What makes something believable and memorable? It’s not always the main feature, benefit, or plot of the story that is remembered or draws attention. Usually, it’s the colorful details.
When someone tells me a story, the impact between it told as matter of fact vs. with colorful details is 4X memorability and impact. I’m making that statistic up, but you read it! We usually remember some sound bite, some piece of a story that is fun to repeat.
For something to get attention and be remembered it has to stand out. Be differentiated, as we say. For something to be believable, it’s the colorful details that make it authentic. Unfortunately, good liars know this.
Example in product copy & benefits:
Uncolorful: This computer outputs less than 25 decibels. Colorful: In 3 independent tests this computer was proven to be 16% quieter than a bedroom at night.
Example in an accomplishment:
Uncolorful: We increased conversion 50% last year Colorful: Conversion increased twice as fast as Amazon in a declining online market.
Example in remembering a name?
Uncolorful: My name is Sam Colorful: My name is Sam…Sam I am. [I’m making these up quickly…but you get the idea]
Adding colorful details can mean anchoring a message to something more memorable, adding an amazing fact, using powerful verbs, adding substantiated statements, or adding little details that more fully illustrate an experience or mental image.
When you talk, when you write, and especially when it matters, spend the time to paint in colorful details. It could mean a 4X increase in impact!
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