By Vanessa S. Lewis
Have you heard the legend of the shortest story ever?
The great writer Ernest Hemingway was once challenged, actually betted, to write a short story that would make others cry, and to write it in only six words. Could he do it? Well, he was Ernest Hemingway, so you bet he could do it.
What was this story that made people allegedly cry?
It’s a good one! Are you ready?
Here it is:
For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never Worn.
A tearjerker right?
There are two lessons from this short story.
Well, actually, three lessons for storytelling. What are they? In no particular order, these are:
1. Brevity sells
2. Clarity sells
3. Emotion sells
Brevity sells. I fell in love with copywriting for this reason. I used to do a fair amount of presenting and public speaking. Songwriting helped me have a way with words, but studying copywriting made me a more concise writer.
In this day and age, copywriting is a requirement. Our attention spans are shorter than that of a goldfish, and that’s 8 seconds. So, marketers benefit when they publish shorter sentences and words to share their message.
Clarity sells. An old sales maxim states when you confuse, you lose. Buyers need to quickly understand how buying your product will make their lives easier in the way they desire.
Thus, sometimes they need benefits spelled out to them. Features get laid out as benefits, and overall copy is made of digestible paragraphs, simpler words and easy to understand sentences.
Emotion sells Buying is purely psychological. By that reasoning, marketers do well to study and understand human psychology.
Our brains commit to buying something based on emotion first. We justify with logic but only after we buy.
So, let’s dissect the Hemingway’s 6-word story:
“For sale”
These words get your attention similar to free, or you. You know something is for sale, but what?
“Baby shoes.” These 2 words tells a whole story right there, doesn’t it? What image does this bring to mind? Tiny, precious, newborn perhaps. Innocent. Not only are you learning that these shoes are for sale. Which, in the back of your mind may make you question Why would someone purchase baby shoes and then put them up for sale?
And, then the last pair of words: “Never worn.”
Our minds immediately jump to conclude the reason the parents are returning the baby-sized shoes. We might assume the worst: the baby died. But, maybe the baby didn’t die. Maybe the parents simply bought the wrong size shoes. Or already own two of the same size and style. Or, maybe the parents decided to sell the shoes because the baby keeps kicking them off! Maybe the baby never wore the shoes at all?
No. We assume the worst. And therefore, we feel the most.
The best stories leave much to the imagination and provide (just) enough details.
What can marketers and writers learn from this short story and apply to their own business stories?
One line. 2 sentences. Six words.
Brevity, clarity, and emotion.
These are key pieces to include in your stories when you want to motivate your reader and your customer to purchase from you.
Marketers, what other ways can you think of to motivate your customer through story?
C.) 2019 Vanessa S. Lewis
Vanessa S. Lewis is a freelance writer and editor serving small and large businesses. She writes all kinds of compelling and persuasive copy to move others into action, but specializes in business blogging, email marketing, and event promotions. Learn more at VanessaSlewis.com