Surprisingly, the fewer details a marketer spells out, the more powerful the story becomes. Talented marketers understand that allowing people to draw their own conclusions is far more effective than announcing the punch line.

Seth Godin’s breakdown of “How to tell a great story” on his blog is well-written and certainly worth remembering.

Here are the 11 points broken down for quick reference.

1. Great stories succeed because they are able to capture the imagination of large or important audiences.
2. A great story is true
3. Great stories make a promise
4. Great stories are trusted
5. Great stories are subtle
6. Great stories happen fast
7. Great stories don’t always need eight-page color brochures or a face-to-face meeting.
8. Great stories don’t appeal to logic, but they often appeal to our senses.
9. Great stories are rarely aimed at everyone.
10. Great stories don’t contradict themselves.
11. Most of all, great stories agree with our worldview.

Now, go read Seth!