Most companies make the mistake of just reciting their history and bullet points rather than telling an engaging story. But your history isn't your story. Your story is a compelling way to explain what you do that makes people want to get involved.
Any leader, salesperson, or customer service rep who can invite people into the story of their company gains a powerful advantage. Unfortunately, most company stories are just boring recitations of facts that don't captivate anyone.
The Key to Telling a Great Story:
- Start with the problem your company helps solve
- Agitate that problem to make it feel even worse
- Position your product/service as the resolution
- Describe the happy ending people will experience
This simple four-part story formula has been used for centuries because it works. It allows you to filter out the noise and just highlight what's interesting to your audience.
For example, here's how a pet boarding business could tell their story:
Most people hate leaving their pet in a cage at a kennel while traveling, feeling guilty picturing their sad pup behind bars. At Pet-Paws Paradise, we play with your pet for 8 hours a day so they're constantly happy and exhausted at bedtime dreaming of all the fun. When you leave your pet with us, you know they're safe and happy so you can travel feeling great as a terrific pet owner!
See how that story draws you in by starting with the problem, making you feel it deeply, providing the solution, and ending with the happy resolution?
Writing Your Company's Story Pitch
Take time to craft your own company's story pitch following the four-part formula. Identify the key problem, agitate it, position your solution, and describe the happy ending. Once you have that core story down, make sure everyone on your team can tell it to attract more customers, investors, and advocates.
Action Step: Plan a meeting to work together and write your company's 4-part story. After it is written, give a copy of the story to all workers so they can use it to get more customers, investors, and supporters.
Concepts explored in this newsletter are inspired by 'Business Made Simple' by Donald Miller.
This issue explores themes of Profit & Progress
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