We have hundreds of choices to make each day. Some are simple like take a shower or not take a shower.

Some are much more complex, invest in annuities or get insurance.

But for many marketers, the important thing is whether your brand, product, service, company comes to mind first when someone is selling it, and do they know the real value of what you offer.

Companies will do elaborate marketing stunts to ensure their target audience knows about them and (fingers crossed) knows why they are the right choice to sell.

But how do you help your target audience retain and recall the important elements of your value proposition?

You remind them.

Regularly.

If you want someone to remember something, spaced repetition is the way to do it.

What is Spaced Repetition?

Spaced repetition is a method of reviewing material at systematic intervals. At the beginning of the learning process, the intervals are spaced closely together (for example, one hour; four hours; one day). As the material is reviewed, the intervals become systematically longer (four days; one week; two weeks).

There is some disagreement as to why this works (or if it does) but many research studies have shown that repeating information helps with retention. And in most business situations, ensuring those selling your product and service have the ability to recall information about your product quickly (or MORE quickly than your competitor’s information) will create more sales opportunities for you.

How to Apply Spaced Repetition in Your Incentive/Marketing Plans

Most of you probably have either in-person (not today right?) or online learning for your own salespeople and for the salespeople who work at companies in your distribution channel. And most of your competitors also offer training to their people and their customers (which are in many cases your customers too!)

So if you and your competitor are offering training and learning opportunities how do you make yours more effective and get a better return on that training investment?

Simple – Spaced Repetition

Don’t look at your training, education, and communications efforts as single events.

If something is worth doing once it’s worth doing more than once.

I’m not talking about doing the same thing 10 times. I’m talking about creating events that touch on elements of the overall learning over a series of quizzes, posts, texts, emails, etc. Any way you can get multiple exposures to your content – AND – test knowledge of that content – will have the effect of making that information more likely to be recalled when needed.

Many programs today have a learning component to start the promotion. Read some info, watch a video, take a quiz earn some bonus awards.

And that will be it.

But is you’re the smarter brand and do spaced repetition follow-up quizzes and contact about the information you can increase sales and increase ongoing engagement with the people who sell your products and services.

How do you put more of your information in the heads of your selling channels?

Spaced repetition of that information.

For me – a minimum of 5 touches about the information over the course of 8 weeks is where I start. I use a schedule like:

  1. First exposure to content and quiz.
  2. Four hours later (or next morning) – short quiz with sweepstakes option.
  3. Two days later another bit of content with a quiz that included info from the first exposure.
  4. One week later an opportunity to participate in a much larger sweepstakes with more questions on the content.
  5. One week later – small quiz on a subset of most important information.
  6. Bonus if needed:  Every 6 months – quiz with sweepstakes (quiz updates to include anything new over the past 6 months).

Granted, this is simply an example and every recommendation will vary based on the depth, amount, detail, etc. of the material.

But the MAIN thing is…

Repeat.

Wait.

Repeat.

Wait.

Repeat.

(Subscribers: Watch your email box – there may be more coming on this. Be ready for your quiz!)