A man delivering a compelling message.
In 1967, John Lennon wrote a song called "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" that invites the listener to accompany him on a psychedelic journey. The song immediately draws you in because the first line plants you in the scene: “Picture yourself on a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies.” The song is gorgeous, strange and totally unique because it makes the listener part of the story.
Lennon probably didn’t know it at the time, but he was using a communication technique that great conversationalists and compelling public speakers use in their repertoire. It involves switching to the second person and asking the audience to place themselves in your scenario.
John Bowe, acclaimed speech trainer, award-winning journalist, and author of I Have Something to Say: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking in an Age of Disconnection, tells CNBC that he makes this connection with the audience by using the three-word phrase: “Imagine this scenario.”
A man making a sales presentation.via Canva/Photos
"Imagine this scenario..."
Bowe says the phrase immediately does four things: It pulls your audience in by prompting them to visualize what you are about to tell them; it then brings them into the present moment with “this," primes them for a story, and taps into an essential part of the psyche by making the story about them. On average, people spend 60% of their conversations talking about themselves. Why? Research shows that it makes them feel good. So, when you invite people to inject themselves into your speech, they are all ears.
The phrase, or something similar, can be used in a variety of situations when you want the audience to really listen to your story:
“Have you ever ridden in a car with a sunroof…”
“Picture yourself behind the wheel of this beautiful Cadillac…”
“Imagine yourself driving down Pacific Coast Highway…”
“Can you remember a time when you really embarrassed yourself in front of your wife?”
“Imagine this scenario, you’re all alone with three kids and one scrapes their knee.”
“Remember what it felt like on the last day of school…”
A man with his hands open making a speech.via Canva/Photos
Don’t tell me about your grass seed...
In advertising, there's an old saying that comes from the same understanding: “Don’t tell me about your grass seed; tell me about my lawn.” People don’t want to hear about your product; they want to know how it can improve their lives. So instead of saying, “Joe’s grass seed is made with a unique mix of fungicide,” you’d start the advertisement by asking, “Is there a brown patch on your lawn that, no matter how often you water it, just won’t turn green?” It works because you made it about the audience. They will instinctively start thinking about that brown patch, and then consider buying your product.
Using communication tips like these can make you feel a little manipulative when interacting with others. However, it’s not about being manipulative; it’s really all about taking the time to understand the audience and putting them first. Imagine the scenario...being in the audience and the speaker actually cared about you. Feels pretty good, doesn’t it?
A Ferguson protest at Stanford University. Photo by