So with the Oscars coming up a friend of mine asked how she could show off at her annual Oscar party by recalling best film winners.  This is what I shared with her for best film winners 2001 – 2010.

First of all we need an image to represent each year, so I gave her rhyming partners.  For 1, (or for our purposes 2001) I told her to visualize a Bun,  2 (2002) A Shoe,  3 Tree,  4 Door,  5 Hive,  6  Sticks, 7 Heaven,  8 Plate,  9 Wine and 10 Pen.

To each of these images I had her attach, in a crazy way, an image which would represent the film.

2001 winner was A Beautiful Mind.  She visualized a Brain (Beautiful Mind) in a hamburger Bun (1 or 2001)

2002 (Shoe) winner was Chicago, she thought of the Windy City, for Chicago, and imagined Dorothy’s Ruby Red Slippers being swept up in a Tornado.

2003 (Tree) Lord of the Rings. The rings of a Tree replaced by the Golden Ring from the movie.

2004 (Door) Million-Dollar Baby.  A huge 6’ baby nailing $1M bank notes to an ornate Door.

2005 (Hive) Crash. A car crashing into a huge bee Hive.

2006 (Sticks) Departed. Running through her favourite DEPARTMENT store smashing everything in site with a huge hockey Stick.

2007 (Heaven) No Country For Old Men.  Old Men, each holding a flag from a different country, jumping from cloud to cloud in Heaven.

2008 (Plate) Slum Dog Millionaire. A basketball player, worth a Million $’s, Slam Dunking a Plate.

2009 (Wine) Hurt Locker.  She saw herself smashing a bottle of Wine against a metal Locker, hurting herself with the broken glass.

2010 (Pen) The King’s Speech.  A Kings Crown with large fountain Pens in place of jewels, and the King uses each pen, one at a time, to write a Speech.

If you visualized each of those images as you read them, go back in your head and test yourself to see if you have them memorized.

This is a basic Peg System, which coupled with another system known as The Phonetic Index, would allow you recall, not only the Best Film winners of every year, but also the best actors, supporting actors, cinematography….. and so on and so on.

These same systems help in business, recalling model numbers, prices, speeches, presentations, clients names…… and so on and so on.

Funny, unique and interactive in his entertaining conference keynotes and workshops, Bob Gray reveals the untapped potential in each of us. His empowering systems and their many applications in the business world give participants immediate ‘walk away’ value. Book Bob Gray today as your next conference keynote speaker.  Watch Bob in action.

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Arthur to McKinley

In my previous posts I had you memorize the 1^st 20 US presidents by linking them together in groups of five to four separate rooms in your home, with the first president, Washington, associated to your 1^st location in your home, I used my downstairs hallway and placed a huge Washing Machine there. If you don’t recall them, please go back and review these 20 images. Here is a link to that first post with the other three directly after it.http://bit.ly/13zWvBM

So to continue memorizing our next five presidents, Arthur to McKinley, we will again link together a crazy sequence with the first, Arthur, to your next (5^th) location or Loci. In my home it would be the Laundry Room. This is where we open our fifth folder containing the next five presidents.

Here are the images I would personally use to represent these names. These are by no means the strongest; they are just the ones that would work for me. Your own images will always be stronger, but feel free to use any or all of these if you wish.

Arthur = Dudley Moore drunk and laughing from the movie Arthur, you younger folks may choose Russell Brand, I prefer the original,or a sword, King Arthur.

Cleveland = A meat Cleaver

Harrison = Hairy Son

Cleveland (again) = A meat Cleaver

McKinley = Mountain (Mt McKinley)

So off we go again. The image that reminds me of the laundry room is the washing machine with the dryer stacked on top, this is my starting point. Obviously you need to pick a piece of furniture or appliance that reminds you of your fifth location or room in your house. So I have these two appliances with which I need to associate Dudley Moore. Easy, how about opening up the dryer door and Dudley jumps out laughing hysterically with his top hat askew.

Next: Dudley to a meat Cleaver (Cleveland)

Imagine this: Dudley jumps out of the dryer but instead of a bottle of Dom Pérignon in his hand he is wielding a huge meat cleaver, it’s massive.

Next: Cleveland, to a Hairy Son (Harrison).

Imagine this: Dudley runs out of the laundry room and starts chasing a Hairy Son, simple and will work. If you actually have a son it will be stronger, if he happens to be hairy….then even better!

Next: Hairy Son back to Cleaver (Cleveland)

Imagine this: The Hairy Son, puts on the brakes, turns and wielding an even bigger Cleaver than Dudley is holding, starts to chase Dudley.

Next: Cleaver to Mountain (McKinley)

Imagine this: See Dudley frantically climbing a mountain desperately trying to get away from the hairy son.

So, to review. Who jumps out of my dryer?

Dudley Moore = Arthur

What is he wielding?

Meat Cleaver = Cleveland

Who does he chase?

A Hairy Son = Harrison

What does the Hairy Son do?

Skids to a halt and turns around holding an even larger Cleaver = Cleveland

Where does the Hairy Son chase Dudley?

Up a Mountain = McKinley

Just as with the first 20 presidents, you need to review these images within the hour then again tomorrow, then review them each time I post another five. By the end you will know all 44 in sequence, a great exercise to show how images need to be formed to take advantage of memory systems. Remember to share with your children.

Funny, unique and interactive in his entertaining conference keynotes and workshops, Bob Gray reveals the untapped potential in each of us. His empowering systems and their many applications in the business world give participants immediate ‘walk away’ value. Book Bob Gray today as your next conference keynote speaker.

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Memorize the US Presidents. In my previous two posts I had you memorize the 1^st ten presidents by linking them together in groups of five to two separate rooms in your home, with the first president, Washington, associated to your 1^st location in your home, as an example I used my downstairs hallway and placed a huge Washing Machine there. If you don’t recall them, please go back and review these ten images.

So to continue memorizing our next five presidents, Polk to Buchanan, we will again link together a crazy sequence of images with the first representing Polk, being associated to your next (3^rd) location or Loci. In my home it would be the Kitchen. This is where we open our third folder containing the next five presidents.

We now need to place an image, which reminds us of Polk, and associate it to my kitchen (in my instance) or to whatever room you are using for your third location.

For Polk I immediately think of Poker and imagine the World Series of Poker taking place smack bang in the middle of my kitchen. I hear the stacking of poker chips running through the fingers of the payers, the shuffling of cards and the banter going on between the players.

Next: Poker to Taylor (Zachary Taylor)

Now we link the Poker game to the image representing the 12^th president, Taylor. This is a no brainer.

Imagine this: The poker game gets a little animated a fight breaks out and in the scuffle for chips, the felt on the table is ripped and they summon a Taylor to come in and stitch it up. See a Taylor lying across the table with needle and thread stitching up the gigantic tear on the table felt.

Next: Taylor, to an image that reminds you of Fillmore. For me I instantly think of the historic San Francisco music venue. There is a TV show named Fillmore, perhaps use a character from that program. If these don’t work for you but you are familiar with the name Fillmore, then you can shorten it to File, and visualize a huge nail File; this will work as long as you are already familiar with the name Fillmore.

Imagine this: If you use a nail File, see the Taylor stand up on the table after completing his needlework and begin filing his nails with a gigantic nail file. He’s proud of his work, after filing his nails he breathes on them and buffs them on his shirt.

Next: The Taylor buffing his nails to Peas (Pierce)

Imagine this: While he is buffing his nails standing on top of the poker table, all the poker players go to the refrigerator and each take out a packet of frozen peas, they open the bags and begin to throw frozen peas at him, shouting at him to get off the table so they can finish their poker game.

Next: Peas to Blue Canon (Buchanan)

Imagine this: The Taylor who is getting pelted by the peas begins to collect them up, jumps off the table and stuffs them down the barrel of a huge Blue Cannon sitting next to the Poker table. He lights the fuse and blasts the kitchen with thousands of frozen peas. Crazy enough for ya?

So, to review. What is sitting in the middle of the kitchen (or your third location)? The Poker table, which gives us our 11^th president, Polk. What happens next? They rip the felt and in comes the Taylor to repair the table, Taylor. Then what does he do? He stands on top of the table and admires his work and buffs his nails with a gigantic File, Fillmore. Next? The poker player’s throw Peas at him, which gives us Pierce and finally, he collects the Peas and shoves them down the barrel of a Blue Cannon and blasts the kitchen with frozen peas, Buchanan.

Just as with the first ten presidents, you need to review these images within the hour then again tomorrow, then review them each time I post another five. By the end you will know all 44 in sequence, a great exercise to show how images need to be formed to take advantage of memory systems. Remember to share with your children.

Funny, unique and interactive in his entertaining conference keynotes and workshops, Bob Gray reveals the untapped potential in each of us. His empowering systems and their many applications in the business world give participants immediate ‘walk away’ value. Book Bob Gray today as your next conference keynote speaker.

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I will be completely upfront in telling you that I think any person, in any occupation, can strongly benefit from improving his or her memory. It’s just one of those skills that carries over into so many parts of your personal and professional life that it would be hard to overvalue.

With that being said, however, one of the groups that I tend to work with most often are salespeople. If ever there were a set of professionals who could use a memory presentation to make more money right away, it’s these hard-working folks who turn ideas into commission checks.

How can a stronger memory multiply your sales income? Here are just a few of the most obvious ways:

By helping you to remember every key point in a sales presentation. Using this system can assist you in not only recalling key points, but also delivering them in the correct sequence. Too many times salespeople give a dynamite presentation only to remember 30 minutes later that they forgot a key point. This leads to lost credibility . . . and potentially lost sales.

By helping you to remember customer names. Is there anything worse than sitting face to face with an important prospect – or seeing them at a convention or social setting – and not being able to remember their name? Putting names together with faces is the top challenge that salespeople ask me about, and it’s also one of the easiest skills to teach.

By letting you build stronger relationships with clients and colleagues.There is more to building rapport with customers than remembering names, of course. The more you can recall about their spouse, children, career background, and so on, the easier it is for your buyers to feel like they know and like you.

By giving you an edge with product knowledge and account details. There is also a professional component to your memory. When you have key product features, prices, part numbers, and other details available off the top of your head, you look and feel more confident. In addition, you are able to move sales forward more quickly.

By keeping you on top of what your competitors are selling. If you are able to master your competitors’ products as well as your own, you can counter nearly any objection. It isn’t enough to know about your industry – you need to be able to remember all key information at a moment’s notice to make it worthwhile.

To find out more about memory training for salespeople and my entertaining keynotes and seminars, contact my office today.

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Here is the third post on memorizing the US state capitals. The first ten capitals, Alabama to Georgia, you can find under my May 5th & 16th posts. Again, please take a moment to read the April post regarding how our memory tends to cling to the absurd and make sure you are reviewing the crazy images for the first ten capitals.

OK, let’s memorize the next five capital cities for Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa.

Hawaii’s capital is Honolulu. What do you see for Hawaii? I immediately see a Hula Dancer. Being a Brit, for Honolulu I change it to ‘On a Loo’, Loo being British slang for a washroom. So I see a Hula Dancer dancing on top of a toilet, funny and ridiculous. You could use Honour Lulu; you may know someone named Lulu. I remember a British singer from my youth called Lulu who sang the song in the great film To Sir With Love which starred Sidney Poitier. OK next.

Idaho’s capital is Boise. Idaho has to be an image of a potato. I see a huge potato, the size of a truck lying on top of a group of Boys sleeping. I see giant Z’s floating from each of the boy’s heads, Boys Z.

Illinois’s capital is Springfield. You could see Abraham Lincoln singing with Rick Springfield, if you are my age and remember who he is, Rick Springfield that is, not Abe! Or you could imagine a huge slippery Eel, which is close enough to Illinois, slithering itself through a gigantic bed Spring in the middle of a farmer’s field.

Indiana’s capital is Indianapolis. You could see just one image of an Indian (for Indiana) with a policeman’s hat on, (for Indiana polis). Or sitting on top of a Policeman’s car. Maybe an Indian taking a Nap.

Iowa’s capital is Des Moines. How about a gigantic Eye blocking the entrance to a Mine? I know someone named Des, so I picture him standing guard. Or perhaps you could use a large ear of corn to represent Iowa and see it blocking the mine. Because you are already familiar with the name Des Moines, you do not need to have an image for the whole thing, you just need a clue, and the image of a mine will be enough to give you Des Moines. If you feel you need a clue then see large letter D’s painted on the corn or side of the mine.

So to review:

The Hula Dancer standing on top of the Loo
Hawaii/Honolulu

A gigantic Potato on top of a group of Boys catching some Z’s
Idaho/Boise

Abe and Rick Springfield or the huge Eel slithering itself through the large bed Spring in the middle of a field
Illinois/Springfield

An Indian wearing a huge Policeman’s hat
Indiana/Indianapolis

A gigantic Eye/Corn blocking the entrance to a Mine, (guarded by Des O’Connor, if you’re British and over 40!).
Idaho/Des Moines

Again, make sure you review these images within 60-75 minutes from now, it takes less than 60 seconds but is critical for long term storage, then again within 24 hr’s, then 1 week later and then 1 month later.

I will continue to post state capitals and their crazy images in groups of five. Before we know it you will have all 50 memorized and a great handle on how to visualize the ridiculous and absurd. This is essential for us to apply memory systems to more practical business applications like recalling Names and Faces, speeches and presentations, model numbers, prices, to-do lists etc.

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Let’s now store into memory their capital cities. If you did not read my first post please take two minutes to read it over to get an understanding of how ridiculous images force our memory to latch onto information.

OK, let’s memorize their capital cities.

Alabama’s capital is Montgomery. See a photo Album balancing on a golf tee, see Colin Montgomery, the British golfer striking the album with his driver and driving it 250 yd’s down the fairway. Hear the thud of the driver as it strikes the album, see the photo’s scattering across the fairway.

If you are not familiar with Colin Montgomery you could use Field Marshal Montgomery of Alamein from the 2nd world war, see him looking through a photo album while driving a tank! Or any Montgomery that springs to mind will work.

If you absolutely cannot think of anyone familiar named Montgomery, then you can break the name into smaller workable chunks like, Mint Gum Rye.

Imagine instead of photos in the album, hundreds of Mint leaves or breath mints instead. As you pull the mint(s) from the page there is a long strand of gum attached, the mints or leaves have all been stuck into the album with chewing gum. You take the mint with the gum and place it in a glass of Rye whiskey and drink this awful concoction. You will only need to see this image a couple times before it will be lodged into your long term memory.

Alaska’s capital is Juneau. See Sarah Palin standing at the lectern shouting “Do you know?” Or see a June bug on her Nose, June Nose/Juneau. See her cross eyed as she tries to deliver a speech with this huge June bug crawling up and down her nose.

Arizona’s capital is Phoenix. See a huge cactus splitting open, perhaps hit by lightning, hear the cracking of the cactus as a Phoenix literally rises from the cactus.

Arkansas’ capital is Little Rock. See hundreds of little rocks in groups of two by two walking up the ramp to the Ark, no animals just little rocks. You can even give them little arms and hands holding onto each other as they stroll up the ramp into the ark.

California’s capital is Sacramento. If you are already familiar with the name Sacramento, then a simple image of a sack will do. A sack full of gold bars may be a little obvious, it sounds perfect, but not really unusual enough. Our memory tends to cling to the unusual, not the normal or obvious.

So instead of seeing hundreds of gold bars stacked on top of each other in a bank vault, replace them with hundreds of sacks, see a bank vault full of tiny sacks.

You may think of the Beach Boys to visualize California, so see the Beach Boys playing a concert with huge sacks over their heads.

If you are not familiar with the name Sacramento, then you can split it into workable chunks just as I did with Montgomery. Sacramento would become Sack Ram Men Toe, see this chain of images and associate it to gold bars or the Beach Boys or whatever image you conjure up for California.

So to review:

The photo Album, being hit on the driving range by Colin Montgomery.
Alabama/Montgomery

Sarah Palin shouting “Do you know?” at the lectern, or the huge June bug crawling up her nose.
Alaska/Juneau

The Cactus splitting open with the Phoenix rising.
Arizona/Phoenix

The Little Rocks walking two by two up the ramp into the Ark.
Arkansas/Little Rock, and finally:

The bank vault full of tiny Sacks or the Beach Boys with sacks over their heads.
California/Sacramento

Again, make sure you review these images within 60-75 minutes from now, it takes less than 60 seconds but is critical for long term storage, then again within 24 hr’s, then 1 week later and then 1 month later.

I will post perhaps four or five state capitals and a crazy image over the next dozen or so posts in order for you to become accustomed to forming crazy ridiculous imagery. This is essential for us to apply memory systems to more practical business applications like recalling Names and Faces, speeches and presentations, model numbers, prices, to-do lists etc. We need to shake up the creative side of our brains before we tackle more business related issues…and besides, this will probably win you a drink or two in a bar!

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