My nine-year-old nephew just finished his first season as a top hitter on a baseball all-star team. When he started as a little T-baller a few years ago, I suppose his coach warned him not to sling the bat behind him after a hit. Good advice—but unnecessary. He and his younger sister know well what can happen when a bat spins out of the hitter’s hands.

So many times they’ve heard the tale of my one and only baseball hit. It was a game of cousins and friends in Alabama, and I took my place at the plate: the sorriest hitter on the team. As the ball came toward me, I all but shut my eyes, swung the bat in its general direction, and HOLY COW! I connected. The ball went bouncing toward the pitcher and I took off! First base … I could hear yelling … second base … third base. Only then did I notice there weren’t any basemen. Everyone was huddled over something on the ground at home plate.

What happened? I shouted. Turns out that in my brief moment of triumph, I’d slung the bat several feet behind me … where my brother happened to be standing. It slammed smack into his forehead. So there he was, lying on the ground, looking dazed and pitiful, with a big knot in the middle of his forehead, and a lot of cousins cooing over him. I cried buckets, and we both survived to laugh about it.

It’s the kind of story kids love to hear about their parents’ childhoods—and one that teaches a valuable lesson: Don’t sling the bat.

Whether you’re in the home or the workplace, the advice you give through storytelling is more interesting and memorable than simple dos and don’ts—if you become an effective storyteller. Here’s how:

• Tell the truth. People respond much better to stories that ring true than to fairytales and fantasies. That’s why humor columnist Erma Bombeck, Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, and stand-up comedians Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and Roseanne gained such popularity. Their material was based on the common human experience, and everyone could relate to it in some way.

• Maintain your focus. What was the point of my story? For the first time in my life, I managed to hit a baseball but no one noticed because I clocked my brother with the bat at the same time. The point would have been lost if I’d gotten bogged down with trying to remember exactly how old we were … who was playing each position … whether the ball rolled four feet or five … that I may have hit the ball once before but I think it was a foul or maybe a caught fly, well I’m not really sure, but I know I didn’t get to run any bases so it doesn’t really count. Get the idea? We all know people who ruin their own stories by including every tiny bit of boring minutia. Keep it short and stick to the high points and essential details.

• Make the point. Every time we tell that story, as my brother and I playfully debate whether I intentionally whacked him or he bilked his injury, one of us always winds up saying: So never sling the bat. Whether you’re trying to instill a safety lesson in your kids or hoping to motivate employees or friends, always remember to emphasize the tagline at the end. That way you’ll reinforce the mental connection between the story what you’re hoping listeners learn from it.