Tactic 57 of 99
The Vivid Story
A statistic informs. A story infects.
What it is
You use a specific, emotional story or live demonstration instead of dry data. The identifiable victim effect and the availability heuristic make vivid examples feel more true and more common. Concrete images are easier to remember.
Spot it
A single dramatic anecdote or staged demo used to justify a huge claim.
Counter it
Ask: “Is this typical, or the best case?” Then ask for the boring average. If they can’t give it, the story is doing the work the data couldn’t.