Art of Message
Married by Elvis, divorced by Friday
I was talking to a friend today about small things, such as smart cars, folding fans, and “bets” – as in the small actions you take in business and product development.
It got me thinking about product messaging – and keeping it short.
You might have heard the short story by Margaret Atwood, who wrote A Handmaid’s Tale:
“Longed for him. Got him. Shit.”
The “him” in this story could have authored this short story:
“I met my soulmate. She didn’t.”
Or maybe you’ve heard this bullet of sadness attributed to Hemingway:
“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
The last hits hardest, but but they’re all good; they all hook you in and tell the story at the same time.
At a campfire or a kitchen table – the skillful storyteller captures the entire essence of a story in just a few words, hooks in their listener, assesses interest, then decides how much more to unveil.
As it it with a case study – get good at compressing them down to one sentence and they become hooks.
The point is: don’t think you don’t have enough room to tell a story in your messaging.