Garrison Keillor points out that on March 23, 1775 Patrick Henry delivered his famous line, “Give me liberty or give me death.” Keillor goes on to state some interesting facts.
Henry’s speeches were wonderful and charismatic and everyone was entranced by them but afterward, no one could remember what he had said. Thomas Jefferson said of Henry, “His eloquence was peculiar, if indeed it should be called eloquence; for it was impressive and sublime, beyond what can be imagined. Although it was difficult when he had spoken to tell what he had said, yet, while he was speaking, it always seemed directly to the point. I asked myself when he ceased: ‘What the devil has he said?’ I could never answer the inquiry.”
Doesn’t this sound a lot like technologists? When they are presenting technology they sound so erudite, but when they sit down you wonder, “What the devil did that person say?” Hence, I emphasize in my book that you must memorialize your key points just like Patrick Henry did. You must fashion original phrases that stick in the mind of the reviewers. It is wonderful if those phrases can also be pithy but the most important thing is that afterwards they are forcefully called to mind by the decision makers.
Success is not awing your audience. Success is getting your recommendations approved and enacted and you can do that only if the decision makers know what you said so they can take action.