conclusion, problem–solution–benefit, and what–so what–now what.
Practice the way you’ll perform—and practice in chunks, not scripts.
He recommends practicing by standing and speaking (not silently reading slides), warming up your voice, chunking sections and practicing them in different orders, and practicing in conditions similar to the real venue.
If you blank out, go backward to go forward—or ask a prepared question.
He recommends not calling attention to forgetting; instead, repeat what you just said to retrace your steps, and keep a “back pocket question” ready to buy time and reorient.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotesSurvival becomes the success criterion, and that's not where we want to be.
— Matt Abrahams
Never lose your audience because once you lose them, it's very hard to get them back.
— Matt Abrahams
In my mind I'm amazingly eloquent. But when I open up my mouth, I'm not always as lucky.
— Matt Abrahams
Memorization actually works against you when you are in a high-stress situation.
— Matt Abrahams
The only way to get better at your communication is through three things: repetition, reflection, and feedback.
— Matt Abrahams
SPEAKERS
Matt Abrahams
hostStanford Graduate School of Business lecturer and communications expert focused on effective speaking and presentation skills.
High quality AI-generated summary created from speaker-labeled transcript.
