The same issue has come up three times in the last fortnight for businesses I work with:
- How do I make an instant impact with this report?
My answer has been the same in each case:
- Find the killer fact.
If you're not familiar with the concept, it's the one (and one only) piece of information that sums up and sells your story.
Killer facts are a terrific way to make an impact, whether you're trying to get media coverage, backing for an idea, or just sell your stuff.
So, some thoughts on the art of the killer fact:
Keep Your Killer Fact Simple
This is the most important point:
- Make sure your killer fact is immediately understandable, and as simple as you can make it.
Here's an example from the University of Cambridge, to demonstrate its academic excellence.
One of the colleges, Trinity, has 34 Nobel prizes, which puts it fifth in a league table of COUNTRIES, above about 75 others.
That's what I call smart.
For a business example, one of the companies I mentioned above, codename XXX, is seeking millions of pounds of investment to help it grow.
Various potential and impressive facts were on offer, including:
- Total possible market (enormous)
- Anticipated profit over the next three years (lots and lots of cash)
- Month on month growth in profits (doubling every month)
- Number of customers signed up (very steep upward curve)
- Glowing testimonials from customers (very glowing indeed)
Have a second to think which we chose.
(It's just like being back at school, and those dreaded multiple choices!)
The answer is number three, month on month growth in profits.
Firstly, because it was a solid and demonstrable fact, rather than a viewpoint or projection.
Although number four was tempting, lots of customers doesn't necessarily mean lots of profits.
It's simple, immediately grabs the attention, and was perfect for the intended audience.
Which is an important point, and brings me to...
Killer Facts for Different Audiences
This is also worth remembering:
- Adjust your killer fact according to your audience.
It's an adaptation of a basic rule of communications, to remember who you're talking to.
If I was pitching the services of my company, Creative Warehouse, to a Cambridge University audience, I wouldn't talk about the work we've done in the private sector but instead the partnerships with the University.
Likewise, if I was talking to a tech group, I'd talk about the tech work we've done, not the educational projects.
Sounds obvious, but you'd be amazed how often I've seen this error in action.
Even subtle changes to your killer fact can be effective.
I've just done some work with an agritech company, and there, for fruit farmers, the killer fact is:
- We deliver a 10% average increase in profits.
But! Some of the key audiences are very environmentally minded.
So, there we use a subtle variation:
- Chemical use down, profits up 10% on average with our system.
Generally, one clean and simple fact is preferable, and certainly only one number, to make sure it sticks in the mind.
But a little extra adornment, according to your audience, can work well.
Choose Your Killer Fact Wisely
There's lots you want to say about your business, organisation, product or service.
I get that.
But try to force yourself to focus on one benefit, and make that the killer fact.
For example, with Creative Warehouse, if I was pitching our public relations work, I could talk about...
- We have more than 200 years' experience in the media between us.
- We've worked in organisations such as the BBC, ITV, the Times, Guardian and Independent newspapers, Google etc.
And both are good stats.
But for a killer fact, I prefer:
- Stories we place in the media average about £15,000 worth of coverage.
That usually does the trick and gets an audience interested!
Fast and Obvious Killer Facts
I say this time and again, because it's so critical in communications.
- Remember your audience is very busy.
Modern life is fast. Emails, messages, social media, phone and video calls, the boss yelling...
Which means you've got to make a mark fast, or you probably won't get noticed at all.
So if you've got a real killer of a killer fact, make sure it's clear, obvious and immediate in how you're presenting it.
I've just worked on a project with a University about reallocating resources online following the pandemic.
The people reading the paper are senior, in charge of budgets, just about every second of their day is accounted for, so we started the paper with:
- We've seen a 70% increase in demand for online learning during the pandemic.
And we didn't just start the paper that way, we put the fact in italics as well.
(Subtlety was never a strong point of mine!)
Keep it simple, make sure it resonates with the audience and doesn't get missed, and you should have a killer of a killer fact.
Get Your Killer Fact Right
Again this sounds obvious, but killer facts will often be challenged, whether by journalists, your colleagues or bosses.
And so they should be.
If they're used as a basis for decision making, they'd better be accurate.
So make sure yours is, and...
- Be prepared to show it's correct.
What are your sources? Have you run through any calculations time and again to ensure they're robust?
Have you asked for a peer review by a couple of trusted colleagues, or friends?
The stakes are high with killer facts.
Because they stand tall and are designed to attract attention, your credibility will stand or fall with them.
How to Express a Killer Fact
There are various tricks which tend to work in terms of making a killer fact hit home.
The most obvious is to go for a big statistic, like the UK's borrowing over the first financial year of the pandemic.
That's estimated to be £355 billion, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Personally, I don't care for this big number route. Simply because the amounts are effectively unimaginable.
Whereas, if you bring it to a more personal level I think it's more comprehensible.
There are about 19 million families in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics.
So, for me, a better killer fact would be the average debt each family has taken on to deal with the dreaded Covid:
- Almost £19,000 in debt on average has been taken on by every UK family to tackle coronavirus.
I find that much more understandable and thus effective.
Think how you can make a killer fact most relatable to your audience.
Sometimes a comparator can help, to really hit the message hard.
With the above fact, you could go on to say:
- That's roughly the price of a new Mini.
And voila! I can see the audience envisaging in material terms what was previously an almost unimaginable amount of debt.
Repeat, repeat, and repeat again
Once you've got a killer fact, repeat it. And again. And again and again.
And then repeat it some more!
Ok, enough of my hilarious humour.
The point being, if you've spent the time finding the thing, and making sure it's correct, and working out how to express it, then use it in reports, presentations, conversations, emails, all and anything.
Often repetition is the key to making sure a killer fact becomes part of the conversation.
And when that happens, you know you're well on your way to winning whatever case it is that you're putting forward.
One quick note, if you don't mind.
If you'd like some assistance with killer facts, or any other communication challenges, please do get in touch.
You can do so via the Creative Warehouse website.
We love the Cambridge Network, offer special terms for its members, and will be happy to help.