Share your story in one clear statement

Stories are powerful. It’s why Disney collected $70 billion in revenue last year.

We relate to stories because it’s easy for our brain to structure information as a story sequence. Without even knowing, we’re framing and narrating our own lives within a story.

Every good story has a start, middle and an end. We see this play out in movies, where the hero overcomes an enemy to reach victory.

We connect with heroes because we see ourselves in their story. Think about Star Wars. We can’t relate to intergalactic battles, but we can relate to the fear of inadequacy Luke Skywalker faces on his journey to becoming a Jedi Knight.

Remember, in marketing, your customer is the hero, not you.

You are are guide (Yoda).

One-Liners are used in screenplay pitches, because they encapsulate the key parts to a story a way that the can easily be understood and remembered.

To a screenwriter, the difference between a good and bad pitch can be worth millions. The same stakes apply to your business. 

A story starts when conflict is defined. In marketing, conflict is your customers pain point. The hero (customer) of the story then seeks a guide (your brand) to help overcome the conflict and achieve a desired outcome.

This is why most sales pitches fail. They start talking about how great the product or service is, missing out inviting the customer into a story by introducing a problem.

The bigger your pain point, the higher the engagement will be. Starting with a problem is the hook to open a story loop in your customers mind. You’ve now connected with them over a similar pain point…

Next, it’s time to position yourself as the guide.

Now that you’ve introduced the problem, the customer can begin to relate. If not personally, they will likely know someone else who shares that similar problem.

Introduce your solution to resolve the problem. Use easy and clear words, avoiding jargon.

Your solution must be clear and unique. For example, if you were a financial advisor your solution might be “online finance coaching for couples”. What is it? Financial coaching. Who for? Couples. What’s unique? It’s online. Simple!

Give people and path and they will follow it…

By positioning your brand as the guide to help solve their problem, you can now finish with painting what the end result will be. What will success look like when the hero has overcome the problem?

Remember, people don’t simply buy products. They buy the transformational identity of what they envision that product or service to deliver.

Be clear and specific. Show them exactly what success will look like when they engage your product or service.