Stage 3
Methodically construct the story
Now that you understand your customers, and have positioned yourself to better resonate with them, it’s time to actually construct the story.
Stories follow tried and proven formulas. Just watch any movie.
Here is a powerful framework. You will pull your audience through the emotional ups and downs that will engage them and bring them to the action you are looking to entice.
Remember, they are the hero of their story…
Choose the elements carefully and put them in sequence.
Step 1 – What are you talking about?
What story do you want to build?
It is always your customer’s story.
But you chose the context.
Your company? A product line? A specific service? Yourself?
Start from the top. You can always come back and create variants.
Step 2 – What is the purpose of your story?
What change do you seek?
We often use the shortcut of “selling”. A product, a service, a project, an idea, a change, information…
Do you want to
- Sell
- Motivate
- Connect
- Explain
- Lead
- Impress?
This is key to your story.
Step 3 – Storytelling
We will use the insights from the two previous stages as ingredients for your story.
The structure forces you to decide what is important, what to keep for later, and what not to say.
We will explore the different levels for each step and chose the one which resonates best.
The story could go something like this.
A character has an aspiration
They recognize themselves and their goal
But there is a problem
They see their issue and feel the emotion
You are their guide
You understand them and are the best to help them
Offering a solution
Solving the problem
Which is easy to implement
They overcome their aprehension
So, you tell them what to do
They act on a clear call to action
They are successful
They visualize the future benefits of working with you
And avoid problems
And are reminded of the stakes
Step 4 – Other storytelling frameworks
The Hero's Journey
The standard template of the hero-focused story where the hero goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis or a series of struggles, and comes home changed or transformed.
The Pixar Story framework
A great way to tell a story, because it goes beyond the solution and into the impact to truly add unique value.
Freytag's Pyramid framework
Highlighting: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement.
Rags-to-Riches
A person rises from poverty to wealth, celebrity or happiness, starting in the rags, having an opportunity or big break, overcoming adversities, closing with a happy ending.
Step 5 – A handy short version
“What do you do?”
Our reflex is to just tell them what we do.
It is much more engaging to tell them who we help, how, and why their life is better.
Benefit
A simple, but powerful framework carefully accompanies your audience through the steps of realization and understanding, triggering a sequence of emotions that bring them to the action you are looking for.
It is the foundation for your marketing in the widest sense.
Format
One or two half-day interactive workshops with management, marketing/communications staff, and customer-facing team members.
In real life, in a workshop room, with whiteboards, and post-its. In your offices or in a rented space.
Online collaborative Zoom sessions with virtual whiteboard & post-its.
Up next
Compose the inspiring show
You have your story!
But it’s not quite ready.
Depending on the situation, the specific audience, the channel, the length, we will compose the “show”.
Based on your positioning, depending on what is needed, we will choose the vocabulary, images, layout, style, …
We will put together the pieces to produce the powerful assets, ready to be delivered.
And give you the tools and confidence to deliver.
