Part of my work history and background includes a couple decades working in nonprofit fund development, management and public relations. During that time I did a fair amount of grant writing and writing to solicit donations and contributions, and one of the lessons I learned over and over again was that people really are impressed, and they really DO respond to statistics and numbers.
Percentages, statistics, numbers, and factual comparisons really do have a place in your promotional materials and business literature. People want to know how many satisfied customers there are, or how many people prefer this brand to that, or the exact amount of time that can be saved with product X, Y or Z. The more simple and specific you can be, the more people will respond. There is a reason that books, magazines, and web sites that offer consumer feedback and statistical reports do so well—we all want to learn something tangible before we make a purchase. Hearing that something is better, or nicer or newer is one thing, but having actual statistics and numbers to back that up is much more impressive.
So, where do you get these statistics and numbers? You can collect them yourself from surveys and consumer feedback that you gather from your customers. If you keep inventory lists or get other types of evaluation from your customer base, this can be computed and put into stats too. You may also be able to find some research and consumer report data that is public record or from a parent company or supplier that you can use in your own marketing and promotional materials.
Make sure that the stats and numbers you use mean something. This isn’t something you can just make up as it will hurt your credibility and your business’ reputation. The statistics you use should tell a direct “story” about your service or product.
See Also: Simplifying Business Communication
Experience Counts for Something