40+FAB Blog

Say it differently

It is a well known advertising fact that a message has to be repeated frequently to get noticed. There is something called the rule of 7, which suggests that repeating the message 7 times finally gets it noticed.

This rule, as you may have guessed, is vital for everyday communication. How many times did you tell your spouse to take out the bin before it was finally done? how many times do you have to instruct your children on where dirty clothes need to go?

I love this phrase I saw, “It’s not nagging: repetition is effective communication”. I think we can get creative with our repetition though, so we can say the same thing many times but in different ways, or maybe through different media.

Talk about it, write notes, send text, record voice notes, put up post it notes, play songs that address the issue at hand, remind, cajole, and whatever else you think of. Surely one of the 7 times you have said it will hit home.