A confused mind does not make decisions. As you share content on your website or social media to attract clients, do you have a clear message and a call to action?
Your clients have problems they face every day. They want to know how you can make their life less complicated with the quickest path to a solution.
What’s Your Story?
What is the story you are sharing with your prospective client? Mike McHargue in Building A StoryBrand by Donald Miller shares, “There’s a reason most marketing collateral doesn’t work. Their marketing is too complicated. The brain doesn’t know how to process the information. The more simple and predictable the communication, the easier it is for the brain to digest. Story helps because it is a sense-making mechanism. Essentially, story formulas put everything in order so the brain doesn’t have to work to understand what is going on.”
Your next question may be, how can I create a simple and predictable communication? Donald Miller guides you to understanding the seven key elements of a story in Building A Story Brand.
7 Key Elements Of Story:
1. The character is your potential client. Your client is the hero, not your brand.
2. Your Character has a problem. However, we usually speak to their external problems, and they are concerned about their internal problems. These are the things which keep them awake at night.
3. The character meets a guide. This is where YOU come in the picture. You are their guide NOT their hero. Luke Skywalker had Obi-Wan Kenobi, Katniss from the Hunger Games had Haymitch, and your client has You!
4. The guide gives them a plan. Your clients trust a guide with a plan. A plan gives them a clear path to stability and increases the chance they will purchase from you.
5. The guide calls them to action. In stories, the main character does not take action until they are challenged to make a move. Your client needs a why to motivate them to take action. They want to lose weight, make more money, create a new lifestyle for their family, take 2 months off every year, or whatever they choose as their why.
6. The guide helps them avoid failure. What is at stake for your client? The main question in every story. What will they lose if they do not take action now? Why are your clients going to work with you if there is nothing at stake? “… simply put we must show people the cost of not doing business with us.” (Page 36, Build A Story Brand)
7. The guide helps the character achieve success. Your client wants to know where you will take them. What is the end game? Help them see how their life could be after working with you.
Building A Story Brand shows you how to create a relationship with your clients and prospective clients. This is not simply about sharing the story of your company but becoming a part of your client's story. Remember they are the hero! Create the mind shift of looking at your business from the perspective of someone who has no clue what you or your company is about.
You have the responsibility of pursuing your clients and clearly inviting them into your business to help achieve success in their story. Be a giver and share your information freely, and your client will freely take you up on your offer to work with you. As you build a relationship with your client, and you have given freely, the next time they need a solution to their problems they will think of YOU!
If you are ready to clear up the confusing message you send your clients, I highly recommend following the steps in Building A Story Brand by Donald Miller.
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