One standout example can be your ultimate credential.

For instance, urban legends, particularly horror stories, seem credible when localized details, such as street names and familiar landmarks, are used.

Concrete, vivid details make a message believable.

For example, a series of anti-smoking ads in the 1990s was credible because the ads had an authoritative spokeswoman: Pam Laffin, a 29-year-old mother who suffered devastating effects from smoking. To be believable, sticky ideas must have external credibility (an authoritative spokesperson or source) and internal credibility, which means they’re supported by details, data, or a compelling example that clinches the argument. Find ways to make abstract concepts more concrete.

A company’s strategy is abstract, but its software is concrete.

Be specific: The words “high performance” are abstract while “V-8 engine” is concrete.The abstract must be made concrete so that it means the same thing to everyone, like the proverb, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” In contrast, many messages in business are ambiguous and no one interprets them the same way. For example, the idea of apples with razor blades in them is concrete. Ideas must be concrete in order to stick. Mysteries sustain interest because people want closure. After getting people’s attention with the unexpected, sustain it by creating a mystery.

Make it stick heath