Make your content 1,160% more memorable

The secret ingredient to stories that grow things while making the world a better place

Author

Jordan Loftis
March 08, 2023

63% of people recall a story from a presentation, but only 5% recall a statistic.1

If you want your words to be 1,160% more memorable, this post will share a storytelling secret and how to apply it.

Great stories are growth engines for your business, podcast, book, ministry, and everything in between.

Why? People decide with their emotions, then justify them with logic.

Jesus used over 30 stories and changed the world.

Here’s how we can do the same 👇

First up, a lesson from Hemingway.

Secret Ingredients of Storytelling in 6 Words

Ernest Hemingway won a bet with fellow writers by writing a heart-wrenching story in just 6 words:

“For sale: babies shoes, never worn.”

😭

Without a word, they all paid up.

Storytelling magic has nothing to do with quantity of words… Or even how mind-blowing the story is.

The secret to compelling stories is evoking emotion.

All it takes is:

  1. A simple plot

  2. An empathetic character

  3. An emotional climax

I’ll define these. Then we’ll put them to work in the real world.

  1. Plot: a sequence of related events and backbone of your story

  2. Empathetic character: we have a good reason to care about the people doing the stuff that moves the plot forward

  3. Emotional climax: where the tension builds and gives you all the feels, whether positive or negative

Here’s an interesting note. Hemingway’s story has two characters: the tragic baby and the grieving parent selling her shoes.

One seen, one unseen.

Alright, academic notes over.

How do we use this secret storytelling recipe?

These ingredients apply beyond fiction. They’re the building blocks of every captivating story.

Whether it’s a story around the table at Thanksgiving… Your main illustration in a keynote… Or your interesting answer to a question in a podcast interview…

Every story needs a plot, an empathetic character, and an emotional climax.

Here’s an example I just used on a podcast interview.

The host asked me, “When did you know you wanted to be a writer?”

I have a great story pre-loaded to answer that FAQ about my life:

I was a nerdy 10th grader in Latin class. The teacher assigned us a paper about a Roman god or goddess.

I went FULL NERD and wrote a 20-page story about a guy carrying out justice for the goddess of vengeance. It read like a fantasy novel (which was not cool back then).

As I turned it in, the teacher threw a curveball: “We’ll read our papers out loud in front of the class. Jordan, we’ll start with you.” Oh boy.

Social anxiety flared. This destined me to be the geek of geeks. Then I decided, screw it, let’s go all in. And read it like a script — voices and all.

I finished. Surely I was now consigned to unpopular kid hell. Instead, I looked up to… applause 🤯 Kids were literally standing, clapping, and asking if I could write more. Plot twist!

Meanwhile, my teacher scowled, demanding I define the big words I used in front of the class. Then, said: “There’s no way you could write that. You stole it from someone.”

But rather than getting upset, I realized I might actually be a good writer. So good I could make a career of it someday. And here we are.

(Later on, my English teacher vindicated me. Though I never got an apology 🤷‍♂️.)

In this story, we have:

  1. Plot: Nerdy kid does something risky and transforms into cool kid by owning his identity.

  2. Empathetic character: We can all sympathize with the pain of being an outcast, root for the underdog, and feel offended when I’m falsely accused.

  3. Emotional climax: The villain attacks our hero, and the hero prevails in a satisfying ending.

Your Stories Can Do the Same Thing

Next time you tell a story from stage, at a party, on social media, or anywhere else, run it through this checklist.

1️⃣ Is there a plot that’s interesting to people beyond my Grandma and me?

2️⃣ Do I set stakes where my audience cares about a character that has something to lose?

3️⃣ Can I tie it up with an emotionally resonant climax?

Start With These 5 Story Types

The simplest way to use this storytelling recipe is with one of these story types:

→ Transformation: Humans notice change. Becoming something better is interesting.

→ Overcoming Adversity: These inspire, because “If they can do it, so can I.”

→ Cautionary Tale: We work harder to avoid losing something than we do to gain something. Tell a story about how you lost something your audience desperately wants to keep. Then share how to avoid the pitfall.

For example, I lost 10,000 followers. And it can happen to you unless you do this. Admit, you wanna click that—at least a bit, right?

→ Hero’s Journey: We follow a hero and his unlikely band of helpers on a perilous journey to make the world a better place while growing in the process

→ Case Study: Showcase a client who solved the same problem potential clients do WITH A STORY, not stale bullet points alone. Yes, give the facts. But remember, people buy with emotion, then justify with logic.

And you can mix these with content templates for more impact.

2 Next Steps

Here are two ways to take action.

First, build a story bank. Think about people's most common questions, objections, or obstacles. Then, match a story to it.

63% of people recall a story, but only 5% recall a statistic.

I make spreadsheets with these when I work with clients, helping them organize, tell, and recall their best stuff. Try it.

Second, run the checklist. Run your next story through our 3-part checklist above.

👉 Writing a book? Use a great story for the hook.

👉 Getting interviewed? Choose 3 stories that fit the topic and test them against the checklist.

👉 Sharing a power post on social media? Use one of the 5 story types to knock it outta the park.

That’s it for now. Talk to you next week.

Happy storytelling 👋,

Jordan

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