BIP Day 14: The number hook: How to create intense curiosity using a single fact or figure
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Today’s newsletter has two parts.
The number hook: How to create intense curiosity using a single fact or figure (article)
Build in public update Day 14
The number hook: How to create intense curiosity using a single fact or figure
In 2018, I helped create the four most popular presentations for a major health summit.
Our speaker was an unknown and up against some heavy hitters vying for attention.
But when our gal spoke, everyone put down their phones.
One strategy we used to get attention was the number hook.
What is the number hook?
A numerical fact that meets two conditions:
1) People find it meaningful
2) People find it memorable
That means you can only shine a spotlight on a single number. If you share two or three, they wash over your audience. This number needs to be alone.
Why does a single number work?
People love to learn something of value and a single number gets them to feel in the know. You'll show them that this one fact is super-important. That's what gets and keeps attention.
How do you show them the number is so valuable?
Say the number
Say what it means + credibility
Repeat it + give more information
Example From Our Most Popular Presentation
Ninety-two percent.
That's the percentage of people who will try to change their behavior and fail this year according to the journal Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy.
Ninety-two percent.
That number seems high and it is. But what can you do to be part of the small sliver of people who succeed at change this year?
Has your attention right?
The power of using a number is all about creating curiosity. We could easily say it's hard to change or mention that most people fail. But sharing a number gives your explanation much-needed weight.
Build in public update Day 14
Today I finished the conclusion for my course. I started using the five step process that I outlined in Part 3 and the stories I needed to share came to me.
I had forgotten that the first time I tried creating an online course around 2004, I could barely get started.
So I put it aside for nearly a year. When I came back to it, I had to start from scratch. And I could only do it with the help of a writing course created by Nick Daws. It was still hard but doable.
But I didn’t really get cooking with course creation until I learned from Sean D’Souza.
His work changed everything for me. I describe what he taught me in the conclusion of my course. I wouldn’t be doing what I do today had I not come into contact with him.
Thanks for reading this far.
Here’s a screenshot of today’s work.
