When it comes to getting your message across and connecting with your audience, storytelling
is one of the most powerful tools available.
So much so that all we need to hear is “Let me tell you a story” and our ears perk up,
our guard goes down, and we become more receptive and more engaged.
And that’s why on today’s episode we’re talking all about marketing storytelling,
and I give you my best tips on exactly where to start.
Hello and welcome, my name is Adam Erhart and you are watching the Modern Marketing
Show.
Where we take different marketing tactics, tools, tips and strategies and break them
down into bite sized actionable clips that you can use to immediately take your business
to the next level.
When it comes to getting your message across and building trust and connection with your
customers, storytelling is one of the most powerful tools available.
Savvy marketers and business owners know this.
But many still don’t fully understand or appreciate just how powerful storytelling
is.
Or even worse, they feel like they don’t have a story to tell which is a shame because
EVERYONE has a story to tell.
Now I WAS going to tell you a long drawn out story just to prove my point, but you’re
busy, so let’s lets cut to the chase and get right to it.
Stories sell.
And that’s a true story.
They build trust, allow you to inject your company values, missions, and services, and
capture attention like nothing else.
So you want to use them everywhere you can.
In his book “Sell With A Story” author Paul Smith wisely suggests that you use stories
to introduce yourself and your business, counter and address any objections, add value to your
customers, bring otherwise boring data or numbers to life, and so much more.
But if you’re brand new to storytelling this can seem like an overwhelming place to
start.
Which is why I like to suggest 2 simple stories that anyone can tell, and will immediately
help improve your marketing capital.
The Founder Story and The Client Success Story.
There’s something strangely enticing about a story about a person.
Not a company.
But an actual human being.
Why?
Because it’s a whole lot easier to relate to the Challenges, Victories, Failures, Fears,
Tragedies of another person than to a faceless (dare I say soulless?) corporation.
And no matter what business you’re in, the way it started and what it stands for today
is likely a very interesting story.
Even if it’s simple.
Because simple is relatable.
And simple can sell.
And I’ve seen time and time again that with a little digging and effort you’ll be more
than able to pull out a few inspirational nuggets, polish them up, and turn them into
pure storytelling gold.
If you’re brand new to storytelling, than the Founders Story is a great place to start.
More than likely your customers are interested in how it all “came to be”, and by sharing
the story you set yourself apart from the masses as a more likeable and relatable brand
and business.
Once you’ve got your Founders Story down it’s time to move on to the next one.
The Client Success Story, also known as the “Not Boring Case Study” A client success
story is really nothing more than a story around one of your clients or customers using
your product or service and getting good results with it.
That’s it.
Here’s a simple “Client Success Story” framework to help get you started.
Number 1: Start with where your customer was before they found you.
For example, here’s where you want to introduce their problem and pain Nimber 2.
Introduce your product/service/solution and whatever it is that you did for them And lastly,
Number 3.
Show how much happier/better off/less stressed/or more profitable they are now thanks to their
work with you.
That’s it!
If you need some additional inspiration, ask to talk with any of your customers and jot
down some notes or record the conversation.
The words they use to describe their pain or frustrations and how your business solved
it is pure storytelling gold!
And don’t be afraid to use their words verbatim as the odds are good that other customers
feel the exact same way.
So what’s your story?
How did you end up where you are?
Doing what you do?
And why do you do it?
If you’re up for the challenge, in the comments section below tell me your story in 300 words
or less and let me know: What you do, Why you do it, And how you ended up doing what
you do.
Done!
Your very first story!
So thanks so much for watching.
If you enjoyed this episode be sure to subscribe to the channel, give it a thumbs up, and if
you have any questions, comments or suggestions for a future video, be sure to leave them
in the comments section below.
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Take care for now, and I’ll catch you next time on The Modern Marketing Show.