How do you use storytelling to showcase the value of your product or service?

Here is a simple framework I use for identifying customer pain points. 1. Problem - Ask the person what their top 3 problems are. 2. Impact - Ask them about the negative impact of this problem and the positive impact of solving it. 3. Cause - Ask what they believe the cause of this problem is and write down what you think is the cause. Bonus: Ask them how they are trying to solve the problem today and what they tried in the past.

Storytelling is a potent tool for showcasing product or service value. Picture a world where customers struggle with overwhelming problems, feeling discouraged. A relatable protagonist engages the audience emotionally, fostering investment. We highlight challenges and their impact, setting the stage. Introducing our solution, we demonstrate its efficacy, resolving pain points and facilitating goal achievement. Emphasizing unique features and benefits fosters excitement and anticipation. Storytelling forges a connection between the customer and the offering, revealing its value in its own narrative. Ultimately, they eagerly embark on a transformative journey with our product or service as their trusted companion.

Between 2018 - 2022, I won $50M in TCV as a strategic seller to Fortune 500 brands. Storytelling was a key part of the equation. A core principle (being in the B2B2C space) was this: "Be their customer before asking them to be ours." This allowed us to form a repeatable strategy using design thinking to unearth compelling insights that we could then reshape into a compelling narrative on why it was good for our businesses to explore a strategic partnership. Paired with Aristotle's Persuasion Triangle (APT), we had a helpful framework to generate and share stories to our top strategic accounts. The APT is this: - Ethos (Character): Are we credible? - Pathos (Emotion): Striking a chord? - Logos (Logic): What's the logical plan?

The story type to use depends on where your customers are in the buyer journey and what your goal is (Awareness, lead gen, conversion, etc.). One story type you can't go wrong with is "Future pacing". I've used it in various copies for my clothing brand and it always works. This type of storytelling transports your customers to their ideal future. The trick to effective future pacing is using the present tense. It helps your readers picture themselves as already achieving a transformation, thanks to your product. "As you approach your seat, you can feel the stares and you know they're gushing about your dress... "They've never seen you look so ready to own it. Everyone now knows you're royalty... and they'll never forget that!"

Product story arc. Imagine a... [Specific customer/ Hero] They struggle with... [Current state/ fear/ Villain] They fight this villain every day by... [Their current workaround/ expenditure/ effort] But it... [Short and long term impact of the Villain] They dream of a day where... [Holy grail/ north star/ quest] But they take no action because... [Reasons/ objections/ inertia] Which cases our Hero to live with the status quo. Then they see... [Company/ Guide] Which has... [Magic Beans/ Product/ Three differentiators] That solve for the Villain. They use it, and all live happily ever after.

Speaking from a comedy perspective, folks tend to give less and less credit to patterns when they can spot the punchline coming from a mile away. So, even though the arc concept is handy for setting up a general writing pattern, treat it like more like general boundaries, but within those boundaries, let your ideas run wild. As long as you keep the story engaging, and people are hooked to the next line, I guarantee you they won't even be aware if it made no coherent sense in terms of beginning, middle and and ending :)

Use evidence in your story. For every powerful metaphor and great headline, use data to pivot. Explain simply. Borrow credibility (from others that have used your product) and show/ demo what it is, and what it does.

I learned many years ago when talks focus on facts, figures, or technical issues, people will forget 90% of what they heard before they walk out of the room. When the information is wrapped in a story or an example, people will remember the story. This makes your talk memorable.

Stand-up comics do this all the time. They test their material. Months, perhaps years, before they record their comedy special, they write a joke. They try that joke out in a noname comedy club in front of an audience. Listen for the laugh, tweak, and try again. That's how comedians hone their craft. In storytelling, you can do the same thing. Try it out. See what lands. Refine. Rinse and repeat.

Storytelling takes various forms, including written content, videos, images, podcasts, or even interactive experiences. Experiment with different formats to find what resonates best with your audience and the nature of your brand.

Storytelling is the art of using narratives to engage and connect with an audience. In business, it's about conveying ideas, insights, values, and goals through compelling stories. “Our customer ‘s journey” is a wonderful subject for an original convincing story. A great example of storytelling in business is Apple's "Think Different" campaign, where they celebrated individuals who defied the norm, inspiring people to challenge the status quo and embody the Apple brand. This story-driven approach resonates with customers on an emotional level and helps establish a deeper connection with the brand. Check it out via AI or YouTube

Somewhere along the line, we were encouraged (implored) to tell our stories if we were to appeal to the so-called target market. Fact: it is difficult to tell stories that compel and elicit action. Sadly, many people are unwilling to go deep and carve out their narrative.