Practical Sales Training™ > How To Get Attention > The Show and Tell Effect
The Show and Tell Effect
What Is It
People take in facts in many different ways. Some like to read it. Others prefer pictures or clips to help them get it. It matters that you give your clients every chance to engage with you.
One format suits one type of person well. It leaves several others behind entirely.
This effect fixes that. It sends the same message through more than one channel at once.
Why Does It Work
It works because if you miss a client’s own way of learning, they may simply not engage. They may not even grasp what you’re saying.
A well written line can fail for someone who thinks in pictures. A great clip can fail just as fast for someone who’d rather read at their own pace.
Offer both, and neither buyer gets left out. Each one gets your message in the way that sticks for them.
How Can You Use It
Say the same thing across more than one format
Use pictures, clips, and graphics where you can. This will boost your chances that people take it in. The simplest step is to add images that back up your text, and give a visual take on the same point.
Match the format to the moment, not just the message
A quick graphic suits someone scanning fast. A longer clip suits someone with time to sit and watch. Think about where each format gets used along the way.
Keep the core point the same in every version
Every format should tell the same story, not a different one. Staying on the same point makes each version back up the last. A mixed message just causes doubt.
When It Works Best
This works best on your most important pages. Think landing pages, key offers, anything where being understood affects whether someone buys.
It also works best when your audience genuinely differs. That means readers, watchers, and listeners, not just one type of person.
When It Becomes Dangerous
It backfires if the formats clash with each other. Mixed messages across clip, text, and graphic confuse buyers rather than help them.
It also gets risky if you spread effort too thin. Too many formats at once gives you several weak versions instead of a few strong ones.
Piling every format onto one page can overwhelm rather than help. That defeats the whole point of giving people a choice.
Common Mistakes
Only doing one format well
A slick clip next to a rushed, thin PDF undoes the whole point. Give each format real care, not just a token effort.
Letting formats drift apart
If the clip says one thing and the guide says something a bit different, buyers notice. They start to doubt both.
Assuming everyone wants everything
Not every buyer wants four formats to pick from. Offer choice, but make the main path clear for someone in a rush.
The Show and Tell Effect – An Example
A Financial Adviser’s Retirement Service
A financial adviser offers a new service to help people save for retirement. On their landing page, they include:
- A 60-second explainer video (for auditory and visual learners)
- A downloadable PDF guide (for readers and researchers)
- A one-page infographic showing the stages of saving (for visual thinkers)
- An audio-only podcast episode on the same topic (for listeners on the go)
By meeting each style of learning, they boost how much people get it, how much they engage, and how many go on to buy.
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