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The Detail

The effect

"A claim feels true the moment it gets specific."

The method

Round numbers feel made up; precise numbers feel measured. '37% faster' is more believable than 'much faster' — even when both are estimates.

Grey hat
5/10
Most common usage on the angel→devil scale
The ethics spectrum

Same hack. Three very different choices.

White hat

Specific numbers backed by methodology you'll show on request.

Grey hat

Precise-sounding numbers with no source.

Black hat

Fabricated statistics designed to look researched.

The template

A formula you can steal

Replace [VAGUE CLAIM] with [PRECISE NUMBER] + [TIME FRAME] + [NAMED SOURCE].
Spotted in the wild

Where you've already seen this

  • Domino's '30 minutes or it's free' — the most-copied specificity claim ever.
  • Hims & Hers' '4 in 5 men saw new hair growth in 6 months'.
  • Wise's exchange-rate comparison showing '£3.42 cheaper than your bank'.
When to use it

On any benefit claim or social-proof number. Specificity costs nothing and almost always raises trust.

When NOT to use it

When the precise number is invented to seem researched. Made-up specificity is worse than honest vagueness.

The 5-minute practice

Try the trick today

Find the three vaguest words on your homepage ('many', 'fast', 'better'). Replace each with a number you can defend if asked.

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See it in action

5 teardowns use this trick