Best way to use stats in stories

Maya Angelou once said, "People will forget what you said, people forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." That's why most business writers have it totally backwards. The best writing tells a story about a single data point, usually, a person, that represents a greater trend. In other words, you have to focus on the apple, not the orchard. Let me explain. If you want to convey the lusciousness of an orchard, don't talk about how many trees there are, don't talk about how fertile the soil is or how many meters of rainfall there was last year. Again, these numbers can come later. Instead, first, focus my attention on one apple. Describe how it tastes. Emphasizes red ruby color. Tell me about its shape. If you speak to my senses, then I'll come to my senses about how amazing the rest of the orchard must be if this apple is just one mere example. Of course, that doesn't mean forgetting to include the data. Data still supports your point, but it's not your entire point, it's not what you should lead with. In fact, research shows that decision making happens in the right part of the brain, which facilitates emotion, not the left brain, which facilitates logic. Put it another way, the right brain is like the elephant, while the left brain is like the rider on top. The rider is calm, the rider is rational. The elephant, on the other hand, is rash and emotional. Put the apple in front of the elephant and he'll rush towards it. The rider is powerless. And that's kind of how communication works. That emotional side holds the reigns. They hold the power. So don't start by listing metrics about the orchard. Just show the apple, and you'll see everything follow suit.