Ricky Bobby once famously said, "If you ain't first, you're last." Turns out he was onto something. Just not in the way he (or we) thought. Because in the human brain, being last is just as good as being first. Keep reading to find out why. 🧠
Read time: 3.2 minutes ⚡
Free workshop: build a profitable newsletter in 2026
Newsletters are one of the most powerful tools to convert strangers into buyers. But most founders, marketers, and creators don't make real money from their list.
(Can't make it live? Register to get the video replay.)
Imagine this… You're meeting your neighbor for brunch at a trendy new spot downtown. As soon as you're seated, the waiter hands you a menu featuring their brunch items. You both order a mimosa before your eyes begin to scan down the single page methodically.
Avocado toast with a fried egg is the first item listed. Then there's the breakfast burrito, eggs benedict, french toast, parfait… At the very bottom? Chicken and waffles and steak and eggs. You close the menu and take a sip of your mimosa while your neighbor fills you in on her new design job. "And what would you like to order?" the waiter asks a few minutes later. You order the avocado toast with a fried egg, which was your first choice from the get-go. But the weird thing is… You realize you can only remember a few items on the menu: avocado toast with a fried egg, breakfast burrito, chicken and waffles, and steak and eggs. As your neighbor orders the breakfast burrito, you try to remember any of the other items sandwiched between the first and last choices. But you draw a blank. Why can you only remember the first and last items on the brunch menu? In today's edition of Why We Buy 🧠 we'll explore the Serial Position Effect—why we remember the first and last items presented more than the middle ones. Let's get into it.
🧠 The Psychology of the Serial Position Effect
In 1885, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus wanted to know if the position of an item on a list was related to its memorability. So he listened to a list of nonsense syllables (like "DAX" and "WUG"), then tested his own recall. He remembered syllables at the beginning of the list (primacy bias) and syllables at the end (recency bias) better. But the middle? Not so much. And so the Serial Position Effect was born.
This likely happens because of how our brains store information. The first items appear solo in our brains, so they're easier to lock into our long-term memory, while the last few items are still fresh and easy to grab from our short-term memory. But the middle items? They're simply too much for our brains to juggle at once. That's why smart marketers pay extra attention to what they present first—and last.
🤑 How To Apply This
Alright, so how can you apply this right now to sell more?
Newsletters Start with a powerful hook, end with an actionable takeaway Every issue of my (Katelyn here 👋) new newsletter Unignorable starts with a scroll-stopping quote and short story from a big-brained expert like Steve Jobs, Codie Sanchez, or Gary Vee. Then I break down the exact personal brand strategy that propelled them to success—and the psychology behind why it worked. But I don't expect you to remember the middle of the issue, even though ittakes less than two minutes to read.
Instead, each issue closes with one actionable takeaway you can use to build your own unignorable personal brand. Because you're way more likely to remember that opening quote and story—and the closing takeaway from the brand—than anything sandwiched in between.
Psst… Wanna join the 63k smart people already subscribed to Unignorable? Early subscribers get a free guide on how to make your LinkedIn profile unignorable. Click here to subscribe for $0 >
E-commerce Feature bestsellers at the top, tap into FOMO at the bottom When you click into Glossier's "Skincare" category, their featured products pop up first, like Balm Dotcom and After Baume. Then comes the scrollable middle section of products your brain will barely register. But at the very bottom? Sold-out products with "Notify me" buttons underneath each one.
Instead of pulling out-of-stock items from the page, Glossier strategically places them where your brain is paying attention again: at the bottom. You remember the in-stock products at the top because they were presented first, so you're more likely to add them to your cart. And the irresistible "Notify me" CTA at the bottom stands out, so you're more likely to get on the list for when they're back in stock.
Service-based businesses Create memorable opening and closing experiences for each client Instead of providing the same step-by-step service as your competitors, add a dash of delight that takes the client experience from "meh" to "wow." For example, a hair salon could start with a personalized "Vision Session." The stylist welcomes the client back, offers their favorite beverage (as learned from their intake profile), and takes a handful of "before" photos.
The middle process—cutting and coloring—stays the same. But the session ends with a "Beauty Reveal." The stylist takes "after" photos, shows the hair transformation, and gives the client a personalized care card with styling tips and rebooking suggestions. The client won't remember everything that happened in the middle, but they *will* remember how good they felt at the beginning—and end.
💥 The Short of It
People remember what they see first and what they see last. Everything in the middle? Basically forgotten. So if you want customers to remember your offer, don't bury your best stuff in the middle. Open strong, close strong, and make peace with the fact that the middle is pretty much like elevator music in your buyer's brain. Until next time, happy selling!
No comments:
Post a Comment