Dr Gregory House on Fox’s show House M.D. is always trying to solve the worlds most challenging and craziest ailments that the world has ever known. He will go through all of these brainstorming sessions that they will bat around all these solutions. He will knock them around if he feels they have merit or he will belittle the idea if he doesn’t. During the course of the show he will see something in normal life that will always be his A-Ha Moment. He will see someone pop the tab on a soda can and it will all of a sudden unleash the answer…
My first and most important priority when I write a blog post is to get a WOW or an A-HA moment. It may not always be earth shattering, but may be WOW I haven’t thought of that before or A-HA- what a neat way to think about that.
Right now Oprah & Mutual of Omaha are haggling over who owns the “aha” moment, but anyone can create one. 
Many think you have to be Einstein or Sir Isaac Newton who come up with these incredible thoughts that redefine the world as we know it. I think that is the farthest thing from the truth.
You can come up with unique, relevant ideas or views… that can make your target audience think. Shed some new or different light on their situations. Here are things I think you can do to engage your audience and create that WOW or A-HA.
So whether you are helping someone get better ROI on their marketing or helping them save thousands of dollars on negotiating for a car
1. Be Different – Lets face it, 99% of information out there is not “new” or original thought. So even though we agree its not new, it better be different. Maybe take the information and look at it from a different angle. Highlight certain parts and share your viewpoint on it. Your view is yours and original. Stand out & Surprise them.
2. Be Relevant & Relatable – Keep your message on target. Make sure your target audience will be able grasp your message. If they grasp it, then they have to be able to put themselves in that situation. They must of either felt it before or think they could avoid it by using the information. So they may say WOW, I am glad I read that because I can use that. Maybe they heard it before, but you put your spin on it and it helps turn on that lightbulb and that A-HA, I get it now.
3. Focused - Try to keep it brief and to one take away. If the can remember and recall one thing, that in my book would be a success. I have heard that 90% of what is said or read is forgotten in 48 hours. So you have a better chance of going to memory if you keep it simple and laser focused.
4. Make it very visual - I don’t necessarily mean with actual pictures, but having a picture can help support your point. Just as important, I try to write in a way, for the person reading it, that it will create visions of what I am trying to help them see. So I try to find stories, case studies or examples to illustrate the point I am trying to make. The higher the emotional value the better. If the illustration adds emotional value to the reader then it will increase the episodic memory and will help them recall it later.
5. Connectors & Stickiness - I like to think of the brain as a climbing wall that has the anchored rungs on it. You are trying to get something to stay on the readers mind. Only 16 –20 percent actually have a real interest in what you are saying and you have under 30 seconds to make a point stick and worthy of their memory. So use a real life example that will give the reader something to talk about and use those connecting experiences that provoke conversation.
The Last Point Is To Start With The End in Mind… Think about the A-HA moment before you write the article. Think about what would trigger that emotional feeling, just like Dr House’s epiphany. What story might illustrate it and connect the dots.
Remember the #1 action on the internet is the back button… In our fast paced society, time is even faster. You have 3 seconds or less to capture awareness or attention. According to Malcolm Gladwell you have less than a second. You have to earn people’s time. So remember, write for those who are excited to read what you have to say and are giving up their most precious asset…time. So you have to pay them back with that WOW or A-HA
What ways might I have missed that can create engaging a-ha moments? Share your successes.
In our house we are building, understanding is the air filling the structure. It is like oxygen. It is the passions that drive us. If we don’t understand what drives our employees and clients, how can we expect to help and add value to them. It would make no more sense for your organization to speak a different language than your employees and clients. 
If we were building a house and caring is the foundation, than involvement is the structure. Most companies do not involve their employees or clients in their strategy. I believe companies need to do more planning involving their employees and clients. Organizations need to do focus groups, surveys, an employee or client spec council, Wiki (collaborative websites), community platforms, and stewardship reviews.
