Sixty-three thousand new jobs projected.
When you have a number like that representing the impact one plan or program is going to have, it’s tempting to think the number can do the selling for you. But every economic development organization (EDO) competing with you has a statistic like this. Unfortunately, these numbers change every year and are even forgotten. However, stories are remembered. A good story can deliver the importance of a statistic or job creation number long after it’s forgotten or irrelevant.
Do your statistics help tell a story? Or are they just waiting to be updated next year?
I like to think of myself as a spreadsheet guy. Every office or organization, big or small, has at least one. But I always have a notes section that helps bring context or relevance to a number. You can search any number of funny quotes about statistics — the one often attributed to Mark Twain, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics,” or journalist Gregg Easterbrook’s, “Torture numbers, and they’ll confess to anything.” Stats need rules or guidelines: numbers need a face, a place, and a “because.” Otherwise, it’s a quest to compare “who can do it cheapest,” not “who’s better for me and my organization.”
A great example of this is how the Port of Savannah backed a $134 million inland rail terminal connecting Savannah to manufacturing hubs throughout Northeast Georgia. Locally, the connector keeps trucks off congested highways while still feeding the region’s manufacturing growth — faster delivery, lower emissions, and less pressure to pave over the neighborhoods those highways run through. Savannah will always want to be known for its deep cultural roots, not ten-lane highways. And that 63,000 figure? It’s not headcount at the terminal — it’s the number of jobs the connector is projected to create across the Northeast Georgia region as new business follows the infrastructure. The terminal itself creates a modest 20 direct jobs. The real story isn’t the facility; it’s what the facility unlocks.
That’s the whole point. It was a story that didn’t lean on forced media events like ribbon cuttings. Every market across the nation understands the trade-off associated with improving infrastructure — running new roads that create efficiency but can also take some of the local color out of the equation. This provided a solution that was both scalable and delivered real impact on the local and regional economy.
So, what can EDO leaders do today to stop talking about stats and start talking about the stories? Here are four starting points:
- Identify your top five stories. Take a tip from foundational journalism and focus on the three P’s (or four, but who’s counting): People, Places, and Plot (or Problem).
- Stop talking about and marketing only stats. The statistics are the easy part. But a compelling story is unique and differentiating. Find real and authentic stories first. They don’t all seem big and important, but they can be impactful. Then figure out the stats.
- Great stories have protagonists. People love underdog stories. Finding uncommon people who found a way is going to be more compelling than hearing about someone who just used resources they already had available.
- Common problems resonate because everyone can identify with them. When someone identifies a solution to that problem, it doesn’t mean everyone can just copy and paste it. It means there are probably ways to identify and evolve solutions to find opportunities that are native to your area and its abilities and resources.
It feels great to look at a number that leads in a region, state, the nation, or an industry, but you’ll attract more interest with compelling and memorable stories.
