What Information You Need To Put Into Your Story To Make It Successful?
Every story starts with a problem. Don’t put more than the problem, solution, and success or result in your story.
OK, but what information do you need to put into your story to get the outcome you want. The story must, at a fundamental level, explain why you exist? Why does the market need your company? Why are we need this? And why is what we are doing important?
What do you want to tell people? This information is the crux of your story and the real reason why people will buy from you or invest in your company.
Start by framing the issue. Don’t let our competition frame the issue. You may have to reframe the issue, so you are attacking the right problem. Does your core story articulate and reinforce the vision and values you are promoting to identify and solve the problem?
Different people have different ideas about what should go into your story. Here is one version. Your vision should be distilled into a single sentence, broken down into three parts:
1 What is the best action word describing what the brand is doing to serve the customer (empowering, teaching coaching,etc.)? Remember, you are not the hero of the story. You are the mentor showing the customer how to solve the problem.
2 Who do you want to hear your story? Be specific. The better you can target your audience, the more effective you will be. But, the audience has to be big enough for you to make a profit. Also, if your vision is clear, you will attract the audience you are seeking.
3 What is the outcome or transformation the customer will receive by using your product or service? What are the benefits short-term and long-term, what are the consequences if the customer does not use your product or service?
Here is another way to look at what you should include in your story. Define the problem you want to address. It might be one huge problem or several problems you need to address separately.
1 Focus on addressing the problem and the challenges the problem causes the customer
2 The results or outcomes of solving that problem and the benefits the customer will receive.
3 Explain the difficulties the customer will have to go through to solve the problem in a way that brings the emotional aspects of getting to the solution. Is it relatable, believable, stressful yet transformational once accomplished?
One last thing. The end of the story is not the end; it’s the beginning of your relationship with the reader.
