In your career, you need to stand out from the crowd. You need to make your ideas memorable and persuasive. Making your ideas "sticky" can help you in many forums, whether it is communicating more effectively with your team, other managers or with prospective business partners. Read on to find out what will make your communication sticky.

What is the core message? Look at what you are trying to convey to your subordinates or colleagues. It probably includes more than one statement, and has many parts to the concept or arguments. That being said, if you really want your message to resonate, you need to boil it down to its essence.  Force yourself to prioritize the most critical piece of information that you want your listeners to take away with them.

How can you throw a hook into it? You need to get attention. Are your subordinates' eyes glazing over when you attempt to rally enthusiasm after a tough 18 months of downward sales? Throw in something that grabs their attention and creates curiosity. Begin your meeting with a statement that won't fully be addressed until you are about to wrap up the meeting.

Paint a mental picture. No matter what situation you are in, use language that paints a mental picture. Remember the Velcro theory of memory--try to hook into multiple types of memory. (Velcro was intended to paint an apt picture in your mind. Did it work?)

Use authorities or details. What makes people believe ideas? We often believe something simply because trusted friends, family or close colleagues believe something. Therefore, if you are trying to persuade a skeptical audience and you are not a member of one of the three groups just mentioned, you have an uphill battle. Don't overlook the importance of mentioning an authority or a solid detail that will clinch the believability factor of what you are trying to convey.

Who is getting emotional? You, that's who. If you want your listeners to grasp, remember, believe or otherwise buy in to your message, that is. Thinking exclusively about statistics puts people into an analytical frame of mind. Give them an example and you will have a compelling message. 

The story clenches the communication.  You need a story to exemplify your point.  Why did Subway’s sales increase by 18% after the company introduced the Jared campaign?   Because telling you that Subway’s sandwiches are healthy and could help you lose weight would have turned the “mute” button on most remotes.  The story of Jared, however, and the weight he lost by going to Subway each day stuck. 

And your message will stick, too, if you follow these fundamental tenets, whether you are running a meeting, selling your products and services or meeting with your business partner.