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I’ve flown over 70,000 miles since January of 2017.  I’ve seen the inside of 54 planes and listened to 54 flight attendants unenthusiastically brief me on the safety features of the plane.

“Welcome aboard and thank you for flying Delta.  Our first priority on every flight is safety. Before we depart I’ll be giving a brief safety presentation.”

I skeptically survey the passengers around me.  Do they listen to the safety message?  Does the man whose eyes are closed with ear-buds in sitting next to the emergency door know how to open it?  Is my life vest under my seat or next to it?  How many of the passengers will trample me to save themselves in the case of an emergency because they didn’t bother to listen?  And if the safety message is so important that I’ve heard it 54 times then why aren’t the passengers listening?  If it’s the same, redundant message then why should I listen to it again?

There’s certainly a correlation between the messenger and the addressee regarding the value that’s placed on the message.  There’s five things you can do to improve the reception of your message. 

1. Paint a Powerful Picture:  Tell a story that won’t easily be forgotten.  Our brain, and thus our willingness to pay attention, is far more engaged by storytelling than a list of facts.  Color your message with memorable imagery. 
2. Make It Personal: Make your message meaningful by relating it to yourself, and more importantly, your audience. We listen, relate and remember when we can visualize ourselves in the story.   Caring, energy and real life experiences will enhance the interest of the listener.
3. Add Some Humor: Humor relaxes the listener and makes them more receptive to your message.  It makes the information more memorable.
4. Know Your Material: The listener will automatically tune you out if they feel like you don’t know, or care about, what you’re talking about.  Knowing your message and the associated material will make you less nervous, more confident, and enhance the probability that your listener is engaged. 
5. Be an Active Listener: Be the listener you want others to be! Listen to learn and not to respond.  Ask questions to clarify and keep participants engaged.

You’re already armed with everything you need to deliver a message that won’t soon be forgotten.  Start employing these skills to create a meaningful delivery.  And next time you find yourself aboard an aircraft, remember your rafts are above you, put your mask on first before helping others, and nudge the guy sleeping next to you during the safety briefing and ask if he knows where to find his closest emergency exit.