Follow Our Ten Commandments of Story Telling

1. Focus on the buyer’s needs, not your corporate ego.
2. Answer the buyer’s fundamental question: “What’s in it for me”?
3. Speak directly to the buyer’s immediate needs.
4. Make an emotional connection to the buyer.
5. Don’t be clever for the sake of being clever.
6. Don’t just educate, motivate.
7. Create a sense of urgency to take immediate action.
8. Don’t expect the buyer to decode your message.
9. Tell the buyer a story that enables him/her to visualize the benefits your product offers.
10. Don’t use “brand image” as an excuse for unfocused messages, boring writing and irrelevant graphics.

Is there something fishy about your story?

Apply the CARP Test to Find Out.

C = Credible
Is your story Credible? Can your product or service deliver on the promise of the story? If a reporter, partner or even a competitor dug deep into your story, would there be holes?

A = Add
Does your story clearly show how your product or service Adds value? Can it be measured? How much? Is it enough to convince someone to buy?

R = Relevant
Is your story Relevant to the buyer’s needs? Does it fit their perception of presumed and expected attributes?

P = Position
Does your story clearly and consistently Position you for maximum competitive differentiation? Does it offer attributes that exceed expectations and establish perception of competitive superiority?

Be Guided By Revson’s Revelation

Charles Revson, founder of Revlon cosmetics, is recognized as a marketing visionary who created one of the most successful and highly recognized brands in the cosmetics industry. He did it by adhering to a basic principle that we have chosen to call Revson’s Revelation. The revelation came about in an interview in which a reporter asked Revson what set Revlon apart from its competitors. His Answer: “In the factory we make cosmetics, but in the stores we sell hope.”

Is your story about what you make, or what your customers hope for? Do you even know what your customer’s hope for?  Or do you tell them (often in excruciating detail) about what you make and hope that they’ll figure out how it satisfies what they hope for? For a small portion of your total market (about 2.5%) this will actually work since these are people who enjoy translating facts about your product into benefits that appeal to them. But for everyone else your story must make an emotional connection that anticipates what they hope for.

When thinking about how to connect with what customers hope for, keep this bit of human nature in mind: People are more likely to be interested in stories about moving away from near-term pain, than they are in stories about moving toward  long-term gain.