You have a 1 in 5 chance, or 20%, or an 80% chance of losing. Same statistics, different feelings when you read each.

The way we present numbers shapes how people feel.

Stats : CFLs last for 7 years. Standard lightbulbs need to be replaced once a year. 

Story : Replace your lights with CFLs when your child is learning how to walk. The next time you’d have to replace the bulb, your child would be in second grade. The time after that, they’d be taking driver’s ed

How to Make Numbers Speak

Convert any number to its ratio (i.e., 1 in 5), percentage (i.e., 20%) and inverse (i.e., 80%) forms; look through every angle before making a decision

If your product saves people time and money, **personalize the savings** — what can they do with the extra money? What does the time add to someone’s life?

To inspire change, scale up the impact — what does it mean if they stick with the change for weeks, months, years?