Hook, Line and Sinker - Secrets to a Great Memory Hook

At BNI every week the members get to stand up and give a 60 second infomercial on their business. Every week the members include things like, their business name, what they do, a story about what they did this week, or how they helped a client and they end it off with a memory hook.

Many people do what BNI refers to as a "tag line" or "memory hook". A short sentence plugged in at the end of the 60 seconds that serves as a tag line for their business. It gets people thinking about your business and it gets you remembered, now and throughout the week - just what everyone needs in this comepetitive world.

What makes a great memory hook?
1. Short and Snappy
2. Easy to Remember

Pretty simple.

Here are some great tips for putting together your own memory hook.

1. Appeal to the 5 senses - A good memory hook often appeals to the basic senses sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch.
Chistine Turner - Where in the World do you want to go? What flavor is your margarita?

2. Use humour -This is an important sense for memory hooks –and a great way to make it memorable – the sense of humour! Making people laugh is one of the fastest ways of breaking down the barriers between strangers and of winning the prospect’s good will.
Craig Boyd - Do More, Complain Less, Repeat - Personal Trainer
Alana Couch - We shoot your relatives so you don't have to! - Wedding and Baby Photographer. Brilliant!

3. Use puns or word play - enables people to see your business in their minds eye.
Rowan Smith - I take the hassle out of financing your castle. Whoever that that one up was brillant!

4.Use your name - Work your name into the tag line
Put a little Joy in your life - event organizer called Joy.

5. Use Rhyme
Dr Bart Bubak - getting your spine in line - chiropractor

6. Use parody - Parody means a song or a phrase the reader or listener will recognize. But you have to be careful – some authors, especially songwriters, are quite militant about copyright infringement.
I believe in the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth, so help me God! - Dentist

These approaches should give you an idea of some of the tools and resources you can use to construct your own memory hook. Notice that many memory hooks use a combination of these techniques. Almost anything you do in the line of word play will come out funny—and that’s the way it should be, unless you’d rather appeal to the heart. Song lyrics usually rhyme, so if you parody a song, it should rhyme as well. And any of these techniques can be more effective if your memory hook is short and snappy and appeals to the senses.