building a storybrand · praise for building a storybrand “this is a seminal book built around an...

PRAISEFORBUILDINGASTORYBRAND

“This is a seminal book built around an idea that will clarify, energize, andtransform your business. DonaldMiller offers a specific, detailed, and usefulwaytochangethewayyoutalkabouttheworkyoucareabout.”

—SETHGODIN,AUTHOROFALLMARKETERSARELIARS

“DonaldMilleroughttobeworkingwithyourcompanyjustlikeheworkedwithours.Wechangedourwebsiteafterlearninghisframeworkandtheresultswerefantastic.Wenoticedadifferencerightaway.TheStoryBrandFrameworkworks—andweareimplementingitcompanywide.Readthisbook!”

—KENBLANCHARD,CHIEFSPIRITUALOFFICEROFTHEKENBLANCHARDCOMPANIESANDCOAUTHOROFTHENEWONEMINUTEMANAGER®

“DonaldMillerwillteachyoualotmorethanhowtosellproducts;hewillteachyouhowtotransformthelivesofyourcustomers.Yourcustomersneedyoutoplay a role in their lives, and this bookwill teach you how. If youwant yourbusinesstogrow,readthisbook.”

—JOHNC.MAXWELL,#1NEWYORKTIMESBESTSELLINGAUTHOR

“This is the most important business/marketing book of the year. AllcommunicatorsknowthepowerofStory.DonaldMillerhascapturedtheprocesstomakeyourmarketingpiercethewhitenoiseofthemostoverservedmarketinggenerationinhistory.Youhavetoreadthisbook!”

—DAVERAMSEY,#1NEWYORKTIMESBESTSELLINGAUTHOR

“Donald Miller reminds us that all good messaging begins and ends withempathy.Heknowsthatifyouwanttobeseen,heard,andunderstood,thefirststepistolisten.Getthisbookifyouwanttoconnectwithpeopleinaprofoundway.”

—BILLHASLAM,FORTY-NINTHGOVERNOROFTENNESSEE

“Ifyoulikemakingmoney,readthisbook.TheStoryBrandFrameworkwillhelpyou create salesmessages that people listen and respond to.We use it all the

timeanditworks!”—RYANDEISS,FOUNDERANDCEOOFDIGITALMARKETER

“In only a few hours this book demystified lessons about branding that I’vespentmyentirecareertryingtounderstand.ThebrilliantStoryBrandFrameworkhasnowbecometheplaybookforeverythingwedothatismarketing-related.”

—RORYVADEN,COFOUNDEROFSOUTHWESTERNCONSULTINGANDNEWYORKTIMESBESTSELLINGAUTHOROFTAKETHESTAIRS

“I’vebeenusingDonMiller’sStoryBrandframeworkinmybusinessforafewyearsnow.It’sthesinglebestmarketingtoolIknow.Weuseitoneveryproductwe launch. I’ve had Don personally teach my company and clients and Irecommend him to everyone. Now, all these revolutionary insights are easilyaccessiblebetweenthesecovers.”

—MICHAELHYATT,NEWYORKTIMESBESTSELLINGAUTHOROFPLATFORM:GETNOTICEDINANOISYWORLD

©2017byDonaldMiller

Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbookmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans—electronic,mechanical,photocopy,recording,scanning,orother—exceptforbriefquotationsincriticalreviewsorarticles,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.

PublishedbyHarperCollinsLeadership,animprintofHarperCollins.

TheauthorisrepresentedbyAmbassadorLiteraryAgency,Nashville,TN.

GraphicsdesignedbyKyleReid.

EpubEditionSeptember2017ISBN9780718033330

ISBN978-0-7180-3333-0(eBook)

ISBN978-1-4002-0183-9(IE)

LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2017937432ISBN978-0-7180-3332-3

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Please note that footnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to externalwebsites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not beenactivatedbythepublisher,whocannotverifytheaccuracyoftheselinksbeyondthedateofpublication.

Thisbookisdedicatedto:TimSchurrerandKyleReid

forbelievingintheframeworkfromthebeginning.WhatIlovemostaboutStoryBrandisit

allowedustobecomefriends.

Andalso:BetsyMillerAveryCsorbaKoulaCallahanJJPetersonChadSnavelySuzanneNorman

Youarelivingproofthatwhenagroupoffriendssacrificetogetherforacommongood,theycanbecomefamily.

CONTENTS

Introduction

SECTION1:WHYMOSTMARKETINGISAMONEYPIT

1.TheKeytoBeingSeen,Heard,andUnderstood

2.TheSecretWeaponThatWillGrowYourBusiness

3.TheSimpleSB7Framework

SECTION2:BUILDINGYOURSTORYBRAND

4.ACharacter

5.HasaProblem

6.AndMeetsaGuide

7.WhoGivesThemaPlan

8.AndCallsThemtoAction

9.ThatHelpsThemAvoidFailure

10.AndEndsinaSuccess

11.PeopleWantYourBrandtoParticipateinTheirTransformation

SECTION3:IMPLEMENTINGYOURSTORYBRANDBRANDSCRIPT

12.BuildingaBetterWebsite

13.UsingStoryBrandtoTransformCompanyCulture

TheStoryBrandMarketingRoadmap

Afterword

Acknowledgments

PraisefortheStoryBrandFramework

StoryBrandResources

Notes

INTRODUCTION

Thisisnotabookabouttellingyourcompany’sstory.Abooklikethatwouldbea waste of time. Customers don’t generally care about your story; they careabouttheirown.

Your customer shouldbe theheroof the story, not yourbrand.This is thesecreteveryphenomenallysuccessfulbusinessunderstands.

What follows is a seven-part framework thatwill change thewayyou talkaboutyourbusinessandperhapsthewayyoudobusiness.

Eachyearwehelpmorethanthreethousandbusinessesstopwastingmoneyon marketing and get their company growing by helping them clarify theirmessage.Thisframeworkwillworkforyou,regardlessofyourindustry.

Togetthemostoutofthisbook,Iencourageyoutodothreethings:

1. ReadthebookandunderstandtheSB7Framework.2. Filteryourmessagethroughtheframework.3. Clarifyyourmessagesomorecustomerslisten.

Marketinghaschanged.Businessesthatinvitetheircustomersintoaheroicstorygrow.Businessesthatdon’tareforgotten.

Mayweallberichlyrewardedforputtingourcustomers’storiesaboveourown.

SECTION1

WHYMOSTMARKETINGISAMONEYPIT

CHAPTER1

THEKEYTOBEINGSEEN,HEARD,ANDUNDERSTOOD

Mostcompanieswasteenormousamountsofmoneyonmarketing.Weallknowhowmind-numbingitistospendpreciousdollarsonanewmarketingeffortthatgetsnoresults.Whenweseethereports,wewonderwhatwentwrong,orworse,whetherourproductisreallyasgoodaswethoughtitwas.

Butwhat if the problemwasn’t the product?What if the problemwas thewaywetalkedabouttheproduct?

The problem is simple. The graphic artists and designers we’re hiring tobuildourwebsitesandbrochureshavedegrees indesignandknoweverythingaboutPhotoshop,buthowmanyofthemhavereadasinglebookaboutwritinggood sales copy? How many of them know how to clarify your message socustomers listen? And worse, these companies are glad to take your money,regardlessofwhetheryouseeresultsornot.

The fact is, prettywebsites don’t sell things.Words sell things.And ifwehaven’tclarifiedourmessage,ourcustomerswon’tlisten.

If we pay a lot of money to a design agency without first clarifying ourmessage,wemightaswellbeholdingabullhornuptoamonkey.Theonlythingapotentialcustomerwillhearisnoise.

Still,clarifyingourmessageisn’teasy.Ihadoneclientsaythatwhenhetriedto do so, he felt like he was inside the bottle trying to read the label. Iunderstand.Before I startedStoryBrand Iwasawriter and spent thousandsofhours staring at a blank computer screen, wondering what to say. That soul-wrenchingfrustrationledmetocreatea“communicationframework”basedontheprovenpowerofstory,andIswearitwaslikediscoveringasecretformula.ThewritinggoteasierandIsoldmillionsofbooks.Afterusingtheframeworktocreateclearmessagesinmybooks,Iusedittofilterthemarketingcollateralinmy own small company. Once we got clear, we doubled in revenue for fourconsecutive years. I now teach that framework to more than three thousand

businesseseachyear.Once they get their message straight, our clients create quality websites,

incrediblekeynotes,e-mailsthatgetopened,andsalesletterspeoplerespondto.Why?Becausenobodywill listentoyouifyourmessageisn’tclear,nomatterhowexpensiveyourmarketingmaterialmaybe.

At StoryBrand we’ve had clients double, triple, and even quadruple theirrevenueaftertheygotonethingstraight—theirmessage.

The StoryBrand Framework has been just as effective for billion-dollarbrandsasithasformom-and-popbusinesses,andjustaspowerfulforAmericancorporationsas ithasfor those inJapanandAfrica.Why?Because thehumanbrain,nomatterwhatregionoftheworlditcomesfrom,isdrawntowardclarityandawayfromconfusion.

The reality iswearen’t just in a race togetourproducts tomarket;we’realso ina race tocommunicatewhyourcustomersneed thoseproducts in theirlives. Even if we have the best product in the marketplace, we’ll lose to aninferiorproductifourcompetitor’sofferiscommunicatedmoreclearly.

Sowhat’syourmessage?Canyou say it easily? Is it simple, relevant, andrepeatable?Canyourentireteamrepeatyourcompany’smessageinsuchawaythatitiscompelling?Havenewhiresbeengiventalkingpointstheycanusetodescribewhatthecompanyoffersandwhyeverypotentialcustomershouldbuyit?

Howmanysalesarewemissingoutonbecausecustomerscan’t figureoutwhatourofferiswithinfivesecondsofvisitingourwebsite?

WHYSOMANYBUSINESSESFAIL

To find out why so many marketing and branding attempts fail, I called myfriendMikeMcHargue.Mike,oftencalled“ScienceMike”becausehehostsasuccessful podcast calledAskScienceMike, spent fifteen years using science-basedmethodologies to help companies figure out how their customers think,specificallyinthetechspace.Sadly,heleftadvertisingwhenaclientaskedhimto create an algorithm predicting the associated buying habits of people withdiabetes. Translation: they wanted him to sell junk food to diabetics. Mikerefusedandlefttheindustry.He’sagoodman.Icalled,though,becausehestillhasincredibleinsightastohowmarketing,story,andbehaviorallblendtogether.

Atmyrequest,MikeflewtoNashvilletoattendoneofourworkshops.After

twodays learning theStoryBrand 7-Part Framework (hereafter called theSB7Framework),we sat onmybackporch and I grilled himwith questions.Whydoes this formulawork?What’shappening in thebrainsof consumers as theyencounter amessage filtered through this formula?What’s the science behindwhybrandslikeAppleandCoke,whointuitivelyusethisformula,dominatethemarketplace?

“There’s a reason most marketing collateral doesn’t work,” Mike said,puttinghisfeetuponthecoffeetable.“Theirmarketingistoocomplicated.Thebrain doesn’t know how to process the information. The more simple andpredictablethecommunication,theeasieritisforthebraintodigest.Storyhelpsbecause it is a sense-making mechanism. Essentially, story formulas puteverythinginordersothebraindoesn’thavetoworktounderstandwhat’sgoingon.”

Mikewentontoexplainthatamongthemillionthingsthebrainisgoodat,theoverridingfunctionof thebrain is tohelpan individualsurviveand thrive.Everythingthehumanbraindoes,allday,involveshelpingthatperson,andthepeoplethatpersoncaresabout,getaheadinlife.

Mike asked if I remembered that old pyramid we learned about in highschool,AbrahamMaslow’shierarchyofneeds.First,heremindedme,thebrainis taskedwith setting up a system inwhichwe can eat and drink and survivephysically. Inourmodern, first-world economy thismeanshaving a job and adependableincome.Thenthebrainisconcernedwithsafety,whichmightentailhavingaroofoverourheadsandasenseofwell-beingandpowerthatkeepsusfrombeingvulnerable.Afterfoodandshelteraretakencareof,ourbrainsstartthinkingaboutourrelationships,whichentaileverythingfromreproducinginasexual relationship, to being nurtured in a romantic relationship, to creatingfriendships (a tribe)whowill stick by us in case there are any social threats.Finally then, the brain begins to concern itself with greater psychological,physiological,orevenspiritualneedsthatgiveusasenseofmeaning.

What Mike helped me understand is that, without us knowing it, humanbeings are constantly scanning their environment (even advertising) forinformationthatisgoingtohelpthemmeettheirprimitiveneedtosurvive.Thismeans that when we ramble on and on about how we have the biggestmanufacturingplantontheWestCoast,ourcustomersdon’tcare.Why?Becausethat information isn’thelping themeat,drink, findamate, fall in love,buildatribe, experience a deeper sense of meaning, or stockpile weapons in casebarbariansstartcomingoverthehillbehindourcul-de-sac.

Sowhat do customers dowhenwe blast a bunch of noise at them? Theyignoreus.

And so right there onmy back porch,Mike defined two criticalmistakesbrandsmakewhentheytalkabouttheirproductsandservices.

MistakeNumberOneThe firstmistake brandsmake is they fail to focus on the aspects of their

offerthatwillhelppeoplesurviveandthrive.Allgreatstoriesareaboutsurvival—eitherphysical,emotional,relational,or

spiritual. A story about anything else won’t work to captivate an audience.Nobody’sinterested.Thismeansthatifwepositionourproductsandservicesasanything but an aid in helping people survive, thrive, be accepted, find love,achieve an aspirational identity, or bond with a tribe that will defend themphysically and socially, good luck selling anything to anybody. These are theonly things people care about. We can take that truth to the bank. Or tobankruptcycourt,shouldwechoosetoignoreitasanundeniablefact.

Mike saidourbrains are constantly sorting through informationand sowediscardmillionsofunnecessaryfactseveryday.Ifweweretospendanhourinagiantballroom,ourbrainswouldneverthinktocounthowmanychairsareintheroom.Meanwhile,wewouldalwaysknowwhere theexitsare.Why?Becauseourbrainsdon’tneedtoknowhowmanychairsthereareintheroomtosurvive,butknowingwheretheexitsarewouldbehelpfulincasetherewasafire.

Withoutknowingit,thesubconsciousisalwayscategorizingandorganizinginformation,andwhenwetalkpubliclyaboutourcompany’srandombackstoryorinternalgoals,we’repositioningourselvesasthechairs,nottheexits.

“But this poses a problem,” Mike continued. “Processing informationdemandsthatthebrainburncalories.Andtheburningoftoomanycaloriesactsagainstthebrain’sprimaryjob:tohelpussurviveandthrive.”

MistakeNumberTwoThesecondmistakebrandsmake is theycause their customers toburn too

manycaloriesinanefforttounderstandtheiroffer.When having to process toomuch seemingly random information, people

begin to ignore the source of that useless information in an effort to conserve

calories. In other words, there’s a survival mechanism within our customers’brainthatisdesignedtotuneusoutshouldweeverstartconfusingthem.

Imagineeverytimewetalkaboutourproducts topotentialcustomers, theyhave tostart runningona treadmill.Literally, theyhave to jog thewhole timewe’retalking.Howlongdoyouthinkthey’regoingtopayattention?Notlong.Andyetthisispreciselywhat’shappening.Whenwestartourelevatorpitchorkeynoteaddress,orwhensomebodyvisitsourwebsite,they’reburningcaloriestoprocess the informationwe’re sharing.And ifwedon’t say something (andsaysomethingquickly)theycanusetosurviveorthrive,theywilltuneusout.

These two realities—the reality thatpeopleare looking forbrands that canhelpthemsurviveandthrive,andtherealitythatcommunicationmustbesimple—explainwhytheSB7Frameworkhashelpedsomanybusinessesincreasetheirrevenue. The key is to make your company’s message about something thathelpsthecustomersurviveandtodosoinsuchawaythattheycanunderstanditwithoutburningtoomanycalories.

STORYTOTHERESCUE

Mike agreed the most powerful tool we can use to organize information sopeople don’t have to burn verymany calories is story. As he said, story is asense-makingdevice.It identifiesanecessaryambition,defineschallengesthatarebattlingtokeepusfromachievingthatambition,andprovidesaplantohelpusconquerthosechallenges.Whenwedefinetheelementsofastoryasitrelatestoourbrand,wecreateamapcustomerscanfollowtoengageourproductsandservices.

Still,whenItalkaboutstorytobusinessleaders,theyimmediatelyputmeinacategorywithartists,thinkingIwanttointroducethemtosomethingfanciful.Butthat’snotwhatI’mtalkingabout.I’mtalkingaboutaconcreteformulawecan use to garner attention from otherwise distracted customers. I’m talkingabout practical steps we can take to make sure people see us, hear us, andunderstandexactlywhytheysimplymustengageourproducts.

THEFORMULAFORCLEARCOMMUNICATION

Formulas are simply the summation of best practices, and the reasonwe likethemisbecausetheywork.We’vebeengivengreatmanagementformulaslikeKen Blanchard’s Situational Leadership and formulas we can use inmanufacturing like Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing. But what about aformula for communication? Why don’t we have a formula we can use toeffectivelyexplainwhatourcompanyofferstheworld?

TheStoryBrandFrameworkisthatformula.Weknowitworksbecausesomeformof this formulahasbeenactive for thousandsofyears tohelppeople tellstories. Talk about a summation of best practices. When it comes to gettingpeopletopayattention,thisformulawillbeyourmostpowerfulally.

Onceyouknowtheformulas,youcanpredictthepathmoststorieswilltake.I’velearnedtheseformulassowellthatmywifehatesgoingtomovieswithmebecausesheknowsatsomepointI’mgoingtoelbowherandwhispersomethinglike,“Thatguy’sgoingtodieinthirty-oneminutes.”

Storyformulasrevealawell-wornpathinthehumanbrain,andifwewanttostayinbusiness,weneedtopositionourproductsalongthispath.

Ifyou’regoingtocontinuereadingthisbook,Ihavetowarnyou,I’mgoingto ruin movies for you. I mean, these things really are formulaic. They’repredictable.And they’repredictable for a reason.Storytellershave figuredouthowtokeepanaudience’sattentionforhours.

Thegoodnewsistheseformulasworkjustaswellatgrowingyourbusinessastheydoatentertaininganaudience.

THEKEYISCLARITY

Thenarrativecomingoutofacompany(andforthatmatterinsideacompany)mustbeclear.Inastory,audiencesmustalwaysknowwhotheherois,whattheherowants,whotheherohastodefeattogetwhattheywant,whattragicthingwill happen if the hero doesn’twin, andwhatwonderful thingwill happen iftheydo.Ifanaudiencecan’tanswerthesebasicquestions,they’llcheckoutandthe movie will lose millions at the box office. If a screenwriter breaks theserules,they’lllikelyneverworkagain.

Thesameistrueforthebrandyourepresent.Ourcustomershavequestionsburninginsidethem,andifwearen’tansweringthosequestions,they’llmoveonto another brand. If we haven’t identified what our customer wants, whatproblem we are helping them solve, and what life will look like after they

engageourproductsandservices,forexample,wecanforgetaboutthrivinginthemarketplace.Whetherwe’rewriting a storyor attempting to sell products,ourmessagemustbeclear.Always.

Infact,atStoryBrandwehaveamantra:“Ifyouconfuse,you’lllose.”

BUSINESSHASANENEMY

Businesshasafierce,insidiousenemythat,ifnotidentifiedandcombated,willcontortourcompanyintoanunrecognizablemess.TheenemyI’mtalkingaboutisnoise.

Noise has killedmore ideas, products, and services than taxes, recessions,lawsuits, climbing interest rates, and even inferior product design. I’m nottalkingaboutthenoiseinsideourbusiness;I’mtalkingaboutthenoisewecreateasabusiness.Whatweoftencallmarketingisreallyjustclutterandconfusionsprayed all over our websites, e-mails, and commercials. And it’s costing usmillions.

Yearsago,aStoryBrandclientwhoattendedoneofourworkshopspushedback.“Idon’tthinkthiswillworkforme,”hesaid.“Mybusinessistoodiversetoreducedowntoasimplemessage.”Iaskedhimtoexplain.

“Ihaveanindustrialpaintingcompanywiththreedifferentrevenuestreams.In one division we powder-coat auto parts. In another we apply sealant toconcrete,andinanotherwehaveasterilizedpaintingprocessusedspecificallyinhospitals.”

His business was diverse, but nothing so complex that it couldn’t besimplifiedsomorepeoplewouldhirehim.IaskedifIcouldputhiswebsiteonthegianttelevisionscreensotheentireworkshopcouldseeit.Hiswebsitewasthoughtful,butitdidn’tmakeagreatdealofsensefromanoutsideperspective(whichishoweverycustomerviewsyourbusiness).

Themanhadhiredafine-artspaintertocreateapaintingofhisbuilding(washesellingabuilding?),andatfirstglanceitlookedlikethewebsiteforanItalianrestaurant. The first question I hadwhen Iwent to thewebsitewas, “Do youserve free breadsticks?” There were a thousand links ranging from contactinformation to FAQs to a timeline of the company’s history. Therewere evenlinkstothenonprofitsthebusinesssupported.Itwasasthoughhewasansweringahundredquestionshiscustomershadneverasked.

Iaskedtheclasstoraisetheirhandsiftheythoughthisbusinesswouldgrow

ifwewipedthewebsitecleanandsimplyfeaturedanimageofaguyinawhitelab coat painting something next to text that read, “We Paint All Kinds ofS#*%,” accompanied by a button in themiddle of the page that said, “Get aQuote.”

Theentireclassraisedtheirhands.Of course his business would grow. Why? Because he’d finally stopped

forcingclientstoburncaloriesthinkingabouthislifeandbusinessandofferedtheonethingthatwouldsolvehiscustomers’problem:apainter.

What we think we are saying to our customers and what our customersactuallyheararetwodifferentthings.Andcustomersmakebuyingdecisionsnotbasedonwhatwesaybutonwhattheyhear.

STOPSAYINGTHAT

Allexperiencedwritersknowthekeytogreatwritingisn’tinwhattheysay;it’sinwhattheydon’tsay.Themorewecutout,thebetterthescreenplayorbook.ThemathematicianandphilosopherBlaisePascalisoftencreditedforsendingalongletterstatinghesimplydidn’thavetimetosendashortone.

Ifwewant to connectwith customers,wehave to stopblasting themwithnoise.

ThebeautifulthingaboutclarifyingourmessageusingtheSB7Frameworkisitmakescommunicatingeasy.Nolongerwillyousitinfrontofablankpagewonderingwhat to sayonyourwebsite, inyourelevatorpitch, inyoure-mailblast,inyourFacebookads,orevenonyourtelevisionorradiocommercials.

CLARIFYYOURMESSAGE

Whetherwerunasmallcompanyoramultibillion-dollarbrand,confusingourcustomers iscostingusmoney.Howmanyofour teammemberscan’texplainhowwehelpour customers survive and thrive?Howmanypeople are buyingfrom our competition because they’ve communicated more clearly than wehave?Howlongwillwelastifwekeeptalkingaboutaspectsofourproductsourcustomersdon’tcareabout?

Thingscanbedifferent.

To clarify ourmessagewe’re going to need a formula.A serious formula.This formula needs to organize our thinking, reduce our marketing effort,obliterate confusion, terrify the competition, and finally get our businessesgrowingagain.

Let’slearnaboutthatformulanow.

CHAPTER2

THESECRETWEAPONTHATWILLGROWYOURBUSINESS

To help you grow your company, I’m going to guide you in simplifying yourmessageintosoundbitesthatcomefromsevencategories.Onceyouhavethesesevenmessagesdown,anyanxietyyouexperiencetalkingaboutyourbrandwillsubsideandcustomerswillbemoreattractedtowhatyouoffer.Wearegoingtofigureoutyourcustomers’storyandplaceourselvesrightsmackinthemiddleofit.

Storyisatomic.Itisperpetualenergyandcanpoweracity.Storyistheonethingthatcanholdahumanbeing’sattentionforhours.

Nobodycanlookawayfromagoodstory.Infact,neuroscientistsclaimtheaveragehumanbeingspendsmorethan30percentoftheirtimedaydreaming...unless they’re reading, listening to,orwatchingastoryunfold.Why?Becausewhenweareengagedinastory,thestorydoesthedaydreamingforus.

Storyis thegreatestweaponwehavetocombatnoise,becauseitorganizesinformationinsuchawaythatpeoplearecompelledtolisten.

STORYMAKESMUSICOUTOFNOISE

LivinginNashvilleI’velearnedquiteabitaboutthedifferencebetweenmusicandnoise.Nearlyhalfourfriendsherearemusicians.I’malwaysamazedattheirtalent.Hardlyadinnerpartygoesbywithoutsomebodygrabbingaguitar.

IcouldsummarizewhatI’velearnedaboutthedifferencebetweenmusicandnoiseby sayingmy friendsmakemusicand Imakenoise,but there’s actuallysomecomplicatedscienceinvolved.

Technically speaking, music and noise are similar. Both are created bytravelingsoundwavesthatrattleoureardrums.Music,however,isnoisethathasbeensubmittedtocertainrulesthatallowthebraintoengageonadifferentlevel.

If I played you a recording of a dump truck backing up, birds chirping, andchildrenlaughing,you’dnotrememberthosesoundsthenextday.ButifIplayedyouaBeatlessong,you’dlikelybehummingitforaweek.

Thereisanobviousdifferencebetweenawell-choreographedpieceofmusicandthesoundofacatchasingaratthroughawind-chimefactory,whichistheequivalentoftheaveragecorporatewebsite,keynotespeech,orelevatorpitch.

The brain remembers music and forgets about noise just like the brainrememberssomebrandsandforgetsaboutothers.

Storyissimilartomusic.Agoodstorytakesaseriesofrandomeventsanddistills them into theessenceofwhat reallymatters.There’sa reason the finalcutofamovieiscalledafinalcut.Priortothetheatricalversion,afilmhasgonethrough rounds upon rounds of edits, omissions, revisions, and deletions.Sometimes entire characters end up on the cutting-room floor.Why?Becausestorytellershavefilterstocutoutthenoise.Ifacharacterorscenedoesn’tservetheplot,ithastogo.

Whenclientswanttoaddabunchofconfusiontotheirmarketingmessage,Iask them to consider the ramifications of doing so if they were writing ascreenplay.Imean,whatifTheBourneIdentitywereamovieaboutaspynamedJasonBournesearchingforhistrueidentitybutitalsoincludedscenesofBournetrying to lose weight, marry a girl, pass the bar exam, win on Jeopardy, andadoptacat?Theaudiencewouldloseinterest.Whenstorytellersbombardpeoplewith toomuch information, the audience is forced to burn toomany caloriesorganizingthedata.Asaresult,theydaydream,walkoutofthetheater,orinthecaseofdigitalmarketing,clicktoanothersitewithoutplacinganorder.

Why do somany brands create noise rather thanmusic? It’s because theydon’trealizetheyarecreatingnoise.Theyactuallythinkpeopleareinterestedintherandominformationthey’redolingout.

This iswhywe need a filter. The essence of branding is to create simple,relevantmessageswecanrepeatoverandoversothatwe“brand”ourselvesintothepublicconsciousness.

STEVEJOBSANDTHEMESSAGEOFAPPLE

Apple grew much larger only after Steve Jobs began filtering his messagethroughthelensofstory.Transformationinhisthinkinghappenedafterworkingwith (andpartiallycreating) thegenius storytelling factory that isPixar.When

JobscamebacktoAppleafterbeingsurroundedbyprofessionalstorytellers,herealizedstorywaseverything.

JustthinkabouttheincredibletransformationthattookplaceinSteve’slifeand career after Pixar. In 1983, Apple launched their computer Lisa, the lastprojectJobsworkedonbeforehewasletgo.JobsreleasedLisawithanine-pageadintheNewYorkTimesspellingoutthecomputer’stechnicalfeatures.ItwasninepagesofgeektalknobodyoutsideNASAwasinterestedin.Thecomputerbombed.

When Jobs returned to the company after running Pixar, Apple becamecustomer-centric, compelling, and clear in their communication. The firstcampaignhereleasedwentfromninepages in theNewYorkTimes to just twowordsonbillboardsalloverAmerica:ThinkDifferent.

When Apple began filtering their communication to make it simple andrelevant,theyactuallystoppedfeaturingcomputersinmostoftheiradvertising.Instead, theyunderstood their customerswere all living,breathingheroes, andthey tapped into their stories. They did this by (1) identifying what theircustomerswanted(tobeseenandheard),(2)definingtheircustomers’challenge(that people didn’t recognize their hidden genius), and (3) offering theircustomers a tool they could use to express themselves (computers andsmartphones). Each of these realizations are pillars in ancient storytelling andcriticalforconnectingwithcustomers.

I’llteachyouaboutthesethreepillarsandmoreinthecomingchapters,butfornow just realize the timeApple spent clarifying the role theyplay in theircustomers’storyisoneoftheprimaryfactorsresponsiblefortheirgrowth.

Notice,though,thestoryofAppleisn’taboutApple;it’saboutyou.You’retheherointhestory,andtheyplayarolemorelikeQintheJamesBondmovies.Theyaretheguyyougoseewhenyouneedatooltohelpyouwintheday.

DespitewhatacolytesofthecultofMacmaysay,Applelikelydoesn’tmakethebestcomputersorphones.“Best”issubjective,ofcourse.WhetherApplehasthebesttechnology,though,isdebatable.

But it doesn’t matter. People don’t buy the best products; they buy theproductstheycanunderstandthefastest.Applehasinsertedthemselvesintotheircustomers’storylikenoothertechnologycompany,andasaresult, they’renotonly the largest technology company, they’re in the top ten largest companiesperiod.1Ifwewantourcompaniestogrow,weshouldborrowapagefromtheirplaybook.Weshouldclarifyourmessage.

STORYCANGROWYOURBUSINESS

TobetterunderstandwhatSteveJobslearnedduringhisdaysatPixar,let’stakeoffourbusinesshatsforafewpagesandpretendwe’relearningaboutstoryforthe first time. Once you understand how story integrates with your brandmessage, you’ll be able to create communication pieces (and even a brandstrategy) that engages more customers and grows your business. And if youreallygetthisdown,peoplearoundtheofficewillwonderhowintheworldyoubecamesuchamarketinggenius.

Afterstudyinghundredsofmovies,novels,plays,andmusicalsacrossnearlyeveryimaginablegenre,andafterhavingwritteneightbooksofmyownalongwith a nationally released screenplay, I’ve narrowed down the necessaryelementsofacompellingstorytosevenbasicplotpoints.Ifwewerewritingafull screenplay, of course,we’d needmore, but for purposes of understandingandenteringintoourcustomers’story,thereareonlyseven.

StoryinaNutshellHere is nearly every story you see or hear in a nutshell:ACHARACTER

whowants something encounters a PROBLEM before they can get it. At thepeakof theirdespair,aGUIDEsteps into their lives,gives themaPLAN,andCALLSTHEMTOACTION.ThatactionhelpsthemavoidFAILUREandendsinaSUCCESS.

That’sreallyit.You’llseesomeformofthisstructureinnearlyeverymovieyouwatch from here on out. These seven basic plot points are like chords ofmusicinthesensethatyoucanusethemtocreateaninfinitevarietyofnarrativeexpression.Just likeplayingtheguitar,withthesesevenchordsyoucancreateanynumberof songs.Varying too far from these chords, however,meansyouriskdescendingintonoise.

Let’s look at how this simple framework plays out in a couple of familiarstories. Once you can recognize the framework in stories, you’ll start tounderstandexactlywherethestoryofyourbrandisconfusingcustomersbynotstickingtotheformula.

In the first Hunger Games movie, Katniss Everdeen must compete in atwisted fight-to-the-death tournament forced upon the people of Panem by anevil,tyrannicalgovernmentcalledtheCapitol.Theproblemshefacesisobvious:she must kill or be killed. Katniss is overwhelmed, underprepared, andoutnumbered.

Along comes Haymitch, the brash, liquor-loving, grizzled winner of aprevious Hunger Games tournament. Haymitch assumes the role of Katniss’smentor,helpingherhatchaplantowinoverthepublic.ThisgainsKatnissmoresponsors,therebyequippingherwithmoreresourcesforthefightandincreasingherchancesofwinning.

HereisthefirstHungerGamesstorylaidoutontheStoryBrandgrid:

InStarWars:ANewHope,ourreluctanthero,LukeSkywalker,experiencesadevastating tragedy:hisauntandunclearemurderedat thehandsof theevilEmpire. This sets a series of events in motion: Luke begins the journey ofbecomingaJediKnightanddestroystheEmpire’sbattlestation,theDeathStar,whichallowstheRebelliontoliveandfightanotherday.Enteraguide,Obi-WanKenobi,aformerJediKnightwhooncetrainedLuke’sfather.

Noteverystoryworksthisway,butmostdo.Sometimesawriterwillbringinmultiple guides or (usually to the story’s peril) leave the guide out, but theformulaholdsupinalmosteverystoryyou’llencounter.

The fact that nearly everymovie you go see at the theater includes theseseven elements means something. After thousands of years, storytellers theworldoverhavearrivedatthisformulaasameansofbestpractices.Simplyput,thisframeworkisthepinnacleofnarrativecommunication.Thefurtherweveerawayfromthesesevenelements,theharderitbecomesforaudiencestoengage.This is why indie films, which often break from the formula to gain criticalacclaim, fail miserably at the box office. Critics are hungry for somethingdifferent,yet themasses,whodonotstudymoviesprofessionally,simplywantaccessiblestories.

It seems true that somebrands (aswell as somescreenwriters)break theseformulasandsucceedallthesame,butwhenyoulookclosely,thisisrarelythecase.Trulycreativeandbrilliantmarketersandscreenwritersknowhowtouse

theformulawhilestillavoidingcliché.This,inmyopinion,iswhatmakesthembrilliant.WhenyougetgoodattheSB7Framework,hardlyanybodywillnoticeyouareusingit.

TheThreeCrucialQuestionsSohowdowemakethestoryourcompanyistellingclear?Remember, the greatest enemy our business faces is the same enemy that

goodstoriesface:noise.Atnopointshouldwebeabletopauseamovieandbeunabletoanswerthreequestions:

1. Whatdoestheherowant?2. Whoorwhatisopposingtheherogettingwhatshewants?3. Whatwillthehero’slifelooklikeifshedoes(ordoesnot)getwhat

shewants?

If you’ve ever started daydreaming in amovie, it was likely because youcouldn’tansweroneof thesethreequestions,orworse,youdidn’tcare.Here’sthekicker: if these threequestionscan’tbeansweredwithin thefirst fifteen totwenty minutes, the story has already descended into noise and will almostcertainlyfailattheboxoffice.

At StoryBrand our Certified Guides have reviewed thousands of pages ofmarketingcopythathadnothingtodowiththestoryofthecustomer.Wetellourclients the same thing my filmmaker friends told me when I was writingscreenplays:anythingthatdoesn’tservetheplothastogo.Justbecauseataglinesoundsgreatorapictureonawebsitegrabstheeye,thatdoesn’tmeanithelpsusenter into our customers’ story. In every line of copy we write, we’re eitherservingthecustomer’sstoryordescendingintoconfusion;we’reeithermakingmusicormakingnoise.

Nobodyremembersacompanythatmakesnoise.

DOESYOURMARKETINGPASSTHEGRUNTTEST?

Justliketherearethreequestionsaudiencesmustbeabletoanswertoengageinastory, thereare threequestionspotentialcustomersmustanswer ifweexpectthem to engage with our brand. And they should be able to answer thesequestionswithinfivesecondsoflookingatourwebsiteormarketingmaterial:

1. Whatdoyouoffer?2. Howwillitmakemylifebetter?3. WhatdoIneedtodotobuyit?

At StoryBrandwe call this passing the grunt test. The critical question isthis: “Could a caveman look at yourwebsite and immediatelygruntwhat youoffer?”

ImagineaguywearingabearskinT-shirt,sittinginacavebyafire,withalaptopacrosshislap.He’slookingatyourwebsite.Wouldhebeabletogruntananswer to the three questions posed above? If you were an aspirin company,wouldhebeabletogrunt,“Yousellheadachemedicine,mefeelbetterfast,megetitatWalgreens”?Ifnot,you’relikelylosingsales.

CLARITYPRODUCESRESULTS

Oneofour early clients,KyleShultz,wasa fireman inOhiowho looked intoStoryBrand because he wanted to leave his job and pursue his passion ofteachingphotography.Hehad recently launchedanonlinephotographycourseaimed at parents. He’d worked hard to create terrific video training allowingmomseverywhere to finally start using that basic camera they’dplaced in thejunkdrawerbecausetheyfeltitwastoocomplicated.Interestwasdecent.Inhisfirst launch,he sold$25,000worthofonlinecourses.Hewasecstatic.Still, itwasn’tenoughmoneyforhimtoquithis jobandpursueteachingphotographyfull-time.

WhenKyle subscribed to theBuilding a StoryBrand podcast, he began towonder whether his message was too confusing. The night before his nextlaunch he bought our online course and edited his website using the SB7Framework.Infact,heremoved90percentofthetexthe’dpreviouslyusedonhis sales page, and he also stopped using inside language like “f-stop” and“depthoffield.”Instead,heusedphraseslike“Takethosegreatpictureswhere

thebackgroundisblurry.”The next day Kyle sent a mass e-mail to the exact same e-mail list he’d

contacted only six months before and offered the course again. He wasn’texpectingmuch because he’d already sold to this list, but to his surprise thecoursesoldanother$103,000worthofregistrations.

The difference? He highlighted the aspects of his course that would helpparentssurviveandthrive(buildstrongertribes,strengthenfamilyconnections,andconnectmoredeeplywith life’sgreatermeaning),andhedidso insuchasimpleway(withfewerthanthreehundredwordsonhissalespage)thatpeopledidn’thavetoburncaloriestofigureoutwhatwasinitforthem.Overnighthe’dgonefromaclutteredmesstotheclearguideinhiscustomers’story.

Today,Kylehasquithisday jobandrunsshultzphotoschool.comfull-time.Everydayhegetse-mailsfromparentsthankinghimforhelpingthemfeelgreataboutthephotographsthey’retakingoftheirchildren.

WENEEDAFILTER

AlfredHitchcockdefinedagoodstoryas“lifewith thedullparts takenout.”2Goodbranding is the same.Our companies are complex, for sure, but a goodmessagingfilterwillremoveallthestuffthatboresourcustomersandwillbeardownontheaspectsofourbrandthatwillhelpthemsurviveandthrive.

Sohowdowecomeupwiththesemessages?It’ssimple.Weusethesamegridstorytellersuseintellingstoriestomapoutthestoryofourcustomers,thenwecreateclearand refinedstatements in theseven relevantcategoriesof theirlives to position ourselves as their guides.When we do this, we become thepeoplewhohelpthemovercometheirchallengesandachievethelifetheywanttolive.

OncewebeginfilteringourmessagethroughtheSB7Frameworkandusingitasacommunicationfilter,wewillbeable to repeatpowerfulmessagesoverandoverthat“brand”usintoourcustomers’story.

TheSB7Framework is simple, fun, andeffective.Andwhenyou’redone,yourentirebrandmessageisgoingtositonasinglesheetofpaper.Wecallthissingle sheet of paper (actually, it’s a free digital application I’m going tointroduceyouto)theStoryBrandBrandScript.

Onceyou’vefinished theprocess,you’lluseyourBrandScript tocreateallmannerofimprovedmarketingmaterial,andyou’llbemoreclearlypositionedin

themarketplace.Whencustomersfinallyunderstandhowyoucanhelpthemliveawonderfulstory,yourcompanywillgrow.

Withthat,let’stakealookattheStoryBrandFramework.

CHAPTER3

THESIMPLESB7FRAMEWORK

In the next section of this book, I’ll dive deep into the elements of the SB7Framework, showing you how each important category of messaging makesyourbrandinvitingtocustomers.Fornow,though,let’sflyovertheframeworkso you can understand, in summary form, all that it can do to simplify yourmarketingandmessaging.

THESTORYBRANDFRAMEWORK

1.ACharacter

STORYBRANDPRINCIPLEONE:THECUSTOMERISTHEHERO,NOTYOURBRAND.

Amajor paradigm shift in the SB7 Framework is that the customer is theheroofthestory,notyourbrand.Whenwepositionourcustomerastheheroandourselvesastheguide,wewillberecognizedasatrustedresourcetohelpthemovercometheirchallenges.

Positioning the customer as the hero in the story is more than just goodmanners;it’salsogoodbusiness.CommunicationexpertNancyDuartehasdoneextensive research on how to create powerful presentations. The strategy sherecommendstoherclientsissimple:whengivingaspeech,positionyourselfasYodaandyouraudienceasLukeSkywalker.1It’sasmallbutpowerfulshiftthat

honors the journey of the audience and positions us as a leader providingwisdom,products,andservicesouraudienceneedsinordertothrive.

Onceweidentifywhoourcustomeris,wehavetoaskourselveswhattheywantasitrelatestoourbrand.Thecatalystforanystoryisthattheherowantssomething.Therestofthestoryisajourneyaboutdiscoveringwhethertheherowillgetwhattheywant.

Unless we identify something our customer wants, they will never feelinvited into the story we are telling. As we explore the first element of theStoryBrandFramework, I’ll showyouwhyandhowto invitecustomers intoastorythatmakesthemwanttopayattentiontoyourbrand.

2.HasaProblemSTORYBRANDPRINCIPLETWO:COMPANIESTENDTOSELLSOLUTIONSTOEXTERNAL

PROBLEMS,BUTCUSTOMERSBUYSOLUTIONSTOINTERNALPROBLEMS.

In its purest form, a story starts with a character who lives in peace andstability. Suddenly that stability is disrupted: a bomb goes off, someone iskidnapped,oradisasterstrikes.Theherothensetsoutonajourneytoreturntothepeacefullifetheyonceenjoyed.

Customers are attracted to us for the same reason heroes are pulled intostories: theywant to solveaproblem thathas, inbigor smallways,disruptedtheirpeaceful life. Ifwesell lawn-careproducts, they’recomingtousbecausethey’reembarrassedabout their lawnor theysimplydon’thave time todo thework.Ifwesellfinancialadvice,they’recomingtousbecausethey’reworriedabout their retirement plan. Itmay not be as dramatic or sexy as JamesBondgoingtoQtograbthelatesthigh-techspyweapons,butthepremiseisthesame:ourcustomersareintroubleandtheyneedhelp.

Bytalkingabouttheproblemsourcustomersface,wedeepentheirinterestin

everythingweoffer.Whatmostbrandsmiss,however,isthattherearethreelevelsofproblemsa

customer encounters. In stories, heroes encounter external, internal, andphilosophical problems. Why? Because these are the same three levels ofproblemshumanbeingsfaceintheireverydaylives.Almostallcompaniestrytosellsolutionstoexternalproblems,butasweunfoldtheStoryBrandFramework,you’ll see why customers are much more motivated to resolve their innerfrustrations.

In the second part of the StoryBrand Framework, we’ll look at the threelevels of problems our customers experience and create messages offering toresolve those problems. Understanding and addressing the three levels ofproblems our customers face will help us create a brand promise that willconnectwithcustomersonaprimitive levelandat theirdeepestpointofneed.This, in turn, will help us endear customers and create passionate brandevangelists.

3.AndMeetsaGuideSTORYBRANDPRINCIPLETHREE:CUSTOMERSAREN’TLOOKINGFORANOTHERHERO;

THEY’RELOOKINGFORAGUIDE.

If heroes in a story could solve their ownproblems, theywould never getintotroubleinthefirstplace.That’swhystorytellers,throughthecenturies,havecreated another character to help the herowin.Depending on the scholar youtalk to, there are many names for this character, but the term we use atStoryBrandistheguide.

In TomHooper’sAcademyAward–winning filmTheKing’s Speech, KingGeorgeVIstruggles toovercomeastutter.AsBritainprepares forwaragainstGermany,theBritslooktotheirleaderforconfidenceanddirection.Desperate,

King George VI solicits the help of Lionel Logue, a dramatist turned speechtherapist, who gives him a plan, coaches him to competency, and helps himtransformintoapowerfulorator.Thisis thesameserviceObi-Wan(andYoda)offers Luke Skywalker in StarWars, Haymitch offers Katniss inThe HungerGames,and,tosomedegree,BingBongoffersJoyinPixar’sInsideOut.

It’s no accident that guides show up in almost everymovie.Nearly everyhumanbeingislookingforaguide(orguides)tohelpthemwintheday.

Brands thatposition themselvesasheroesunknowinglycompetewith theirpotential customers. Every human beingwakes up eachmorning and sees theworld through the lens of a protagonist. The world revolves around us,regardlessofhowaltruistic,generous,andselflessapersonwemaybe.Eachdayis,quiteliterally,abouthowweencounterourworld.Potentialcustomersfeelthesamewayaboutthemselves.Theyarethecenteroftheirworld.

Whenabrandcomesalongandpositionsitselfasthehero,customersremaindistant.Theyhearustalkingabouthowgreatourbusinessisandstartwonderingifwe’recompetingwiththemforscarceresources.Theirsubconsciousthoughtpatterngoeslikethis:Oh,thisisanotherhero,likeme.IwishIhadmoretimetoheartheirstory,butrightnowI’mbusylookingforaguide.

In the third part of the StoryBrand Framework, we’ll look at two mentaltriggersthatwillhelpcustomersrecognizeusastheguidethey’vebeenlookingfor.

4.WhoGivesThemaPlanSTORYBRANDPRINCIPLEFOUR:CUSTOMERSTRUSTAGUIDEWHOHASAPLAN.

Atthispointwe’veidentifiedwhatthecustomerwants,definedthreelevelsofproblemsthey’reencountering,andpositionedourselvesas theirguide.Andour customers love us for the effort. But they still aren’t going to make a

purchase.Why?Becausewehaven’t laidout a simpleplanof action theycantake.

Makingapurchaseisahugestep,especiallyifourproductsorservicesareexpensive.Whatcustomersarelookingfor, then, isaclearpathwe’velaidoutthat takesawayanyconfusion theymighthaveabouthow todobusinesswithus.TheStoryBrandtoolwewillusetocreatethispathiscalledtheplan.

Inalmosteverystory,theguidegivestheheroaplan,orabitofinformation,orafewstepstheycanusetogetthejobdone.IntheStarWarsmovies,YodatellsLuke to trust theForceand then trainsLukeonhow towield thispower.Peopleare looking foraphilosophy theycanembodyora seriesof steps theycantaketosolvetheirproblems.

InthefourthpartoftheStoryBrandFramework,we’ll lookattwokindsofplans: the agreement plan and the process plan. Each of these planswill earntrust and offer our customers a clear path to stability, greatly increasing thechancetheywillmakeapurchase.

5.AndCallsThemtoActionSTORYBRANDPRINCIPLEFIVE:CUSTOMERSDONOTTAKEACTIONUNLESSTHEYARE

CHALLENGEDTOTAKEACTION.

In stories, characters don’t take action on their own. They must bechallenged.Ifwe’retellingastoryaboutamanwhoneedstolosethirtypoundsandsuddenlydecides todo itofhisownvolition, theaudiencewillcheckout.Why? Because that’s not how life works. There needs to be a reason. Ourcharacterhastorunintoahighschoolsweetheartwhoisnowayogainstructor,orheneeds to loseabet, forcinghim to runamarathon.Charactersonly takeactionaftertheyarechallengedbyanoutsideforce.

This principle is true in story because it’s true in life.Human beings take

actionwhentheirstorychallengesthemtodoso.Youwouldbesurprisedhowmanycompaniesdon’tcreateobviouscalls to

actionfortheircustomers.Acalltoactioninvolvescommunicatingaclearanddirect step our customer can take to overcome their challenge and return to apeacefullife.Withoutclearcallstoaction,peoplewillnotengageourbrand.

In the fifth part of the StoryBrand Framework, I’ll show you two calls toactionthathaveworkedforthousandsofourclients.Onecalltoactionisdirect,askingthecustomerforapurchaseortoscheduleanappointment.Theotherisatransitionalcalltoaction,furtheringourrelationshipwiththecustomer.Oncewebegin using both kinds of calls to action in our messaging, customers willunderstandexactlywhatwewantthemtodoanddecidewhethertoletusplayaroleintheirstory.Untilwecallourcustomerstoaction,theysimplywatchus,butwhenwecallthemtoaction(therightway),theywillengage.

6.ThatHelpsThemAvoidFailureSTORYBRANDPRINCIPLESIX:EVERYHUMANBEINGISTRYINGTOAVOIDATRAGIC

ENDING.

Storiesliveanddieonasinglequestion:What’satstake?Ifnothingcanbegainedor lost,nobodycares.Will theherodisarmthebomb,orwillpeoplebekilled?Willtheguygetthegirl,orwillhebelonelyandfilledwithself-doubt?Thesearethekindsofquestionsinthemindsofastory-hungryaudience.

If there isnothingat stake ina story, there isnostory.Likewise, if there’snothingatstakeinwhetherornotIbuyyourproduct,I’mnotgoingtobuyyourproduct.Afterall,whyshouldI?

Simplyput,wemustshowpeoplethecostofnotdoingbusinesswithus.In the eighties, the fast-food chain Wendy’s effectively asked America,

“Where’s the beef?” The implicationwas that their competitorsweren’t using

enoughmeat.Sowhat’satstakeforchoosinganotherbrandoverWendy’s?Wemight get stuckwith awimpy sandwich. Likewise,Whole Foods has built anenormous industry helping customers avoid the consequences of overlyprocessed foods, and more recently Trader Joe’s has come along to helpcustomersavoidtheconsequencesofWholeFoods’prices.

Brands that help customers avoid some kind of negativity in life (and lettheir customers knowwhat that negativity is) engage customers for the samereasongoodstoriescaptivateanaudience:theydefinewhat’satstake.

InthesixthpartoftheStoryBrandFramework,I’llhelpyouidentifywhat’satstakeinyourcustomers’storyasitrelatestoyourbrand.Beforewemoveon,though, it’s important tonotethatnotallof thesevenelementsshouldbeusedevenlyinyourcommunication.ThinkoftheStoryBrandFrameworkasarecipeforaloafofbread.Failureislikesalt:usetoomuchandyou’llruintheflavor;leave it out and the recipewill taste bland.Regardless, the point is this: yourstoryneedsstakes.

7.AndEndsinaSuccessSTORYBRANDPRINCIPLESEVEN:NEVERASSUMEPEOPLEUNDERSTANDHOWYOUR

BRANDCANCHANGETHEIRLIVES.TELLTHEM.

Wemust tell our customers how great their life can look if they buy ourproductsandservices.RonaldReaganpaintedapictureof“ashiningcityonahill.”2 Bill Clinton offered to help us “build a bridge to the twenty-firstcentury.”3During thedarkanddrearyDepression,FranklinRooseveltused thesong“HappyDaysAreHereAgain”ashisofficialcampaignsong.4Likewise,Apple provides tools that allow us to express ourselves and be heard,WeightWatchershelpsusloseweightandfeelgreat,andMen’sWearhouseguaranteeswewilllikethewaywelook.

Everybodywantstobetakensomewhere.Ifwedon’ttellpeoplewherewe’retakingthem,they’llengageanotherbrand.

In theseventhpartof theStoryBrandFramework, I’ll elaborateonwhat isperhapsthemostimportantelementofyourmessagingstrategy:offeringavisionforhowgreatacustomer’slifecouldbeiftheyengageyourproductsorservices.

WHENYOUFEELCONFUSED,CLARIFYYOURMESSAGE

Rightaboutnowyourheadmaybespinning.Eventhoughthereareonlysevenpartstotheframework,howdowenarrowdownourmessagesoourmarketingmaterialstartsworkingagain?

We’vecreatedatooltosimplifytheprocess.Thistoolisgoingtoreducethehassleofcreatingaclearmessage,saveyoutime,entertainyouasyouuseit,andmotivate you to createmarketingmaterial thatworks.As Imentioned earlier,this tool is called the StoryBrandBrandScript, and it’s going to become yournewbestfriend.

YoucancreateyourStoryBrandBrandScriptforfreeatmystorybrand.com,anditlookslikethis:

In the next seven chapters, I’m going to walk you through these sevenelements and help you create your BrandScript. Once you’re done, you’ll nolonger feel confused about how to talk about your products and services, andyou’llhavemessagesthatpowerfullyengagepotentialcustomers.

Thefirstproject I’d likeyou toBrandScript is theone that representsyouroverallbrand.Nextyou’llwanttocreateaBrandScriptforeachdivisionofyourcompany,andafterthat,eachproductwithineachdivision.Ifyoulike,youcanevencreateaBrandScriptforeachsegmentofyourcustomerbase.TheusesofaStoryBrandBrandScriptareendless.

Again,tocreateaBrandScriptyoucansave,edit,andcomebacktooverandover, go to mystorybrand.com. Because you bought this book, you get freeaccess.Your StoryBrandBrandScriptwill be a powerful resource helping youorganizeandsimplifyyourmessage,andyou’lluseitagainandagain.WiththeStoryBrandBrandScript tool,youwillbeabletoseeyourbrandnarrativeona

singlepage,which,again,willtranslateintoaclearmessageyoucanusetogrowyourbusiness.

CLARIFYYOURMESSAGESOCUSTOMERSLISTEN

As you walk through the seven parts of the StoryBrand Framework, simply

followthesethreesteps:

1. Readeachofthenextsevenchapters.2. Afteryoureadeachchapter,brainstormpotentialmessagesyoumight

usetopopulateyourBrandScript.3. Carefullylookatyourbrainstormandthendecideonaspecific

messagetouseineachsectionofyourBrandScript.

Once you complete your BrandScript atmystorybrand.com, youwill havethebasicmessagestoemploytheSB7Frameworkonyourwebsites,inkeynotes,in elevator pitches, and in all manner of marketing and messaging collateral.This means your messages will be simple, relevant, and repeatable. Andremember: simple,clearmessages thatare relevant toyourcustomers result insales.

Everyhumanbeingisalreadyspeakingthelanguageofstory,sowhenyoubeginusingtheSB7Framework,you’llfinallybespeakingtheirlanguage.

THESTAKESAREHIGH

You’regoingtobetemptedtomoveaheadandskipthinkingdeliberatelyabouteachof thesevenpartsof the framework.You’vealreadygot theBrandScript,afterall,sowhynotjustfillitout?

Amateurscreenwritersmakethesamemistake.Theythinktheyknowhowastoryworks, so they start typinganda coupleofmonths later can’t figureoutwhy their story is boring and unrelatable. I’ll tell you why. They had anoverviewoftheprocessbutneverbotheredtolearntheactualrules.

EachmoduleoftheSB7Frameworkhasset-in-stonerulesyoucannotbreak—orelsecustomerswon’tfindthemselvesinthestoryyou’retellingandwillbemuchlesslikelytoengageyourbrand.

Thousandsofcompaniesshuttheirdoorseveryyear,notbecausetheydon’thaveagreatproduct,butbecausepotentialcustomerscan’tfigureouthowthatproductwillmaketheirlivesbetter.Ifwedon’tcloselyanalyzeeachelementofour customers’ story, they’ll sensewedon’t care andmoveon to a competingbrandthattookthetimetodothework.

Someofyouareprobably thinking it’s too late. Imean, if it’sprinted ina

book,everybodyelseisprobablydoingit.Butarethey?Howmanypeoplereadthe first twenty pages of a book and then stop reading? I’d say most, whichmeans you’re already passing them.Whatwould happen if you committed toexecuting this process and your competitor didn’t?You’dwin,wouldn’t you?Andhowmanypeopleareactuallygoingtoputintheworkeveniftheydoreadthe book? Believe me, human nature tends toward complacency. Finish thisprocess.Beatthecompetition.Clarifyyourmessage.Growyourcompany.Thecompetitionmaybemoretalentedthanyouare,buttheywillneveroutworkyouifyoudon’tletthem.That’stheonethingyougettocontrol.

In the next seven chapters, I’ll show you how to create a clear andcompellingmessagethatwillorganizeyour thoughts,simplifyyourmarketing,andgrowyourcompany.

SECTION2

BUILDINGYOURSTORYBRAND

Whenyou’reconfused,createaStoryBrandBrandScript.

CHAPTER4

ACHARACTERStoryBrandPrincipleOne:Thecustomeristhehero,not

yourbrand.

A story doesn’t really pick up until the hero needs to disarm a bomb, winsomeone’s heart, defeat a villain, or fight for their emotional or physicalsurvival.Astorystartswithaherowhowantssomething.Andthenthequestionbecomes:Willtheherogetwhatshewants?

Beforeknowingwhat theherowants, theaudiencehas little interest inherfate.Thisiswhyscreenwritershavetodefinethecharacter’sambitionwithinthefirst nine or so minutes of a film getting started. Will the underdog get thepromotion? Will the runner finish the marathon? Will the team win thechampionship?Theseare thequestions thatkeepanaudienceengaged for twohours.

Asabrandit’simportanttodefinesomethingyourcustomerwants,becauseassoonaswedefinesomethingourcustomerwants,wepositastoryquestioninthemindofthecustomer:CanthisbrandreallyhelpmegetwhatIwant?

Recentlyahigh-endresorthiredustohelpthemclarifytheirmessage.Likemany companies, they were experiencing an identity crisis. Their marketingcollateralfeaturedimagesoftheirrestaurant,frontdesk,andstaff.Itall lookednice, but unless they were trying to sell their buildings, they weren’t exactlyinvitingcustomersintoastory.

What their customers wanted most, actually, was a luxurious, restfulexperience. After StoryBranding their resort, they changed the text on theirwebsitefromlongstoriesaboutthemselves(whichpositionedthemasthehero)toimagesofawarmbath,plushtowelsandrobes,someonegettingamassageinthespa,andaloopingclipofaback-porchrockingchairagainstthebackdropoftreesblowinginthewindalongagolfcourse.

They replaced the text on their main page with short and powerful copy:“Findtheluxuryandrestyou’vebeenlookingfor.”Thatbecamethemantrafortheentirestaff.Thisphrasewaspostedontheirofficewalls,andtothisdayyoucanstopanyteammemberfromthesouscheftothegroundskeeperandtheywilltell you their customers are looking for two things: luxury and rest. Definingexactlywhattheircustomerwantedbroughtclarityandcamaraderietothestaff.Eachmemberofthestaffthenunderstoodhisorherroleinthestorytheywereinvitingtheircustomerstoengagein.

Oneuniversityweworkedwithdefinedtheircustomer’sdesireas“ahassle-freeMBAyoucan complete afterwork.”A landscapingcompanyhumorouslydefined their customer’s ambition as “a yard that looks better than yourneighbor’s.”Acatererweworkedwith inLosAngelesdefinedhis customer’sdesireas“amobilefine-diningexperienceintheenvironmentofyourchoice.”

Whenweidentifysomethingourcustomerwantsandcommunicateitsimply,thestoryweareinvitingthemintoisgivendefinitionanddirection.

Herearesomemoreexamplesfromcompanieswe’veworkedwith:

FinancialAdvisor:“APlanforYourRetirement”CollegeAlumniAssociation:“LeaveaMeaningfulLegacy”Fine-DiningRestaurant:“AMealEverybodyWillRemember”RealEstateAgent:“TheHomeYou’veDreamedAbout”Bookstore:“AStorytoGetLostIn”BreakfastBars:“AHealthyStarttoYourDay”

Whenyoudefinesomethingyourcustomerwants,thecustomerisinvitedtoalter their story in your direction. If they see your brand as a trustworthy andreliableguide,theywilllikelyengage.

OPENASTORYGAP

In story terms, identifying a potential desire for your customer opens what’ssometimes called a story gap. The idea is that you place a gap between acharacterandwhattheywant.Moviegoerspayattentionwhenthere’sastorygapbecausetheywonderifandhowthatgapisgoingtobeclosed.

JasonBourneisaspywhohasamnesia,andwewonderifhe’llfindanyonetohelphim.WhenhemeetsayoungwomannamedMarie,thatgapcloses,onlyfor another to open. Bourne and Marie have to flee the country. When theyescape, thatgapclosesforyetanotherone toopen.Thecyclegoesonandon,maintainingatautgripontheaudience’sattentionupuntilthefinale.

To understand the power of a story gap is to understand what compels ahumanbrain towardadesire.Evenclassicalmusic follows this formula.Manyclassicalsonatascanbebrokenintothreesections:exposition,development,andrecapitulation.The final section, recapitulation, is simply an alteredversionofthe exposition that brings a sense of resolve. If that doesn’t make sense, trysinging “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” without singing the final note on thewordare.Itwillbotheryoutonoend.

Wealsoseethisatworkinpoetry.WhenourearshearLordByron’sfirstline“She walks in beauty, like the night,” a story gap has been opened. We arewaiting to hear aword that rhymeswithnight and closes theopengap inourminds.Oncewehear“Ofcloudlessclimesandstarryskies,”ourmindsfindabitofresolution.Untilthenextline,thatis.

Theopeningandclosingofastorygapisamagneticforcethatdrivesmuchofhumanbehavior.Arousalistheopeningofastorygapandsexualfulfillmentbrings its closing.Hunger is the opening of a story gap and ameal ushers itsclosing.Thereis littleactioninlife thatcan’tbeexplainedbytheopeningandclosingofvariousstorygaps.

When we fail to define something our customer wants, we fail to open astorygap.Whenwedon’topenastorygapinourcustomers’mind,theyhavenomotivation toengageus,because there isnoquestion thatdemands resolution.Defining something our customer wants and featuring it in our marketingmaterialswillopenastorygap.

PAREDOWNTHECUSTOMER’SAMBITIONTOASINGLEFOCUS

A critical mistake many organizations make in defining something theircustomerswant is theydon’tparedown thatdesire toa single focus. I’vehadcountless conversationswith frustratedbusiness leaderswhopushback at thispointandsay,“Wait,weprovideabouttwenty-seventhingsourcustomerswant.Can’twementionallofthem?”

Theanswerisno,atleastnotyet.Untilwe’vedefinedaspecificdesireandbecome known for helping people achieve it, we shouldn’t add too manyconflictingstorygapstoourStoryBrandBrandScript.

Thiscanbefrustratingifyourproductsandservicesfulfillmanydesires.Thereality of a diverse brand, though, brings the same challenge many amateurscreenwriters succumb to: they clutter the story by diluting their hero’s desirewithtoomanyambitions.

As you create a BrandScript for your overall brand, focus on one simpledesireandthen,asyoucreatecampaignsforeachdivisionandmaybeeveneachproduct, you can identifymore things your customerwants in the subplots ofyouroverallbrand.

Onthefollowingpageyou’llfindagridofwhatadiversebrandmightlooklikeusingthetoolofvariousStoryBrandBrandScripts:

Atthehighestlevel,themostimportantchallengeforbusinessleadersistodefine something simple and relevant their customers want and to becomeknown for delivering on that promise. Everything else is a subplot that, afterhavingdeliveredon thecustomer’sbasicdesire,willonly serve todelightandsurprisethemallthemore.

CHOOSEADESIRERELEVANTTOTHEIRSURVIVAL

Onceabranddefineswhattheircustomerwants,theyareoftenguiltyofmakingthesecondmistake—whatthey’vedefinedisn’trelatedtothecustomer’ssenseofsurvival.Intheirdesiretocastawidenet,theydefineablobofadesirethatissovague,potentialcustomerscan’tfigureoutwhytheyneeditinthefirstplace.

Aleadershipexpertrecentlyaskedforfeedbackonhisbrand.AsIreviewed

hismarketingmaterial, Inoticedhewasmakingacriticalmistake: indefiningwhathiscustomerwanted,hewasvague.

Theideabehindhisbrandisthatheimpartsknowledgetopotentialleaders.Hesawhimselfasastorehouseofleadershipresourcesandwantedtobethego-to guy for achieving excellence. In fact, his tagline was “Inhale knowledge,exhalesuccess.”

Seemsclearenough,but is it?Whatdoesexhalingsuccessevenmean?Hewasmakingpotentialcustomersburntoomanymentalcaloriestofigureouthowhewasgoingtohelpthemsurviveandthrive.

I recommendedhemakeanedit tohismessage. Insteadof saying, “Inhaleknowledge, exhale success,” simply say, “Helping you become everyone’sfavoriteleader.”

Becoming everyone’s favorite leader means the customer would be morerespectedandbetterconnected toa tribe, they’dhavegreatersocialandcareeropportunities, andmuchmore.Exhaling success sounded nice, but thriving astheleaderofatribeisdirectlyconnectedtosurvival.Peoplewillalwayschooseastorythathelpsthemsurviveandthrive.

Fortunately, he liked the idea, mostly because that’s what he was alreadydoing. Defining something the customer wants and connecting it with thecustomer’sdesireforsurvivalopenedanenticingstorygap.

WhatDoesSurvivalMean?WhenIsaysurvival,I’mtalkingaboutthatprimitivedesireweallhavetobe

safe,healthy,happy,andstrong.Survivalsimplymeanswehave theeconomicandsocialresourcestoeat,drink,reproduce,andfendofffoes.

Sowhatkindsofdesiresfitunderthisdefinition?Well, toomanytocount,butconsidertheseexamples:

Conservingfinancialresources.Inordertosurviveandthrive,yourcustomersmayneedtoconserveresources.Insimpleterms,thismeanstheymayneedtosavemoney.Ifyourbrandcanhelpthemsavemoney,you’vetappedintoasurvivalmechanism.Walmarthasbuilttheirbrandonthepromiseofeverydaylowprices.Theirtagline“SaveMoney.LiveBetter”furthercommunicatessavingsandvalueandthustapsintoabasicfunctionofsurvival,theconservationofresources.

Conservingtime.Indevelopedcountries,mostofourcustomershavethankfullymovedbeyondthehunter-gathererstageofsurvival.Theyarefamiliar,then,withthenotionofopportunitycosts.Canyourhousecleaningservicegiveyourcustomersmoretimetoworkonotherthingsormoretimetospendwithfamily?Thentheymightbeinterested.

Buildingsocialnetworks.Ifourbrandcanhelpusfindcommunity,we’vetappedintoyetanothersurvivalmechanism.Weonlythinkwe’rebeingnicewhenwebringourcoworkerscoffee,butwhatifwe’reactuallybeingnicebecauseourprimitivebrainswanttomakesureweareconnectedtoatribeincasethebadguyscomeknockingatthedoor?Addthistothefactthathumanbeingshaveastrongdesiretonurtureandbenurtured,andwe’vetappedintoyetanothersurvivalmechanism.

Gainingstatus.LuxurybrandslikeMercedesandRolexdon’tmakemuchpracticalsenseintermsofsurvival,right?Infact,spendinglotsofmoneybuyingaluxurycarwhenamorecommonbrandwoulddothetrickseemscountertooursurvival,doesn’tit?Notwhenyouconsidertheimportanceofstatus.Status,inanytribe,isasurvivalmechanism.Itprojectsasenseofabundancethatmayattractpowerfulallies,repelpotentialfoes(likealionwithaloudroar),andifwe’reintoshallowcompanions,mightevenhelpussecureamate.Rolex,Mercedes,LouisVuitton,andotherluxurybrandsaretrulysellingmorethanjustcarsandwatches;they’resellinganidentityassociatedwithpower,prestige,andrefinement.

Accumulatingresources.Iftheproductsandservicesyouofferhelppeoplemakemoneyoraccumulatemuch-neededresources,thatwillquicklytranslateintoaperson’sdesireforsurvival.Withmoremoney,ourcustomerswillhavemoreopportunitytosecuremanyoftheothersurvivalresourcestheymayneed.ManyStoryBrandclientsrunbusiness-to-businessofferings(StoryBranditselfisabusiness-to-businesscompany),soofferingincreasedproductivity,increasedrevenue,ordecreasedwastearepowerfulassociationswiththeneedforabusiness(oranindividual)tosurviveandthrive.

Theinnatedesiretobegenerous.NoneofthedesiresI’velistedareevil.Theycanallbetakentoofar,buttherealityiswearedesignedtosurvive.Still,weshouldbecomfortedbythefactthatnearlyallhumanbeingshaveanenormouspotentialforgenerosity.Achievinganaspirationalidentityofbeingsacrificialactuallyhelpsussurvive(fendsofffoes,decreasesoutsidecriticism,helpsearntrustinourtribe,andsoon),butit

alsotapsintosomethingtrulyredemptive:wewantotherpeopletosurvivetoo.MostpeoplearenotnearlyasDarwinianintheirthinkingaswe’vebeenledtobelieve.Weareempatheticandcaringcreatureswhowillgladlysacrificeforthewell-beingofothers,ofteninanonymity.Thetruthiswearen’tonlyinterestedinourownsurvival;we’reinterestedinthesurvivalofothers.Especiallythosewhohavenotbeengiventheopportunitiesweenjoy.

Thedesireformeaning.ViktorFranklwasrightwhenhecontendedwithSigmundFreud,insinuatingthatthechiefdesireofmanisnotpleasurebutmeaning.Infact,inhisbookMan’sSearchforMeaning,Franklarguedconvincinglythatmanwasactuallymosttemptedtodistracthimselfwithpleasurewhenhislifewasvoidofmeaning.1Sohowdoweofferpotentialcustomersasenseofmeaning?Notunlikegivingourcustomerstheopportunitytobegenerous,weinvitethemtoparticipateinsomethinggreaterthanthemselves.Amovement.Acausetochampion.Avaliantfightagainstarealvillain,bethatvillainfleshandbloodoraharmfulphilosophy.

WHAT’STHESTORYQUESTIONFORYOURCUSTOMER?

WhenIofferedmyexecutivecoachfriendthetagline“Helpingyoubecometheleader everybody loves,” his customers’ brains were able to translate thatmessageintomultiplesurvivalcategories,includingsocialnetworks,status,theinnate desire to be generous, the opportunity to gain resources, and even thedesirefordeepermeaning.

In business, if we don’t communicate clearly, we shrink. When we’remotivating a team, convincing shareholders, or engaging customers, we mustdefineadesireourcustomershaveorwewillhavefailedtoopenastorygapandouraudiencewillignoreus.Remember,customerswanttoknowwhereyoucantake them. Unless you identify something they want, it’s doubtful they willlisten.

Imagineyourcustomerisahitchhiker.Youpullovertogivehimaride,andtheoneburningquestiononhismindissimplyWhereareyougoing?Butasheapproaches, you roll down the window and start talking about your mission

statement, or how your grandfather built this carwith his bare hands, or howyourroad-tripplaylist isall1980salternative.Thispersondoesn’tcare.AllhewantstodoisgettoSanFranciscowithaflowerinhishair!

The goal for our branding should be that every potential customer knowsexactlywherewewant to take them:a luxury resortwhere theycanget somerest,tobecometheleadereverybodyloves,ortosavemoneyandlivebetter.

Ifyourandomlyaskedapotentialcustomerwhereyourbrandwantstotakethem,wouldtheybeabletoanswer?Wouldtheybeabletorepeatbacktoyouexactly what your brand offers? If not, your brand is suffering the cost ofconfusion. You can fix this. Define a desire for your customer, and the storyyou’reinvitingcustomersintowillhaveapowerfulhook.


• Gotomystorybrand.comandeithercreateaStoryBrandBrandScriptorlogintoyourexistingBrandScript.

• Either alone or with a team, brainstorm what potential desires yourcustomersmighthavethatyoucanfulfill.

• Make a decision. Choose something your customerwants and fill in the“character”moduleofyourStoryBrandBrandScript.

• Readthenextchapterandrepeat thisprocessfor thenextsectionofyourBrandScript.

OnceyoufilloutthefirstmoduleofyourStoryBrandBrandScript,you’llbeonyourwaytoinvitingcustomersintoanincrediblestory.Atthispoint,they’reinterested inyouandwhatyouoffer.Butwhatcanwedo toentice themevenfurtherintoastory?Let’smoveontopart2andfindout!

YouwillbetemptedtofillouttherestofyourStoryBrandBrandScript,butIencourageyoutoreadthechapterassociatedwitheachmoduletobe

sureyou’refillingitoutcorrectly.Onceyou’vecompletedyourfirstBrandScript,section3ofthisbookwillhelpyoucreatesimple,effective

marketingtools.

CHAPTER5

HASAPROBLEMStoryBrandPrincipleTwo:Companiestendtosellsolutionstoexternalproblems,butcustomersbuy

solutionstointernalproblems.

Nowthatyou’veenteredintoyourcustomers’story,howdoyouincreasetheirinterestinyourbrand?Youborrowanotherplayfromthestoryteller’splaybook;youstarttalkingabouttheproblemsyourcustomersface.

Identifyingourcustomers’problemsdeepenstheirinterestinthestorywearetelling.Everystoryisaboutsomebodywhoistryingtosolveaproblem,sowhenwe identify our customers’ problems, they recognize us as a brand thatunderstandsthem.

Theproblemisthe“hook”ofastory,andifwedon’tidentifyourcustomers’problems,thestorywearetellingwillfallflat.Assoonastheconflictinastoryis resolved, audiences stop paying attention. As the novelist James Scott Bellsays,“Readerswanttofret.”1It’strueinstoryandit’strueinbranding.

IfJasonBourneweretogetacallthirtyminutesintothefirstBourneIdentitymovieandagentle,calmingvoicebegantoexplainwhoJasonreallywas,whyhe’d suffered amnesia, and that the government was offering him a pensionalongwithahouseonthecoast,thennoonewouldkeepwatching.Thereasontopayattentionwouldbegone.

It bears repeating. The more we talk about the problems our customersexperience,themoreinteresttheywillhaveinourbrand.

HOWTOTALKABOUTYOURCUSTOMERS’PROBLEMS

InthesecondmoduleoftheStoryBrandFramework,we’regoingtolookatthreeelementsofconflictthatwillincreasecustomerinterest,ratchetupengagement,andgiveagreaterdepthofmeaningtothestoryourbrandistelling.

First, though, let’s start with the root of where all this conflict is comingfrom.I’mtalkingaboutoneof themostdynamic, interestingcharacters inanystory:thevillain.

EveryStoryNeedsaVillainThevillainisthenumber-onedevicestorytellersusetogiveconflictaclear

pointoffocus.Screenwritersandnovelistsknowthestronger,moreevil,moredastardlythe

villain,themoresympathywewillhavefortheheroandthemoretheaudiencewillwantthemtowinintheend.Thistranslatesintoaudienceengagement.

How sympathetic would Batman be without the Joker? Luke Skywalkerwithout Darth Vader? Harry Potter without Voldemort? Superman withoutKryptonite?(Let’sbehonest,LexLuthorisn’tthatinterestingofabadguy.)

Ifwewantourcustomers’earstoperkupwhenwetalkaboutourproductsand services,we should position those products and services asweapons theycanusetodefeatavillain.Andthevillainshouldbedastardly.

Thevillaindoesn’thavetobeaperson,butwithoutquestionitshouldhavepersonified characteristics. If we’re selling time-management software, forinstance,wemightvilifytheideaofdistractions.Couldweofferourproductasaweaponcustomerscouldusetostopdistractionsintheirtracks?Soundskindofdramatic, right? And yet distractions are what’s deluding our customers’potential, wrecking their families, stealing their sanity, and costing themenormousamountsof timeandmoney.Distractions, then,make forgreat littlevillains.

Now that I’ve pointed out the technique of vilifying our customers’

challenges,you’llsee it in televisioncommercialsall the time.Whoknewthatthosedustbunniescollectingalongthebaseboardsofourhousesmovearoundinanimated, criminal gangs wearing leather jackets, coordinating their devilisheffortstoruinourfloors?Ah,that isuntil theymeettheirmatch:thenewmopfromACMEMopCompany.

Advertiserspersonify theproblems theircustomers face inorder tocapturetheir imaginationandgive their frustrationsa focalpoint.Fuzzyhairballswithsqueakyvoiceslivinginyourdrains,makingnests,andcloggingupthepipes?Yellow globs of living, breathing, talking plaque vacationing between yourteeth?Theseareallpersonifiedversionsofconflict.They’reallvillains.

HerearefourcharacteristicsthatmakeforagoodvillainonyourStoryBrandBrandScript:

1. Thevillain shouldbea root source. Frustration, for example, is not avillain;frustrationiswhatavillainmakesusfeel.Hightaxes,rather,areagoodexampleofavillain.

2. The villain should be relatable. When people hear us talk about thevillain,theyshouldimmediatelyrecognizeitassomethingtheydisdain.

3. Thevillainshouldbesingular.Onevillain isenough.Astorywith toomanyvillainsfallsapartforlackofclarity.

4. The villain should be real. Never go down the path of being afearmonger.Thereareplentyofactualvillainsouttheretofight.Let’sgoafterthemonbehalfofourcustomers.

Is there a villain in your customers’ story?Of course there is.What is thechiefsourceofconflict thatyourproductsandservicesdefeat?Talkabout thisvillain.Themoreyoutalkaboutthevillain,themorepeoplewillwantatooltohelpthemdefeatthevillain.

Later, when you’re creating your BrandScript, I’ll ask you to brainstormwhatkindofvillainyourcustomerfaces.Fornow,though,let’slookcloselyatthe kinds of conflict this villain causes. Once we understand our customers’problems,we’llhaveabetter ideahowtotalktotheminsuchawaythat theyengage.

TheThreeLevelsofConflict

A villain is the antagonist because the villain causes the hero seriousproblems. That’s obvious.Butwhat’s less obvious is that in a story, there arethree levels of problems that work together to capture a reader’s or amoviegoer’simagination.

Thethreelevelsofproblemsheroes(andcustomers)faceare

ExternalProblemsInternalProblemsPhilosophicalProblems

Inastory,avillaininitiatesanexternalproblemthatcausesthecharactertoexperience an internal frustration that is, quite simply, philosophically wrong.Thesearealsothethreelevelsofproblemsacustomerhopestosolvewhentheybuyaproduct.

Iknowthatsoundscomplicated,butlet’stakeacloserlookateachlevelofconflictsoweknowexactlywhichofourcustomers’frustrationstotalkaboutasweclarifyourmessage.

EXTERNALPROBLEMSIn literature, a villain’s job is to wreak havoc on the hero, to place barriersbetween them and their desperate desire for stability. But ill intentions aren’tenough. Something, that is, some thing (or things)must represent this barrier.Enterthe“externalproblem.”

Instories,theexternalproblemisoftenaphysical,tangibleproblemtheheromustovercomeinordertosavetheday.Theproblemmightmanifestitselfasatickingtimebomborarunawaybus,ormaybeevenacombinationofthetwo:abombonabus thatwillgooff ifKeanuReevesdoesn’tkeep thespeedabovefiftymilesperhour!

Theexternalproblemworks likeaprizedchesspiecesetbetween theheroandthevillain,andeachistryingtocontrolthepiecesotheycanwinthegame.

ForBillyBeaneinthemovieMoneyball,theexternalproblemistheneedtowinbaseballgames.ForMatthewBroderickinthemovieWarGames,it’sapieceof rogue software that has taken over the American government’s computersystemandattemptstowagewaragainsttheSoviets.

Butwhatdoestheexistenceofanexternalprobleminastoryhavetodowithbranding?Well,mostofusareinthebusinessofsolvingexternalproblems.Weprovideinsuranceorclothesorsoccerballs.Ifweownarestaurant,theexternal

problemwesolve ishunger.Theexternalproblemaplumber fixesmightbealeaky pipe, just like a pest-control guy might solve the external problem oftermitesintheattic.

Brainstormingwhatexternalproblemsyousolvewillbe theeasiestpartofcreatingyourStoryBrandBrandScript.It’susuallyprettyobvious.Butyou’dbewrongtothinkthereasonpeoplecallyou,walkthroughyourdoor,orvisityourwebsite is limited to the resolution of an external problem. Something else isgoingon.

INTERNALPROBLEMSBy limiting our marketing messages to only external problems, we neglect aprinciple that is costing us thousands and potentiallymillions of dollars. Thatprinciple is this: Companies tend to sell solutions to external problems, butpeoplebuysolutionstointernalproblems.

The purpose of an external problem in a story is to manifest an internalproblem.IfIwroteamovieaboutaguywhosimplyneededtodisarmabomb,audienceswould lose interest.What storytellers and screenwriters do, then, iscreateabackstoryoffrustrationinthehero’slife.

InthemovieMoneyball,forinstance,BillyBeanefailedinhisplayingcareerand sowas filledwith self-doubt aboutwhether he could redeemhimself as ageneralmanager. InStarWars, LukeSkywalkerwas told by his uncle that hewastooyoungtojointheresistance,sohedoubtedhisabilityuntiltheveryend.

Inalmosteverystory theherostruggleswith thesamequestion:DoIhavewhat it takes? This question canmake them feel frustrated, incompetent, andconfused. The sense of self-doubt is what makes a movie about baseballrelatable to a soccermom and a romantic comedy relatable to a truck-drivinghusband.

Whatstoriesteachusisthatpeople’sinternaldesiretoresolveafrustrationisagreatermotivatorthantheirdesiretosolveanexternalproblem.

This is where most brands make a critical mistake. By assuming ourcustomersonlywanttoresolveexternalproblems,wefailtoengagethedeeperstory they’re actually living. The truth is, the external problemswe solve arecausingfrustrations in their livesand, just like inastory, it’s thosefrustrationsthataremotivatingthemtocallyou.

After their near collapse, Apple didn’t find their footing until Steve Jobsunderstood that people felt intimidated (internal problem) by computers andwanted a simpler interface with technology. In one of the most powerful

advertisingcampaignsinhistory,Appleshowedasimple,hip,funcharacterwhojustwantedtotakephotosandlistentomusicandwritebooksnexttoanot-so-hip tech nerd who wanted to talk about the inner workings of his operatingsystem.ThecampaignpositionedAppleComputersas thecompanytogo to ifyouwantedtoenjoylifeandexpressyourselfbutfeltintimidatedbyallthetechtalk. What was the internal problem Apple identified? It was the sense ofintimidationmostpeoplefeltaboutcomputers.Applestartedsellingmore thancomputers; they started selling a resolution to the problem of customerintimidation. Understanding their customers’ internal problem is one of thereasonsAppleachievedsuchgrowthandcreatedpassionatebrandevangelists.

Theonlyreasonourcustomersbuyfromusisbecausetheexternalproblemwesolveisfrustratingtheminsomeway.Ifwecanidentifythatfrustration,putit intowords, and offer to resolve it alongwith the original external problem,something special happens. We bond with our customers because we’vepositionedourselvesmoredeeplyintotheirnarrative.

Forexample, ifweownahouse-paintingbusiness,ourcustomer’sexternalproblem might be an unsightly home. The internal problem, however, mayinvolvea senseofembarrassmentabouthaving theugliesthomeon thestreet.Knowingthis,ourmarketingcouldoffer“PaintThatWillMakeYourNeighborsJealous.”

WhatFrustrationsDoOurProductsResolve?Recently,therental-carcompanyNationalgotmybusinessbyunderstanding

my internal frustration. I used to rent froma company that got onmynerves.NormallywhenIgetoffaplaneIdon’tfeellikemakingsmalltalk.Thestaffatthe company I used to rent cars from had a policy of chitchatting with theircustomers.Theyevenusedascript.FirsttheyaskedwhetherIwasintownforbusinessorpleasure,thentheyaskedabouttheweatherwhereIcamefrom.Onand on itwent. I heard this script somany times I started having fun beatingthemtotheirowntalkingpoints.I’doftenjumpaheadontheirscriptandasktheclerk, “Are you going to be able to have a little downtime while you’re intown?”They’djuststareblanklyatmebecauseI’dhijackedtheirline.

Oneday, though, Iwaswatching televisionandacommercial cameon forNational. It showedaguywalking through the rental officewithout talking toanybody.Thecharactertalkedabouthowhehatedhavingtomakeconversationwith salespeople and how he lovedwalking straight to his car. I immediatelychangedrentalcarcompaniesandhavebeenhappyeversince.

Speakingofcarcompanies,CarMax isachainofusedcardealerships thataims most of their marketing collateral at the internal problem a customerexperienceswhenlookingforausedcar,namelyhavingtointeractwithaused-carsalesman.

If you’ve ever walked onto a used-car lot, you know the feeling. It’s asthoughyou’reabouttotanglewithaprofessionalwrestler.

Knowing theircustomersdon’twant tohaggleoverpricesor riskbuyingalemon,CarMax’s business strategy is aimed at you not having to feel lied to,cheated,orworkedoverinyourcar-buyingexperience.Todothis,theyhaveanagreementplanwiththeircustomersthatensuresthepriceonthecaristhepriceyou’ll pay and lets you know their salespeople aren’t compensated oncommission. They also highlight their quality certification and inspectionprocessthatensureseverycartheysellisreliable.2

TheexternalproblemCarMaxresolves is theneedforacar,ofcourse,buttheyhardlyadvertise about cars at all.They focuson their customers’ internalproblemsand,indoingso,enteredoneoftheleast-trustedindustriesinAmericaandcreateda$15billionfranchise.3

Likewise,Starbucksexplodedbynotjustofferingcustomersacupofcoffeebutbygivingthemacomfortable,sophisticatedenvironmentinwhichtorelax.Customers felt good about themselves when they walked into a Starbucks.Starbucks was delivering more value than just coffee; they were delivering asense of sophistication and enthusiasm about life. They were also offering aplace for people to meet in which they could experience affiliation andbelonging.StarbuckschangedAmericanculturefromhangingoutindinersandbarstohangingoutinalocal,Italian-stylecoffeeshop.

In understanding how their customers wanted to feel, Starbucks took aproduct that Americans were used to paying fifty cents for (or drinking foralmostfreeathomeoratwork)andwereabletochargethreeorfourdollarspercup.Starbuckscustomersarewillingtopaymorefor theircoffeebecausetheysensegreatervaluewitheachcup.

Framingourproductsasaresolutiontobothexternalandinternalproblemsincreases the perceived value (and I would argue, actual value) of thoseproducts.

Later, I’llguideyou throughabrainstormingexercisehelpingyou identifysomeofyourcustomers’internalproblems,butbeforethat,let’slookatathirdkindofproblemourcustomersexperience.Thisthirdlevelofproblemcantakeastoryoverthetop,haveaudiencesstandingontheirseats,andisoneofthemain

reasonsafilmwillwinBestPictureattheAcademyAwards.Andithasthesamekind of power when it comes to helping us turn disinterested customers intobrandfanatics.

PHILOSOPHICALPROBLEMSThe philosophical problem in a story is about something even larger than thestoryitself.It’saboutthequestionwhy.Whydoesthisstorymatterintheoverallepicofhumanity?

Whyis it important thatTommyBoysavehisdad’scompany?I’ll tellyouwhy,becausethepeopletryingtotakeTommyBoydownarelyingthieves.Thisis a comedic story about honesty, family, integrity, and hard work versusdeception,greed,andtrickery.

WhyisitimportantthatHamletavengehisfather’sdeath?Becausehisuncleisgettingawaywithmurder.

Why is it important that Bridget Jones find love?Because the beauty andworthofeverypersondeservestoberecognizedandcherishedbyanother.

Aphilosophicalproblemcanbestbetalkedaboutusingtermslikeoughtandshouldn’t. “Bad people shouldn’t be allowed to win” or “People ought to betreatedfairly.”

In the movie The King’s Speech, the external problem is King George’sstutter. This external problemmanifests the internal frustration and self-doubtthekingstruggleswith.Hesimplydoesn’tbelievehehaswhat it takes to leadhis country. Philosophically, though, the stakes aremuch greater. Because thekingmustunifyhispeopleagainsttheNazis,thestorytakesonthephilosophicalproblemofgoodversusevil.

InJerryMaguire,thephilosophicalquestionrevolvesaroundwhetherpeopleareworthmorethanthemoneytheycanbringin.RomeoandJulietaskswhetherromanticloveismoreimportantthanfamilysquabblesandtribalunrest.

What’stheDeeperMeaning?Peoplewanttobeinvolvedinastorythatislargerthanthemselves.Brands

thatgivecustomersavoice ina largernarrativeaddvalue to theirproductsbygivingtheircustomersadeepersenseofmeaning.

After creating their BrandScript, a global consulting firmweworkedwithbegantotalkabouthoweverybodydeservedtoworkforagreatmanager.Apet-storeownerwhocametoushungasigninherwindowthatsaid,“Petsdeservetoeathealthyfoodtoo.”Afun-loving travelagentcametousandadopted the

seasonalline“Becausethissummershouldberememberedforever.”Beforemusic went digital, Tower Records promoted their chain of record

storesusingthetagline“Nomusic,nolife.”Notonlydidthetaglinehelpthemsellmorethanabilliondollarsinrecordseachyear,buttheysoldthousandsofbumper stickers and T-shirts featuring the tagline to fans who wanted toassociatewiththephilosophicalbeliefthatmusicmattered.

Is there a deeper story your brand contributes to? Can your products bepositionedastoolsyourcustomerscanusetofightbackagainstsomethingthatoughtnotbe?Ifso,let’sincludesomephilosophicalstakesinourmessaging.

ThePerfectBrandPromiseIf we really want to satisfy our customers, we can offer muchmore than

products or services; we can offer to resolve an external, internal, andphilosophicalproblemwhenevertheyengageourbusiness.

Storytellers use this formula to endear audiences all the time.WhenLukeshoots thephoton torpedo through the littlehole in theDeathStar,heactuallyresolvestheexternalproblemofdestroyingtheDeathStar,theinternalproblemthat had him wondering whether he had what it took to be a Jedi, and thephilosophicalproblemofgoodversusevil,allwiththepressofabutton.

Whenthese three levelsofproblemsareresolved inoneshot, theaudienceexperiencesasenseofpleasureandrelief,causingthemtolovethestory.Thissceneisoftencalledthe“climactic”or“obligatory”scene,anditisarguablythemostimportantsceneinthemoviebecauseeveryotherscenebuildstowarditinsomeway.

Theresolutionofthehero’sexternal, internal,andphilosophicalproblemisthe reason we cried whenWoody and Buzz were reunited with Andy in ToyStory,andit’swhywefeltsodeeplywhenPrivateRyanwasrescuedbyCaptainJohnMiller.

This formula works because human beings experience three levels ofproblemsintheireverydaylives.Theyaren’tjustlookingforaresolutiontoonelevelofproblem;they’rehopingforaresolutiontoallthree.

Ifwereallywantourbusiness togrow,weshouldpositionourproductsastheresolutiontoanexternal,internal,andphilosophicalproblemandframethe“BuyNow”buttonastheactionacustomermusttaketocreateclosureintheirstory.

Let’slookathowsomesuccessfulbrandsweallknowabouthavepositioned

the purchasing of their products as the resolution to external, internal, andphilosophicalproblems:

TESLAMOTORCARS:Villain:Gasguzzling,inferiortechnologyExternal:Ineedacar.Internal:Iwanttobeanearlyadopterofnewtechnology.Philosophical:Mychoiceofcaroughttohelpsavetheenvironment.

NESPRESSOHOMECOFFEEMACHINES:Villain:CoffeemachinesthatmakebadcoffeeExternal:Iwantbetter-tastingcoffeeathome.Internal:Iwantmyhomecoffeemachinetomakemefeelsophisticated.Philosophical:Ishouldn’thavetobeabaristatomakeagourmetcoffeeathome.

EDWARDJONESFINANCIALPLANNING:Villain:Financialfirmsthatdon’tlistentotheircustomersExternal:Ineedinvestmenthelp.Internal:I’mconfusedabouthowtodothis(especiallywithallthetech-drivenresourcesoutthere).

Philosophical:IfI’mgoingtoinvestmymoney,Ideserveanadvisorwhowillthoughtfullyexplainthingsinperson.

WHATCHALLENGESAREYOUHELPINGYOURCUSTOMEROVERCOME?

The idea of identifying a villain that is causing an internal, external, andphilosophicalproblemmayseemdaunting,butitwillcometoyouifyoucommittoworking it out in a brainstorming session. But be careful. A large problemmostofourclientsfaceistheywanttoincludethreevillainsandsevenexternalproblemsandfourinternalproblems,andsoon.But,asI’vealreadymentioned,storiesarebestwhen theyaresimpleandclear.Wearegoing tohave tomakechoices.

Is there a single villain your brand stands against? And what externalproblem is that villain causing? How is that external problem making yourcustomersfeel?Andwhyisitunjustforpeopletohavetosufferatthehandsofthisvillain?

ThesearethefourquestionswewanttoanswerintheproblemsectionofourStoryBrandBrandScript,andwhenwedo,thestoryourbrandistellingwilltakeshapebecauseourhero,thecustomerwhowantssomething,isbeingchallenged.Willtheywin?Willtheirproblemsberesolved?

Perhaps.Thethingis,theywillhavetoengageyourbrandtofindout.


• Gotomystorybrand.comandeithercreateaBrandScriptorlogintoyourexistingBrandScript.

• Eitheraloneorwithateam,brainstormalloftheliteralandmetaphoricalvillainsyourbrandtakesastandagainst.

• Brainstorm the external problems your brand resolves. Is there one thatseemstorepresentthewidestswathofproducts?

• Brainstormthe internalproblem(frustrationordoubt)yourcustomersarefeelingasitrelatestoyourbrand.Isthereonethatstandsoutasauniversalexperienceforyourcustomers?

• Is your brand part of a larger, more important story? Is there aphilosophicalwrongyourbrandstandsagainst?

• Once you finish your brainstorming session, make the four StoryBrandBrandScriptdecisionsthatwillallowyoutofilloutpart2.

CHAPTER6

ANDMEETSAGUIDEStoryBrandPrincipleThree:Customersaren’tlookingfor

anotherhero;they’relookingforaguide.

Shakespeare was right—a person’s life is made up of many acts. As a bookwriter, though, Iprefer to see theseactsaschapters. Ifyou lookbackonyourlife,you’lllikelyseethemtoo.Thereisthechapterwhenyougrewuppoorandthechapterwhenyoubegantounderstandtheimportanceofrelationships.Thereisthechapterwhenyourealizedyouweregoodatmathorsports,andtherewasthechapterwhenyoulefthometostartoutonyourown.

Notwolivesarethesame,andyetwesharecommonchapters.Everyhumanbeingisonatransformationaljourney.

It’seasytorecognizethesechaptersbytheirevents,orwhatwriterandstoryscholarJamesScottBellcalls“doorwaysofnoreturn.”1Thismighthavebeenour parents’ divorce, our first crush, a rejection from somebodywe loved, orhavingabsolutelynailed themoonwalkwhen the crowdgatheredaroundus atthejuniorhighdance.

Instories,eventsmarkthebeginningsandendingsofourchapters.Butifwelookcloser,wewillseesomethingelseor,moreaccurately,somebodyelse.

The events that define our chapters are often instigated or interpreted bymysticalcharactersthathelpusalongtheway.Inastorytherearemanynamesforthesecharacters,butIchoosetocallthemguides.

In his book The Seven Basic Plots, Christopher Booker describes theintroductionoftheguideintothestorythisway:

Aheroorheroinefallsunderadarkspellwhicheventuallytrapstheminsome wintry state, akin to a living death: physical or spiritualimprisonment,sleep,sicknessorsomeotherformofenchantment.Foralongtimetheylanguishinthisfrozencondition.Thenamiraculousactofredemption takes place, focused on a particular figure who helps toliberate the hero or heroine from imprisonment. From the depths ofdarknesstheyarebroughtupintogloriouslight.2

EVERYHEROISLOOKINGFORAGUIDE

WhenItalkaboutaguide,I’mtalkingaboutourmotherandfatherwhentheysatusdowntotalkaboutintegrity,orafootballcoachwhohelpedusunderstandtheimportanceofworkinghardandbelievingwecouldaccomplishmore thanweever thoughtpossible.Guidesmight include the authorsofpoemswe’veread,leaderswhomovedtheworldintonewterritory,therapistswhohelpedusmakesenseofourproblems,andyes,evenbrandsthatofferedusencouragementandtoolstohelpusovercomeachallenge.

Ifaherosolvesherownprobleminastory,theaudiencewilltuneout.Why?Becauseweintuitivelyknowifshecouldsolveherownproblem,shewouldn’thavegottenintotroubleinthefirstplace.Storytellersusetheguidecharactertoencouragetheheroandequipthemtowintheday.

You’ve seen the guide in nearly every story you’ve read, listened to, orwatched: Frodo hasGandalf, Katniss hasHaymitch, and Luke Skywalker hasYoda.Hamletwas “guided” by his father’s ghost, and Romeowas taught thewaysoflovebyJuliet.

Justlikeinstories,humanbeingswakeupeverymorningself-identifyingasahero.Theyaretroubledbyinternal,external,andphilosophicalconflicts,andtheyknowtheycan’tsolvetheseproblemsontheirown.

The fatalmistakesomebrandsmake,especiallyyoungbrandswhobelievethey need to prove themselves, is they position themselves as the hero in thestory instead of the guide. As I’ve already mentioned, a brand that positionsitselfastheheroisdestinedtolose.

TheFatalMistakeThefatal ramificationsofpositioningourbrandas theherocouldbehuge.

Consider the failure of themusic streaming service Tidal. Never heard of it?There’s a good reason. Rapper Jay Z founded the company with a personalinvestmentofawhopping$56millionwithamissionto“geteveryonetorespectmusic again.”3 Instead of being owned by music studios or tech companies,Tidalwould be ownedbymusicians, allowing them to cut out themiddlemanand take their products directly to the market. As a result, the artists wouldpocketmoreoftheprofits.

Sounds like a great plan. But Jay Z failed to consider the mistake ofpositioning himself and other artists as the heroes.Were artists going to buymusicfromeachother?No.Heneededtopositionthecustomer,nottheartist,asthehero.

InthemonthsleadinguptothelaunchofTidal,JayZrecruitedsixteenwell-knownmusicians who agreed to release exclusive content on his platform inexchange for a percentage of equity. In their multimillion-dollar rollout, theartistsstoodshouldertoshoulderatapressconferencetoexplaintheirmission.Predictably,thisiswhereeverythingfellapart.

IfonlyJayZ,inotherwaysavirtualgenius,hadunderstoodtheage-oldrulesofstory,hemighthaveavoidedwalkingintoafieldoflandmines.

“Water is free,” JayZ quipped. “Music is $6 but no onewants to pay formusic.”Hecontinued,somewhatconfusingly,“Youshoulddrinkfreewaterfromthetap—it’sabeautifulthing.Andifyouwanttohearthemostbeautifulsong,thensupporttheartist.”4

Social media, especially Twitter, eviscerated Jay Z and Tidal. Thousandsreminded him to check with the people who paid his bills to discover waterwasn’t actually free.Overnight, an artistwhobuilt his career speaking for thepeople sounded entitled. The public became nauseated listening to a row offamous, multimillionaire musicians guilt-trip them into paying more for theirmusic.Thecrucialmistake:JayZfailedtoanswertheonequestionlingeringinthesubconsciousofeveryherocustomer:Howareyouhelpingmewintheday?Tidalexistedtohelptheartistswintheday,notcustomers.Andsoitfailed.

Always position your customer as the hero and your brand as the guide.Always.Ifyoudon’t,youwilldie.

TheStoryIsNotAboutUsThelargerpointhereissimple:thedaywestoplosingsleepoverthesuccess

ofourbusiness and start losing sleepover the successofour customers is thedayourbusinesswillstartgrowingagain.

Ifwearetemptedtopositionourbrandastheherobecauseheroesarestrongandcapableand thecenterofattention,weshould takeastepback. Instories,theheroisneverthestrongestcharacter.Heroesareoftenill-equippedandfilledwith self-doubt. They don’t know if they have what it takes. They are oftenreluctant,beingthrownintothestoryratherthanwillinglyengagingtheplot.Theguide,however,hasalready“been thereanddone that”andhasconquered thehero’schallengeintheirownbackstory.

Theguide,notthehero,istheonewiththemostauthority.Still,thestoryisrarelyabouttheguide.Theguidesimplyplaysarole.Thestorymustalwaysbefocused on the hero, and if a storyteller (or business leader) forgets this, theaudiencewillgetconfusedaboutwhothestoryisreallyaboutandtheywillloseinterest.Thisistrueinbusiness,inpolitics,andeveninyourownfamily.Peoplearelookingforaguidetohelpthem,notanotherhero.

Thosewhorealizetheepicstoryoflifeisnotaboutthembutactuallyaboutthepeople around themsomehowwin in the end. It’s counterintuitive, but it’strue. In fact, leaderswho think the storyof life is all about themmayachievetemporary successes but are usually remembered in history’s narrative as avillain.

THETWOCHARACTERISTICSOFAGUIDE

Wehaveseenhundredsifnotthousandsofbusinessesexperienceanincreaseincustomer engagement once they started positioning themselves as the guide.After filtering their message through the StoryBrand Framework, businessleadersrealizetheirwebsites,e-mailblasts,digitalads,televisioncommercials,and even their elevator pitches have been facing thewrong direction. Simplyturningourfocustothecustomerandofferingthemaheroicroleinameaningfulstoryisenoughtoradicallychangethewaywetalkabout,andevendo,business.

Sowhatdowehave todo toberecognizedas theguide inourcustomers’lives?

The two things a brand must communicate to position themselves as the

guideare

EmpathyAuthority

WhenLukeSkywalkermeetsYoda,heencounterstheperfectguide.Yodaisthe endearing character who understands Luke’s dilemma and empatheticallycoacheshimtousetheForce.Thisempathywouldgonowhere,ofcourse,wereitnotforYoda’sauthorityasaJedihimself.YodaunderstandsLuke’sdilemmaandhasmasteredtheskillsLukemustdevelopifheisgoingtowintheday.

Theguidemusthavethispreciseone-twopunchofempathyandauthorityinordertomovetheheroandthestoryalong.Thesearethecharacteristicstheheroislookingfor,andwhenshesensesthem,sheknowsshe’sfoundherguide.

ExpressEmpathyWhenBillClintondeliveredhisnow-famousline“Ifeelyourpain”in1992,

hedidmore than just clinchavictoryoverGeorgeH.W.Bush;hepositionedhimself as the guide in the American voters’ story. A guide expresses anunderstanding of the pain and frustration of their hero. In fact, many punditsbelieveClintonlockeduptheelectionduringatownhalldebateinwhichBushgave a rambling answer to a youngwomanwhen she askedwhat the nationaldebtmeant to theaverageAmerican.ClintoncounteredBush’s linear, cerebralanswerbyaskingthewomanifsheknewanybodywho’dlosttheirjob.Heaskedwhetheritpainedherthatshehadfriendsoutofwork,andwhenthewomansaidyes, he went on to explain how the national debt is tied to the well-being ofeveryAmerican,evenherandherfriends.5That’sempathy.

Whenweempathizewithourcustomers’dilemma,wecreateabondoftrust.People trust thosewhounderstand them,and they trustbrands thatunderstandthemtoo.

OprahWinfrey,anundeniablysuccessfulguide tomillions,onceexplainedthe three things every human being wants most are to be seen, heard, andunderstood.Thisistheessenceofempathy.

Empathetic statements start with words like, “We understand how it feelsto . . .” or “Nobody should have to experience . . .” or “Like you, we arefrustrated by . . .” or, in the case of one Toyota commercial inviting Toyota

ownerstoengagetheirlocalToyotaservicecenter,simply,“WecareaboutyourToyota.”

Expressing empathy isn’t difficult. Once we’ve identified our customers’internalproblems,wesimplyneed to let themknowweunderstandandwouldliketohelpthemfindaresolution.Scanyourmarketingmaterialandmakesureyou’vetoldyourcustomersthatyoucare.Customerswon’tknowyoucareuntilyoutellthem.

AREYOULIKEME?Empathy is more than just sentimental slogans, though. Real empathy meansletting customers knowwe see them aswe see ourselves.Customers look forbrandstheyhavesomethingincommonwith.Remember,thehumanbrainlikestoconservecalories,andsowhenacustomerrealizestheyhavealotincommonwith a brand, they fill in all the unknown nuanceswith trust. Essentially, thecustomer batches their thinking, meaning they’re thinking in “chunks” ratherthandetails.Commonality,whethertasteinmusicorsharedvalues,isapowerfulmarketingtool.

A recent Discover Card television campaign tapped into the power ofempathybyfeaturingpeoplewhocallcustomerserviceandenduptalkingtoanexactreplicaofthemselves.Themessage?DiscoverCardwilltakecareofyouthesamewayyouwouldtakecareofyourself.

DemonstrateAuthorityNobodylikesaknow-it-allandnobodywantstobepreachedat.Brandsthat

lord their expertise over the masses turn people off. For this reason, manymarketing experts say we shouldn’t express authority at all, that what peoplewantisabrandthatputstheirarmaroundtheircustomer’sshoulderandwalksalongsidethemasanequal.Butthisisn’tcompletelytrue.

Imaginewalkingintoanutritionist’sofficefor thefirst time,determinedtogetintothebestshapeofyourlife.

“I’dliketolosethirtypounds,”youtellher.“It’sbeenastruggleforalongtime,butI’mready.”

Whatwouldyoudoifthenutritionistlookedbackatyouandsaid,“Metoo!”Itwouldn’ttakeyoulongtorealizeyou’dchosenthewrongnutritionist.When I talk about authority, I’m really talking about competence. When

lookingforaguide,aherotrustssomebodywhoknowswhatthey’redoing.The

guidedoesn’thavetobeperfect,buttheguideneedstohaveseriousexperiencehelpingotherheroeswintheday.

So how do we express our authority without bragging about ourselves somuchthatwestepintotheroleofhero?

Ascustomersviewourwebsites,commercials,ore-mails,theysimplywanttocheckoffaboxinthebackoftheirmindsthatgivesthemconfidenceinourabilitytohelpthem.

There are four easyways to add just the right amount of authority to ourmarketing.

1. Testimonials: Let others do the talking for you. If you have satisfiedcustomers, place a few testimonials on yourwebsite. Testimonials givepotential customers the gift of going second. They know others haveworked with you and attained success. Avoid stacking ten to twentytestimonials; otherwise you run the risk of positioning yourself as thehero.Threeisagreatnumber tostartwithandwillservetheneedmostcustomershavetomakesureyouknowwhatyouaredoing.Also,avoidrambling testimonials that heap endless praise on your brand. It won’ttakelongforacustomertotrustyou,sokeepatestimonialbrief.

2. Statistics:Howmany satisfied customers have youhelped?Howmuchmoney have you helped them save? By what percentage have theirbusinesses grown since they started working with you? A simplestatement like the e-mail marketing platform Infusionsoft’s “125,000users trust [our] award-winning automation software”6 is all yourpotential customer needs. Moreover, this scratches the itch of the left-brainedconsumerwholovesnumbers,statistics,andfacts.

3. Awards:Ifyou’vewonafewawardsforyourwork,feelfreetoincludesmall logos or indications of those awards at the bottom of your page.Again,there’snoneedtomakeabigdealaboutit,butawardsgoalongwayinearningyourcustomer’s trust,evenif they’veneverheardof theaward.

4. Logos: If you provide a business-to-business product or service, placelogos of known businesses you’ve worked with in your marketingcollateral. Customers want to know you’ve helped other businessesovercome their same challenges.When they recognize another businessyou’veworkedwith,itprovidessocialproofyouhavetheabilitytohelp

themwintheday.

Take a minute to scan your marketing material and ask yourself whetheryou’ve demonstrated competency. Remember, you don’t have to brag aboutyourself. Testimonials, logos, awards, and statistics will allow customers tocheck the“trust”box in thebackof theirminds.Thequestions they’reaskingthemselvesare,“Doesthisbrandknowwhatthey’redoing?Isinvestingmytimeandmoneygoingtobeworthit?Cantheyreallyhelpmesolvemyproblem?”

HOWTOMAKEAGREATFIRSTIMPRESSION

Whenpeoplemeetyourbrand,it’sasthoughtheyaremeetingaperson.They’rewondering if the twoofyouwillget along,whetheryoucanhelp them liveabetter life, whether theywant to associate their identity with your brand, andultimatelywhethertheycantrustyou.

HarvardBusiness professorAmyCuddyhas spentmore than fifteen yearsstudying how business leaders can make a positive first impression. Cuddydistilled her research into two questions people subconsciously ask whenmeeting someone new: “Can I trust this person?” and “Can I respect thisperson?” In her bookPresence, Cuddy explains human beings value trust sohighly,it’sonlyaftertrustisestablishedthatapersonbeginstoconsidergettingtoknowusfurther.7

When we express empathy, we help our customers answer Cuddy’s firstquestion,“CanItrustthisperson?”

Demonstratingcompetencehelpsourcustomersanswerthesecondquestion,“CanIrespectthisperson?”

Thesametwocharacteristicsthathelpusmakeagreatfirstimpressionwithpeople at a cocktail party also work to help our brand make a great firstimpressionwithpotentialcustomers.

Oncewe express empathy and demonstrate authority, we can position ourbrand as the guide our customer has been looking for. This will make asignificant difference in the way they remember us, understand us, andultimately,engagewithourproductsandservices.

That said, even thoughour customers likeus and trust us, it doesn’tmeanthey’re going to place an order. There is still a yawning chasm between a

customer’saffectionandtheirdecisiontoinvesttheirhard-earnedmoneyinwhatwe’reoffering.Whatare they looking fornext?We’ll talkabout it in thenextchapter.

Fornow, though,brainstormhowyoucanpositionyourselfas theguide inyourcustomer’slifebyexpressingempathyanddemonstratingauthority.


• Gotomystorybrand.comandeithercreateaBrandScriptorlogintoyourexistingBrandScript.

• Either alone or with a team, brainstorm empathetic statements you canmakesoyourcustomersknowyoucareabouttheirinternalproblem.

• Brainstormthemanywaysyoucandemonstratecompetenceandauthoritybyexploringpotentialtestimonials,statisticsthatdemonstratecompetence,awardsyou’vewon,orlogosfromotherbusinessesyou’vehelpedsucceed.

• Once you finish your brainstorming session, make the two StoryBrandBrandScriptdecisionsthatwillallowyoutofilloutmodule3.

CHAPTER7

WHOGIVESTHEMAPLANStoryBrandPrincipleFour:Customerstrustaguidewho

hasaplan.

At thispoint inourcustomer’s journey,we’ve identifiedsomething theywant,which got the story started. Then we defined their problems, which createdintrigue as towhetherwe can help them overcome their challenges. Thenweintroduced ourselves as the guide by expressing empathy and demonstratingauthority,whichestablishedtrust.Andyet,evenwithallthis,thecustomerisn’tgoingtoplaceanorder.There’ssomethingmissing.

Ifwe’ve positioned ourselves as the guide, our customers are already in arelationship with us. But making a purchase isn’t a characteristic of a casualrelationship; it’sacharacteristicofacommitment.Whenacustomerplacesanorder,they’reessentiallysaying,“Ibelieveyoucanhelpmesolvemyproblem,andIbelieveitsomuchI’mwillingtoputskininthegame.I’mwillingtopartwithmyhard-earneddollars.”

Commitments are risky for our customers because as soon as theymake acommitment,theycanlosesomething.Mostcustomersarenotgoingtotakethisriskyet.

Whenacustomer isdecidingwhether tobuysomething,weshouldpicturethemstandingontheedgeofarushingcreek.It’struetheywantwhat’sontheother side, but as they stand there, they hear a waterfall downstream. What

happensiftheyfallintothecreek?Whatwouldlifelooklikeiftheywentoverthose falls? These are the kinds of questions our customers subconsciouslyponder as they hover their little arrowover the “BuyNow”button.What if itdoesn’twork?WhatifI’mafoolforbuyingthis?

In order to ease our customers’ concerns,weneed to place large stones inthatcreek.Whenweidentifythestonesourcustomerscanstepontogetacrossthe creek,we removemuch of the risk and increase their comfort level aboutdoingbusinesswithus. It’s as thoughwe’re saying, “First, stephere.See, it’seasy.Thenstephere, thenhere,and thenyou’llbeon theotherside,andyourproblemwillberesolved.”

IntheStoryBrandFramework,werefertothese“stones”asaplan.InthemovieMoneyball,PeterBrand(theguide)givesBillyBeaneaplanhe

canemploytoturnhisbaseballteamaround.Inaseriesofsteps,Billywillbeginusinganalgorithmtochooseplayers,ratherthanrelyingonanecdotalevidencefromhisantiquatedcoachingstaff.He’sgoingtobegintotrustthenumbersandruntheteamthewayahedge-fundmanagermightrunhishedgefund.

Innearlyeverymovieyoucanthinkof,theguidegivestheheroaplan.Theplan is thebridge theheromustcross inorder toarriveat theclimacticscene.Rockyhastotrainusingnontraditionalmethods,TommyBoyhastoembarkonanationalsalestrip,andJulietmustdrinkthepotiontheapothecarygivesherinorder to trick her family into thinking she’s died and to be free to be withRomeo.

Theplantightensthefocusofthemovieandgivestheheroa“pathofhope”shecanwalkthatmightleadtotheresolutionofhertroubles.

THEPLANCREATESCLARITY

Plans can takemany shapes and forms, but all effective plans do one of twothings: they either clarify how somebody can do business with us, or theyremovethesenseofrisksomebodymighthaveifthey’reconsideringinvestinginourproductsorservices.

Remember themantra “If you confuse, you lose”?Not having a plan is aguaranteedwaytoconfuseyourcustomers.

Afterpotentialcustomerslistentousgiveakeynoteorvisitourwebpageorreadane-mailblastwe’vesent,they’reallwonderingthesamething:Whatdoyouwantmetodonow?Ifwedon’tguidethem,theyexperiencealittlebitof

confusion, andbecause they canhear thatwaterfall downstream, theyuse thatconfusionasanexcusenottodobusinesswithus.

The fact thatwewant them toplaceanorder isnotenough information tomotivate them.Ifwe’resellingastoragesystemacustomercaninstall in theirgarage, they hover over that “Buy Now” button subconsciously wonderingwhetheritwillworkforthem,howharditwillbetoinstall,andwhetheritwillsitunopenedinthegarageinboxeslikethelastthingtheybought.Butwhenwespellouthoweasythiswholethingisandletthemknowtheycangetstartedinthreeeasysteps,theyaremorelikelytoplaceanorder.

Wemusttellthemto...

1. Measureyourspace.2. Ordertheitemsthatfit.3. Installitinminutesusingbasictools.

Even though these steps may seem obvious, they aren’t obvious to ourcustomers. Placing stones in the creek greatly increases the chance they willcrossthecreek.

THEPROCESSPLAN

AtStoryBrandwe’veidentifiedtwoplansyoucanusetoeffectivelyencouragecustomers to do business with you. The first kind of plan, and the one werecommendeveryoneofourclientsemploy,isaprocessplan.

Aprocessplan candescribe the steps a customerneeds to take tobuyourproduct,orthestepsthecustomerneedstotaketouseourproductaftertheybuyit,oramixtureofboth.

Forinstance,ifyou’resellinganexpensiveproduct,youmightbreakdownthestepslikethis:

1. Scheduleanappointment.2. Allowustocreateacustomizedplan.3. Let’sexecutetheplantogether.

Whetherwe’resellingafinancialproduct,amedicalprocedure,auniversity

education,oranyothercomplicatedsolution,aprocessplantakestheconfusionoutofourcustomer’sjourneyandguidestheminthenextsteps.

SofarI’vemostlytalkedaboutstoneswecanplaceinthecreekthatleadourcustomers tomake a purchase, but another kind of process planwould be thepost-purchaseprocessplan.Apost-purchaseprocessplanisbestusedwhenourcustomersmighthaveproblemsimagininghowtheywoulduseourproductaftertheybuyit.Forinstance,withacomplicatedpieceofsoftware,wemightwanttospelloutthestepsoreventhephasesacustomerwouldtakeaftertheymakethepurchase:

1. Downloadthesoftware.2. Integrateyourdatabaseintooursystem.3. Revolutionizeyourcustomerinteraction.

Thepost-purchaseprocessplandoes the same thingaprepurchaseprocessplandoes,inthesensethatitalleviatesconfusion.Whenacustomerislookingatthewidespanbetweenthemselvesandtheintegrationofacomplicatedproduct,they’relesslikelytomakeapurchase.Butwhentheyreadyourplan,theythinktothemselves,Oh,Icandothat.That’snothard,andtheyclick“BuyNow.”

A process plan can also combine the pre- and post-purchase steps. Forinstance:

1. Test-driveacar.2. Purchasethecar.3. Enjoyfreemaintenanceforlife.

Again, the key to the success ofany plan is to alleviate confusion for ourcustomers.Whatstepsdotheyneedtotaketodobusinesswithyou?Spelloutthosesteps,andit’llbeasthoughyou’vepavedasidewalkthroughafield.Morepeoplewillcrossthefield.

Wegetfrequentquestionsabouthowmanystepsaprocessplanshouldhave.Theanswervaries,ofcourse,butwerecommendatleastthreeandnomorethansix. Ifdoingbusinesswithyourequiresmore thansixsteps,breakdownthosesteps into phases and describe the phases. In reality, you might guide yourcustomer through twenty or thirty steps, but studies showwhen you bombardcustomerswithinformation,buyingdecreases.

Remember, the whole point of creating a plan is to alleviate customers’confusion.Havingmorethanfourstepsmayactuallyaddto,ratherthanreduce,confusion. The key is to simplify their journey so they aremore likely to dobusinesswithyou.

THEAGREEMENTPLAN

If process plans are about alleviating confusion, agreement plans are aboutalleviatingfears.

Anagreementplanisbestunderstoodasalistofagreementsyoumakewithyourcustomerstohelpthemovercometheirfearofdoingbusinesswithyou.

EarlierItalkedaboutCarMaxandhowtheyresolvethecustomer’sagitationof having to deal with a used-car salesman. One of the tools they use tocommunicate that customers don’t have to encounter this internal fear is anagreement plan. CarMax’s four-point agreement includes the promise thatcustomers will never have to haggle. Afraid you’ll be stuck with a lemon?CarMaxrefusestosellacarthatdoesn’tmeettheirstandards,andtheyputeverycarthrougharenewalprocesstobesureitearnstheirqualitycertificationseal.1

Today,CarMaxsellsmorecarsthanitsnextthreecompetitorscombined.In2015,AutomotiveNewsnamedCarMaxtheundisputedused-carchampion.2AsImentionedinchapter5,CarMaxrarelyadvertisesthesolutiontotheircustomers’externalproblems, that is, theneed forausedcar. Instead, they focuson theircustomers’ internalproblem, the fearof interactingwithaused-cardealer, andtheyalleviatethisfearwithanagreementplan.

Anagreementplancanalsoworktoincreasetheperceivedvalueofaserviceyoupromisetoprovide.Forinstance,NewtGingrich’s“ContractwithAmerica”is an example of an agreement plan. Newt was a relatively unknowncongressman fromGeorgiawho led a takeover inbothhousesofCongressbymaking an agreement with voters. Newt simply took age-old conservativetalkingpoints,turnedthemintoalist,andsaid,“Ifyouvoteforus,we’lldoallthese things.”More than threehundredconservative legislators signedon, andNewtbecameanovernightpresidentialhopeful.

Another benefit of an agreement plan is that it canwork to clarify sharedvaluesbetweenourcustomersandus.WholeFoods’slistofvalueshasattractedmillionstotheirstoresand,inways,worksasanagreementwiththeircustomerstosourcetheirfoodinawaythatissociallyandenvironmentallyresponsible.

Unlike a process plan, an agreement plan often works in the background.Agreementplansdonothavetobefeaturedonthehomepageofyourwebsite(thoughtheycouldbe),butascustomersgettoknowyou,they’llsenseadeeperlevel to your service and may realize why when they finally encounter youragreementplan.

The best way to arrive at an agreement plan is to list all the things yourcustomermightbeconcernedaboutas it relates toyourproductorserviceandthencounterthatlistwithagreementsthatwillalleviatetheirfears.

Ifit’sshortenough(we’refansofbrevity,obviously),youcanfeatureyouragreement plan on the wall of your business or even on your packaging orshoppingbags.

WHAT’STHEPLANCALLED?

Onceyoucreateyourprocessoragreementplan(orboth),considergivingthema title that will increase the perceived value of your product or service. Forinstance, your process planmight be called the “easy installation plan” or the“world’s best night’s sleep plan.” Your agreement plan might be titled the“customersatisfactionagreement”oreven“ourqualityguarantee.”Titlingyourplanwillframeitinthecustomer’smindandincreasestheperceivedvalueofallthatyourbrandoffers.

Nowthatyou’vegivenyourcustomeraplan,theywillbemuchmorelikelytodobusinesswithyou.You’ve lifted thefog,made thingsclear,setstones inthecreek,andtheyarereadytocontinuethejourney.

Andyetbefore they’llmakeacommitment, theywillneedonemore thingfromyou.Theywillneedyoutocallthemtoaction.I’llteachyoutherightandwrongwaystocallcustomerstodobusinessinthenextchapter.

First, though, spend some time defining the plan or plans you want toimplementtoeaseyourcustomers’fearsandconcernssotheywillengageyourbrand.



• Eitheraloneorwithateam,brainstormthesimplestepsacustomerwouldneedtotaketodobusinesswithyou(eitherapre-orpost-purchaseprocessplanoracombinationofboth).

• What fears do your customers have related to your industry? Whatagreements could youmakewith them that would alleviate those fears?FeelfreetousethenotesfeatureofyourBrandScript,wherethereismoreroom, to document your agreement plan. Use the plan section, then, todocumentthetitleofyourplan.

• Do you share unique values with your customers? Can those values bespelledoutinanagreementplan?

• Write the steps (and name) of your process plan on your StoryBrandBrandScript. If you’re creating an agreement plan, simply use the notessection of your BrandScript to capture the agreement you’ll be makingwithyourcustomers.

CHAPTER8

ANDCALLSTHEMTOACTIONStoryBrandPrincipleFive:Customersdonottakeaction

unlesstheyarechallengedtotakeaction.

At thispoint inourcustomers’ story, theyareexcited.We’vedefinedadesire,identified their challenges, empathized with their feelings, established ourcompetencyinhelpingthem,andgiventhemaplan.Buttheyneedustodoonemorething:theyneedustocallthemtoaction.

ASKTHEMTOPLACEANORDER

Instories,charactersnevertakeactionontheirown.Theyhavetobechallengedtotakeaction.TomCruise’scharacterwouldneverhavejourneyedtopickuphisbrotherinthemovieRainManunlesshe’dreceivedacallexplaininghisfatherhaddied.Romeowouldn’thaveclimbedintotheCapuletcourtyardunlesshe’dfallen sickwith love for Juliet. ElleWoodswouldn’t have applied toHarvardunlessshe’dbeendumpedbyherboyfriend.LiamNeeson’scharacterwouldn’thavechasedthebadguystoEuropeunlesshisdaughterhadbeenkidnapped.

The reason characters have to be challenged to take action is becauseeverybody sitting in the dark theater knowshumanbeings do notmakemajor

lifedecisionsunlesssomethingchallengesthemtodoso.IfIwroteastoryaboutaguywhowantedtoclimbEverestandthenoneday

lookedathimselfinthemirroranddecidedtodoit,I’dlosetheaudience.That’snothowpeoplework.Bodiesat rest tend to stayat rest, andsodocustomers.Heroesneedtobechallengedbyoutsideforces.

Haveyoueverwonderedwhy late-night infomercialhostskeepscreaming,“Callnow!Don’tdelay!”overandoverasthoughthey’retryingtowakepeopleupfromazombietrance?Theydothatbecausethey’retryingtowakepeopleupfromazombietrance!

Your customers arebombardedwithmore than three thousand commercialmessages per day, and unless we are bold in our calls to action, we will beignored.Ifourcallstoactionaresoft,theywillnotbenoticed.

ThePowerofthe“BuyNow”ButtonIhaveafriendwhohasboughtandsoldnearlyonehundredcompanies.He

knows a lot about scaling a company up, and as he evaluates a company, hemakes sure the people, products, and procedures are all healthy. But the keyingredienthelooksforinacompanyiswhetherthecompanyischallengingtheircustomerstoplaceorders.Myfriendknowsthefastestwaytogrowacompanyis tomake the calls to action clear and then repeat them over and over. He’smademillions simplybuying companies, creating stronger calls to action, andthensellingthecompanyaftertheirrevenueincreases.

Oneofthebiggesthindrancestobusinesssuccessisthatwethinkcustomerscanreadourminds.It’sobvioustousthatwewantthemtoplaceanorder(whyelse would we be talking to them about our products?), so we assume it’sobvioustothemtoo.Itisn’t.

Thereshouldbea“BuyNow”buttoninthetoprightcornerofyourwebsite,and it shouldn’t be clutteredwith a bunch of other buttons. The same call toactionshouldberepeatedabovethefoldandinthecenterofyourwebsite,andagainandagainaspeoplescrolldownthepage.

Companiesthatdon’tmaketheircallstoactionclearremindmeofmydatingdaysbeforeImetmywife.Insteadofclearlyaskingagirlout,I’dsaysomethinglike,“Coffeeisnice,isn’tit?Doyoulikecoffee?”

What in the world is a woman supposed to do with a question like that?That’sjustnothowyoumakeababy.

AsIgotolderIrealizedthepowerofclarity.Infact,thewaymywifeandI

got togetherwas probably the clearest I’ve communicated about anything. I’dknownBetsyfromadistanceforawhile,butwhenIfinallygotupthecourageto ask her out, I discovered she had a boyfriend. Still, I’d been passive longenough.I’dbeenhopingshe’dnoticehowmuchIlikedherevenasIcompletelyignoredher.Itwastimeforastrongcalltoaction.ThenexttimeIsawher,ItoldherhowIreallyfeltandthatI’dliketocallherinthirtydaystoaskherout.Isaidshe’dneedtoditchtheotherguytokeepthingsfrombeingawkward.

Amazingly, thirty days later, she’d broken up with the other guy and westarteddating.Aboutayearlaterwegotmarried.We’recurrentlyworkingonababythatwe’reprobablygoingtoname“BuyNow”toremindeverybodyhowimportantitistohaveaclearcalltoaction.

Themoralofthestoryispeopledon’thaveESP.Theycan’treadourmindsandtheydon’tknowwhatwewant,evenifitseemsobvious.Wehavetoclearlyinvitecustomerstotakeajourneywithusortheywon’t.

WhenIwasakidtherewasaguyonlate-nighttelevisionwhousedtosawmattresses in halfwith a chainsaw.He’d scream at the camera that he’d gonecrazy andwas slashing prices on all kinds of furniture. I think a lot of us areafraidtoaskforthesalebecausewedon’twanttolooklikethatguy.

It’struewedon’twanttoconstantlybeatourcustomersovertheheadwithdirect calls to action.Of the thousands of clientswe’veworkedwith, though,we’ve yet to encounter anybody who oversells. Most people think they’reoversellingwhen,intruth,theircallstoactionfallsofterthanawhisper.

DoYouBelieveinYourProduct?Therealityiswhenwetrytosellpassively,wecommunicatealackofbelief

in our product. When we don’t ask clearly for the sale, the customer sensesweakness.Theysensewe’reaskingforcharityratherthantochangetheirlives.Customers aren’t looking for brands that are filled with doubt and wantaffirmation;they’relookingforbrandsthathavesolutionstotheirproblems.

Ifwecanchangeour customer’s story for thebetter,why shouldn’twebeboldaboutinvitingthemtodobusinesswithus?Theguideinamoviemustbedirectwiththeheroaboutwhattheywanttheherotodo,otherwisetheplotgetsmuddledandtheaudiencestartstodaydream.

TwoKindsofCallstoActionAt StoryBrandwe recommend two kinds of calls to action:direct calls to

action and transitional calls to action. They work like two phases of arelationship.

Let’ssayweaskacustomertobuybuttheydon’t.Whoknowswhy,buttheydon’t.There’snoreasontoendtherelationshipjustbecausetheyaren’tready.Ibelieveinhonoringpeoplewhoaren’tready,andI’mafanofno-pressuresales.Still, Iwant todeepen the relationshipso thatwhenever theyneedwhat I sell,they will remember me. The way I deepen that relationship is throughtransitionalcallstoaction.

Direct calls to action include requests like “buy now,” “schedule anappointment,”or“calltoday.”Adirectcalltoactionissomethingthatleadstoasale,oratleastisthefirststepdownapaththatleadstoasale.

Transitional calls to action, however, contain less risk and usually offer acustomer something for free. Transitional calls to action can be used to “on-ramp”potential customers to an eventual purchase. Invitingpeople towatch awebinarordownloadaPDFaregoodexamplesoftransitionalcallstoaction.

Tofurthertherelationalmetaphor,atransitionalcalltoactionislikesaying,“CanItakeyououtonadate?”toyourcustomer,andadirectcall toactionislikesaying,“Willyoumarryme?”

Inourmarketing collateral,we alwayswant tohave adirect call to actionand a transitional call to action. The metaphorical conversation with ourcustomersgoeslikethis:

Us:Willyoumarryme?Customer:No.Us:Willyougooutwithmeagain?Customer:Yes.Us:Willyoumarrymenow?Customer:No.Us:Willyougooutwithmeagain?Customer:Sure,you’reinterestingandtheinformationyouprovideishelpful.

Us:Willyoumarryme?Customer:Okay,I’llmarryyounow.

As a brand, it’s our job to pursue our customers.Wewant to get to knowthemandforthemtogettoknowus,butwearetheoneswhoneedtotaketheinitiative.

THOSEWHOASKAGAINANDAGAINSHALLFINALLYRECEIVE

Yearsago, Iwaspreparingakeynotepresentation foraglobal shampoobrandandmygraphicdesignerwastoobusywithotherprojectstohelp.Notwantingtowait,Idecidedtooutsourcethepresentationtoadesignhouse.Iwentlookingonlineforashopthatdealtspecificallywithpresentationsandfoundtwolocalhousesthatcouldhelp.

ThefirstwebsiteIvisitedwasbeautifullydesigned—aloopingvideoloadedbeneathtextthatexplainedthedesignhouse’svaluesandpriorities.Afterabouttwenty seconds admiring the look of their site, though, I started searching forinformationabouthowtodobusinesswiththem.Icouldn’tfindanything.Theyfeaturedsamplesofpreviousprojects,afewtestimonials,andaphonenumberIcould call but no direct, clear call to action. So I decided to check out theircompetitor’ssite.

Theothercompany’ssitewasn’tnearlyasbeautiful,butitdaredtobeclear.“Ifyou’reworriedaboutapresentation,wecanhelpyouhitagrandslam.”Thetruth is Iwasworried,and theyspoke tomy internal fear.Theyalsopaintedapictureofaclimacticscene:tohitagrandslam.Thentheyaskedmeout: theyoffered a PDF called “5 ThingsGreat PresentersGet Right,” and Iwas quitecurious. IdownloadedthePDFandread it inafewminutes.Their transitionalcalltoactionearnedmytrustandpositionedthemastheguideinmystory.Theyhad authority, it seemed. Then, on their website, they had a “schedule anappointment” button, and because they’d wined and dined me, I did. I neverwentback to the initialdesigner’swebsite (which, remember,wasmuchbetterlooking), and before long I was gladly writing a check for several thousanddollarstothecompanythathadclearlychallengedmetotakeaction.

DirectCallstoActionIt bears repeating: there should be one obvious button to press on your

website, and it should be the direct call to action.When I say, “one obviousbutton,”Idon’tmean“onlyonebutton,”butratheronethatstandsout.Makethebutton a different color, larger, a bolder text, whatever you need to do. Thenrepeat that samebuttonoverandoversopeoplesee itas theyscrolldown thepage.

Ourcustomersshouldalwaysknowwewanttomarrythem.Evenifthey’renotready,weshouldkeepsayingit.Youjustneverknowwhenthey’regoingtowant tomakea commitment, andwhen theydo,youwant tobeononeknee,holdingflowers,smilingforthepicture.

Examplesofdirectcallstoactionare

• Ordernow• Calltoday• Scheduleanappointment• Registertoday• Buynow

Direct calls to action can be included at the end of every e-mail blast, onsignage, in our radio ads, and even in our television commercials. Considerincludingdirectcallstoactionineveryteammember’se-mailsignature,andifyoureallywanttogetthepointacross,onallyourbusinesscards.Theideaistomakeitveryclearwhatwe’dlikecustomerstodo:tomakeapurchasesowecanhelpthemsolvetheirproblem.

TransitionalCallstoActionDirect calls to action are simple and obvious (though ridiculously

underused),but transitional calls to actioncanbeequally aspowerful togrowyourbusiness. In fact,StoryBrandgrew into amultimillion-dollar company inonly its second year based solely on the use of a transitional call to action.Recognizing thatmostofourclientswereusing theStoryBrandFramework tofixtheirwebsites,wereleasedafreePDFcalled“5ThingsYourWebsiteShouldInclude,” and thousands of people downloaded it.At the back of the PDFweplaced an ad for our StoryBrand Marketing Workshop. In the next twelvemonths,wedoubledrevenuewithoutspendingadollaronmarketing.

A good transitional call to action can do three powerful things for your

brand:

1. Stakeaclaimtoyourterritory.Ifyouwanttobeknownastheleaderina certain territory, stake a claim to that territory before the competitionbeats you to it. Creating a PDF, a video series, or anything else thatpositionsyouastheexpertisagreatwaytoestablishauthority.

2. Createreciprocity.I’veneverworriedaboutgivingawaytoomuchfreeinformation. In fact, themoregenerous abrand is, themore reciprocitytheycreate.Allrelationshipsaregive-and-take,andthemoreyougivetoyourcustomers,themorelikelytheywillbetogivesomethingbackinthefuture.Givefreely.

3. Positionyourselfas theguide.Whenyouhelpyour customers solve aproblem,evenforfree,youpositionyourselfastheguide.Thenexttimetheyencounteraprobleminthatareaoftheirlives,theywilllooktoyouforhelp.

Transitionalcallstoactioncomeinallshapesandsizes.Hereareafewideastocreatetransitionalcallstoactionofyourown:

• Freeinformation:CreateawhitepaperorfreePDFeducatingcustomersabout your field of expertise. This will position you as a guide in yourcustomer’s story and create reciprocity. Educational videos, podcasts,webinars,andevenliveeventsaregreattransitionalcallstoactionthaton-rampcustomerstowardapurchase.

• Testimonials:CreatingavideoorPDFincludingtestimonialsfromhappyclientscreatesastorymapinthemindsofpotentialcustomers.Whentheyseeothersexperienceasuccessfulendingtotheirstory,theywillwantthatsameendingforthemselves.

• Samples: If you can give away free samples of your product, do it.Offering a customer the ability to test-drive a car, taste your seasoning,sample yourmusic, or read a few pages of your book are greatways tointroducepotentialcustomerstoyourproducts.

• Freetrial:Offeringalimited-timefreetrialworksasarisk-removalpolicythat helps to on-ramp your customers. Once they try your product, theymaynotbeabletolivewithoutit.

ConnectingtheDotsEarlier thisyearStoryBrandworkedwithahealthclinic that specialized in

healthscreening,drug testing, treatingminorsicknesses,andgivingshots.Theprimary traffic the clinic received was through businesses who needed theiremployees to complete drug tests. Still, the clinic was stagnant in growth.Customerswerecomingintogetoneproductbutweren’tawareofanythingelsetheclinicoffered.

Uponvisitingtheclinic,oneofourStoryBrandGuidesnoticedtheyneededtocreatecleardirectandtransitionalcallstoaction.

Patientswouldcomeinto theshop,signanddateanentryform, thensit inthe lobby reading magazines or watching television while they waited for anurse.AsoneofourStoryBrandCertifiedGuidesconsultedwiththeclinic,shetold the owner to remove the television andmagazines. Instead ofmagazines,sheencouraged themtocreatea transitionalcall toactioncalled“TheHealthyBody Checklist,” allowing patients to self-assess their health. The checklistincludedquestions like,“Doyoufeel tiredatabout twoin theafternooneveryday?”and“Areyousatisfiedwithyourcurrentweight?”Afterpatientsfinishedtheirdrugorbloodtests,wesuggestedthatnursesreviewthechecklistwitheachpatientandletthemknowaboutsolutionsthatwerealsoavailableattheclinic.Thereceptionistcouldthenenterthecustomer’sdataintotheire-mailmarketingsystemand,basedonhowapatientwastagged,anautomatedcampaignwouldgointoeffect.IfthecustomerseemedliketheyneededmorevitaminB,they’dgetaseriesofe-mailsexplainingthebenefitsofamonthlyvitaminBshot,alongwithclearcallstoactiondirectingthepatienttomakeanotherappointment.

Is there a transitional call to action you can create that will grow yourbusiness?Areyourdirect calls toactionclearand repeatedoften? Ifnot,yourcustomerslikelydon’tknowwhatyouwantthemtodo.Remember,peoplearedrawn to clarity andaway fromconfusion.Having clear calls to actionmeanscustomersaren’tconfusedabouttheactionstheyneedtotaketodobusinesswithyou.

WHATARETHESTAKES?

Oncecustomersdecidetobuyourproducts,howcanweincreasetheperceivedvalueof thoseproductsanddeepen thepositiveexperience theyhavewithour

brand?Howcanwemakethestorywe’veinvitedthemintosoenticingthattheycan’twaittoturnthepage?

Todothis,wemustdefinethestakes.What’satstakeinthecustomer’sstoryif they do or do not choose to do businesswith us? Ifwe’ve not defined thestakes,we’venotmadethestoryinteresting.

In the next two modules, I’ll teach you how to deepen your customers’experiencewithyourbrandbydefiningexactlywhat’satstake.

Before we move forward, though, continue clarifying your business bybrainstorming potential calls to action you can include in your StoryBrandBrandScript.

CLARIFYYOURMESSAGESOYOURCUSTOMERSLISTEN


• Decidewhat direct call to action youwant tomake obvious on all yourmarketingmaterial.

• Brainstormanytransitionalcallstoactionyoucancreatethatwillstakeaclaimtoyourterritory,createreciprocitywithyourcustomers,andpositionyourbrandasaguide.

• Filloutthe“CalltoAction”sectionofyourStoryBrandBrandScript.

CHAPTER9

THATHELPSTHEMAVOIDFAILUREStoryBrandPrincipleSix:Everyhumanbeingistryingto

avoidatragicending.

Astorylivesanddiesbasedonthequestion:Willtheherosucceedorwilltheyfail?Throughout a story, storytellers foreshadow a potential successful endingandapotential tragicending.Theaudience remains insuspenseas longas thestorytellerkeepstheheroteeteringontheprecipiceofsuccessandfailure.

Theonlytwomotivationsaherohasinastoryaretoescapesomethingbadorexperiencesomethinggood.Suchis life.Ourdesire toavoidpainmotivatesustoseekaresolutiontoourproblems.

Ifastorytellerdoesn’tclearly letanaudienceknowwhatno-good, terrible,awfulthingmightbefalltheirherounlesssheovercomesherchallenge,thestorywillhavenostakes,andastorywithoutstakesisboring.

Asarule,eachsceneinamoviemustanswerthequestion:What’satstakefor the hero?Every conversation, every chase scene, every reflectivemontageshouldservethemovieinthesameway:itmusteithermovethecharactercloserto,orfurtherfrom,thetragicresultthatmightbefallthem.

Wekept turning the pages ofCharlotteBrontë’sJaneEyre to find out thedarksecretEdwardRochesterhadbeenhiding.

We sat on the edge of our seats in Jaws becausewe knew the citizens ofAmity Island might be killed by the shark if Chief Martin Brody didn’t do

something.Imagineastoryinwhichnothingbadcouldbefall thehero.Imaginealove

story in which everything went well for the couple straight through to thebeautifulandtension-freewedding.Imagineanactionmovieinwhichthebombtheherohadtodestroywasactuallyadudandnobodywasindanger.Wouldanaudiencecare?

Brands that don’t warn their customers about what could happen if theydon’tbuytheirproductsfailtoanswerthe“sowhat”questioneverycustomerissecretlyasking.

WHERE’STHEMAYHEM?

Allstate Insurance’s long-running Mayhem campaign features actor DeanWintershumorouslyportrayingeverythingfromraccoonsintheattictoaragingfirestartedbyabarbecuegrillatatailgatingparty.Theideawastohumorouslyremindpeoplewhytheyneededinsurance.Mayhemisalwayscontrastedagainstthe peaceful stability of Allstate, which asks the question, “Are you in goodhands?”

In 2015,Allstate, alongwith the advertising agencyLeoBurnett, took thecampaigntoahigherlevel.DuringtheSugarBowlonNewYear’sDay,AllstatelaunchedacampaigncalledProjectShareAware.Theideawastomakepeopleaware that sharing their whereabouts on social media might tip off criminalsaboutwhentoburglarizetheirhomes.

Toannouncetheproject,Allstatefoundarealcoupleandledthemtobelievethey’d won a prize. They visited the couple in their home, secretly takingpictures of their household items. Later, they recreated their home on asoundstage,completewithduplicatesof theirbelongings.Thecouplewas theninvited to attend theSugarBowl and given their ownprivate box.During thegame, Mayhem began auctioning off the couple’s belongings on nationaltelevision. People were directed to Mayhemsale.com for bargain-basementprices on everything from the couple’s used car to an old tuba.As the couplewatched their possessions being sold on the big screens at the game, theypanicked. Hidden cameras caught their reactions and broadcast them on livetelevision.

Of course, the couple’s actual possessions were safe. Nevertheless, thecampaignagitateda fear inmanyAmericans. In fact,newsoutletsallover the

country, including ABC News,Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times,covered the story.Suddenly, the threatofcriminalswalking intoourhomesasweannounceourdistantwhereaboutsonsocialmediabecameanationalfear.

The result? Mayhemsale.com received 6,000 to 10,000 hits per secondimmediatelyfollowingeachcommercial.Thesitereceivedmorethan18millionhitsduringthegame.Also,#Mayhemsaletrendedinthetoptenhashtagsduringthegame,and immediately after the commercials aired, surged tonumberoneworldwide.Mayhem’sTwitter followers increasedby24,000during thegame,and the first commercial of the campaign resulted in more than 20 millionimpressionsonFacebookandalmost70,000likes.1Allstatehad,inthecourseofonefootballgame,foreshadowedapotentialfailurefortheircustomersandsoldaninsuranceprotectingthem,bothopeningastoryloopandofferingtocloseitinasinglecampaign.

Of course, we don’t all have access to the millions it takes to create acampaignlikethis,butthebenefitsoffeaturingthepotentialpitfallsofnotdoingbusinesswithusaremucheasiertoincludethanwemaythink.Blogsubjects,e-mail content, and bullet points on our website can all include elements ofpotentialfailuretogiveourcustomersasenseofurgencywhenitcomestoourproductsandservices.

WHAT’STHERETOLOSE?

Asit relates toourmarketing, theobviousquestionis:Whatwill thecustomerloseiftheydon’tbuyourproducts?

Someofyoujustcringed.Iunderstand.IusedtocringewhenIthoughtabout“warning”mycustomersabout imminentdoomtoo.Whywouldn’t I?The lastthingIwant tobe isa fearmonger,because it’s true that fearmongersdon’tdowell in themarketplace.But fearmongering isnot theproblem99.9percentofbusinessleadersstrugglewith.Mostofusstrugglewiththeopposite.Wedon’tbring up the negative stakes enough and so the story we’re telling falls flat.Remember,iftherearenostakes,thereisnostory.

PeopleAreMotivatedbyLossAversionEmphasizing potential loss is more than just good storytelling; it’s good

behavioraleconomics.In1979,NobelMemorialPrizewinnerDanielKahnemanpublished a theory aboutwhy peoplemake certain buying decisions. ProspectTheory,asitwascalled,espousedthatpeoplearemorelikelytobedissatisfiedwithalossthantheyaresatisfiedwithagain.Inotherwords,peoplehatelosing$100morethantheylikewinning$100.This,ofcourse,meanslossaversionisagreatermotivatorofbuyingdecisionsthanpotentialgains.Infact,accordingtoKahneman,incertainsituations,peoplearetwotothreetimesmoremotivatedtomakeachangetoavoidalossthantheyaretoachieveagain.2

WhenLyndonBainesJohnsonworkedtopasstheCivilRightsActof1964,hefacedundyingpressurefromconservativepoliticalleadersacrosstheSouth.OneoftheprincipalleaderswhorefusedtoendorsethelegislationwasGeorgeWallace, then governor of Alabama.Wallace had no vote on the bill, but hisinfluence threatened its passage all the same. At a crucial moment in thenegotiations, Johnson satWallace down and explained he’d better get on therightsideofhistory.JohnsonsaidthatWallace’slegacyhunginthebalance,thatthey’deitherbuildastatue inhishonororhe’dbe remembered for instigatinghate.Thechoicewashis.Johnsonspelledoutthenarrativeandemphasizedthestakes, including the potential of the governor’s tarnished legacy. The CivilRightsbill,ofcourse,waspassed.

Sohowdoweusemessagesfromthefailurecategoryinourmarketing?InDominic Infante, Andrew Rancer, and Deanna Womack’s book BuildingCommunicationTheory,theyproposeafour-stepprocesscalleda“fearappeal.”

First,wemustmakeareader(orlistener)knowtheyarevulnerabletoathreat.Forexample:

“Nearly30percentofallhomeshaveevidenceoftermiteinfestation.”Second,weshouldletthereaderknowthatsincethey’revulnerable,theyshouldtakeactiontoreducetheirvulnerability.

“Sincenobodywantstermites,youshoulddosomethingaboutittoprotectyourhome.”

Third,weshouldletthemknowaboutaspecificcalltoactionthatprotectsthemfromtherisk.

“Weofferacompletehometreatmentthatwillinsureyourhouseisfreeoftermites.”

Fourth,weshouldchallengepeopletotakethisspecificaction.“Callustodayandscheduleyourhometreatment.”3

Essentially, Infante,Rancer, andWomackpresent a softwayof agitatingafearandthenhighlightapaththatwouldreturnreadersorlistenerstopeaceandstability.

FearIsSaltintheRecipeWe do not need to use a great deal of fear in the story we’re telling our

customers. Just a pinch of salt in the recipe will do. While we do need tocommunicate something from the failure category in order to complete ourBrandScript,toomanywarningsaboutimminentdoomwillturncustomersoff.

Infante,Rancer,andWomackexplainwhy:

Whenreceiversareeitherveryfearfulorveryunafraid,littleattitudeorbehaviorchangeresults.Highlevelsoffeararesostrongthatindividualsblock themout; low levels are tooweak to produce the desired effect.Messagescontainingmoderateamountsoffear-rousingcontentaremosteffectiveinproducingattitudinaland/orbehaviorchange.4

WHATAREYOUHELPINGYOURCUSTOMERAVOID?

Whatnegativeconsequencesareyouhelpingcustomersavoid?Couldcustomerslose money? Are there health risks if they avoid your services? What aboutopportunitycosts?Couldtheymakeorsavemoremoneywithyouthantheycanwithacompetitor?Couldtheirqualityoflifedeclineiftheypassyouby?What’sthecostofnotdoingbusinesswithyou?

If you’re a financial advisor, for example, the list of what you’re helpingcustomersavoidmightlooklikethis:

• Confusionabouthowyourmoneyisbeinginvested• Notbeingreadyforretirement• Alackoftransparencyfromyourfinancialadvisor• Alackofone-on-oneinteractionwithyouradvisor• Hiddenfees

Wecanevenimagineatragicscenethatmightbefallourcustomersif theydon’tengage.Ourfinancialadvisormightwritesomethinglikethis:

“Don’tpostponeyourretirement.You’veworkedtoohardfortoolongtonotenjoytimewithyourgrandchildren.”

Here are a few examples of what StoryBrand clients are helping theircustomersavoid:

PERKINSMOTORPLEX(USEDCARS)Gettingrippedoffbyaused-carsalesmanBeingstuckwithalemonFeelingtakenadvantageof

RELYTECHNOLOGY(AUDIOANDVIDEOFORTHEHOME)LivinginaboringhomeNobodywillwanttowatchthegameatyourhouse.YouneedaPhDtoturnontheTV.

AEROSPACEMARKETENTRY(MANUFACTUREROFAEROSPACEEQUIPMENT)

Productfailure,damagingyourreputationInefficientproductionBeingpassedbythecompetition

WINSHAPECAMPS(SUMMERCAMPFORKIDS)Along,boringsummerAbunchofrestlesskidsinyourhouseRegretabouthavingwastedthesummer

You can see how including these ideas in each client’smarketingmaterialwillgivetheiroverallstoryasenseofcompletenessandurgency.

In this module of your StoryBrand BrandScript, you’re only given a fewbulletpoints.You’llnoticeyou’regivenagreatdealmoreinthesuccessmodule.This,ofcourse,isonpurpose.You’llonlyneedafewterrible,dastardly,awfulthingstowarnyourcustomersabouttogetthepointacross.Toomuchandyourcustomerswillresistyou,toolittleandtheywon’tknowwhyyourproductseven

matter.Oncewe’ve defined the stakes, your customerswill bemotivated to resist

failure. Next we’ll dramatically increase their motivation by helping themimaginewhatlifecanlooklikewhentheybuyyourproductsorservices.Afterthey see what you offer and how it can make their lives better, you’ll haveincluded stakes in the narrative and customer engagement will grow. First,though,let’swarncustomersabouttheconsequencesofnotdoingbusinesswithyou.



• Brainstorm the negative consequences you are helping your customersavoid.

• Write down at least three of those consequences on your StoryBrandBrandScript.

CHAPTER10

ANDENDSINASUCCESSStoryBrandPrincipleSeven:Neverassumepeople

understandhowyourbrandcanchangetheirlives.Tellthem.

Years ago, a friend gaveme the best leadership advice I’ve ever received.Hesaid,“Don,alwaysremember,peoplewanttobetakensomewhere.”

I’vefoundthatadviceappliestomyfamily,myteam,thebooksIwrite,andthespeechesIgive.Anditcertainlyappliestoourmarketing.

Where is your brand taking people? Are you taking them to financialsecurity? To the day when they’ll move into their dream home? To a funweekendwithfriends?Withoutknowingit,everypotentialcustomerwemeetisaskinguswherewecantakethem.

RonaldReaganenvisionedAmericaasashiningcityonahill.BillClintonpromised to build a bridge to the twenty-first century. Casting a clear,aspirationalvisionhasalwaysservedapresidentialcandidate.

By foreshadowing a potential successful ending to a story, or, as StewFriedman at theWharton School puts it, defining a “compelling image of anachievablefuture,”1leaderscaptivatetheimaginationsoftheiraudiences.

Successfulbrands, likesuccessful leaders,make itclearwhat lifewill looklike if somebody engages their products or services. Nike promised to bringinspiration and innovation to every athlete. Likewise, Starbucks offered to

inspire and nurture their customers, one cup at a time. For years, Men’sWearhousepromised,“You’lllikethewayyoulook,”andtheyevenguaranteedit.

Withoutavision,thepeopleperish.Andsodobrands.InthefinalandmostimportantelementoftheStoryBrandFramework,we’re

goingtoofferourcustomerswhattheywantmost:ahappyendingtotheirstory.

THEENDINGSHOULDBESPECIFICANDCLEAR

OneoftheproblemswerunintowithStoryBrandclientsisthevisiontheypaintfor their customer’s future is too fuzzy.Nobodygets excited about amuddledvision. Stories aren’t vague, they’re defined; they’re about specific thingshappening to specific people. Otherwise they’re not stories; they’re just loftynotions.

Harrison Ford had to defeat the terrorists onAir ForceOne to return to apeaceful White House. Erin Brockovich had to win the final verdict againstPacific Gas and Electric so the citizens of Hinkley, California, could knowjustice. Inagoodstory, the resolutionmustbeclearlydefinedso theaudienceknowsexactlywhattohopefor.

Beingspecificmatters.Kennedywouldhaveboredtheworldhadhecastavision for a “highly competitive and productive space program.” Instead, hedefinedtheambitionspecificallyandassuchinspiredanation:“We’regoingtoputamanonthemoon.”

BEFOREANDAFTER

MyfriendRyanDeissatDigitalMarketercreatedagreattooltohelpusimaginethesuccessourcustomerswillexperienceiftheyuseourproductsandservices.

Inasimplegrid,Ryanallowsus toseehowourcustomers’ liveswill lookafter theyengageus,howtheywill feel,what theiraveragedaywill looklike,andwhatkindofnewstatustheywillenjoy.

Fillingoutthisgridforyourbrandisaterrificexercise.Onceyouknowhowyourcustomers’ liveswill changeafter theyengageyourbrand,youwillhaveplentyofcopytouseinyourmarketingcollateral.

Thenextstepistosayitclearly.Wemusttellourcustomerswhattheirliveswilllooklikeaftertheybuyourproducts,ortheywillhavenomotivationtodoso.Wehavetotalkabouttheendvisionwehavefortheirlivesinourkeynotes,inoure-mailblasts,onourwebsites,andeverywhereelse.

Images are also important when it comes to casting a vision for ourcustomers.Ifyou’resellingkitchenflooring,yourwebsitemightshowahappymom picking up her child from the beautiful and sparkling kitchen floor. Ifyou’resellingeducation,showusstudentsintheclassroomhavingagreattimelearningintheenvironmentyouprovide.Whateveritisyousell,showuspeoplehappilyengagingwiththeproduct.

HOWTOENDASTORYFORYOURCUSTOMER

Ultimately, the successmoduleofyourStoryBrandBrandScript should simplybe a list of resolutions to your customers’ problems. Brainstorm what yourcustomer’s lifewill looklikeexternally if theirproblemisresolved, thenthinkabouthowthatresolutionwillmakethemfeel,thenconsiderwhytheresolutionto their problem has made the world a more just place to live in. When weresolve our customers’ internal, external, and philosophical problems, we’vetrulycreatedaresolutionthatwillsatisfytheirstory.

Ifyouwanttotaketheconceptalittledeeper,it’sworthexploringhowmoststoriesareresolvedbystoryexperts.Overthecenturies,storytellershavelearnedwhatreallygivesanaudienceclosureandasenseofsatisfaction.

Thethreedominantwaysstorytellersendastoryisbyallowingtheheroto

1. Winsomesortofpowerorposition.2. Beunifiedwithsomebodyorsomethingthatmakesthemwhole.3. Experiencesomekindofself-realizationthatalsomakesthemwhole.

Thefactthatthesearethethreemost-employedstoryendingsimpliesthesearethreedominantpsychologicaldesiressharedbymosthumanbeings.

If our brand can promise a resolution that associates with one of thesepowerful desires, our BrandScript will be effective and our message will beenticing.

Let’sexplorethethreedesiresmoreclosely:

1.WinningPowerandPosition(TheNeedforStatus)When Iwas in high school, a film cameout calledCan’tBuyMeLove in

which a likable loser named Ronald Miller falls in love with a popularcheerleader named Cindy Mancini. Unfortunately for me, Ronald’s characterwas so overlooked and invisible in his school that most people called himDonald.YoucanimaginetheteasingIreceived.

Butwelovedthemovieall thesame.Why?Becausein theend,ofcourse,Ronald gets the girl. But he gets more than the girl. He gains status. Afterwinning the heart of Cindy, he becomes one of the popular kids, or, moreaccurately,herealizestryingtobesomebodyelseisawasteoftime,which,ofcourse,makeshimmorepopular.

Regardless, everybodywants status,which is evidenced by the number of

“coming-of-age”storiesinwhichacharacterrealizesthey’vegotwhatittakestorunwiththebigdogs.

As Imentionedearlier in thebook, theprimary functionofourbrain is tohelpussurviveandthrive,andpartofsurvivalmeansgainingstatus.Ifourbrandcan participate in making our customers more esteemed, respected, andappealinginasocialcontext,we’reofferingsomethingtheywant.

Sohowcanourbrandofferstatus?Therearemanyways:

Offeraccess:MywifelovesusingherStarbucksmembershipcardbecauseitgainsherpoints,whichgainsherstatusandtheoccasionalfreelatte.We’vehadmanyconversationsabouttheintangibilityofsaidstatus,butI’velearnednottoargue.She’sexcitedtobeonherwaytosomekindofdouble-pumpjazzydiamondlevel,whichI’mprettysuremeansshecancutinfrontofpeopleatthedrive-through.

Createscarcity:Offeringalimitednumberofaspecificitemcreatesscarcity,andowningsomethingthatisscarceisoftenseenasastatussymbol.WhenJeepputsabadgethatreads“limited”onthebackoftheirGrandCherokee,they’repromotingthescarcityoftheluxurySUV.

Offerapremium:Mostcompaniesearn70percentormoreoftheirrevenuefromasmallpercentageoftheirclients.Few,though,identifythoseclientsandofferthematitlesuchas“Preferred”or“DiamondMember.”Ilovebeingan“EmeraldClub”memberwithNationalCarRentalbecauseitmeansIgettobypassthecounter,jumpinacar,anddriveoff.Weevenrecommendastatus-associatedtitleforthenonprofitbrandsweworkwith.Peoplewillbemuchmorelikelytodonateiftheyknowtheyarean“AnchorDonor”andevenmorelikelyiftheygetspecialprivilegeslikeupdatesfromthefounderoraccesstootheranchordonorsatfund-raisers.

Offeridentityassociation:PremiumbrandslikeMercedesandRolexsellstatusasmuchastheydoluxury.Isitworthit?Dependsonwhoyouask.Statusreallydoesopendoors,andbyassociatingtheirbrand,andthustheircustomers,withsuccessandrefinement,theyofferthemstatus.

2.UnionThatMakestheHeroWhole(TheNeedforSomethingExternaltoCreateCompleteness)

Thereasonstoriesoftenendwiththeunionoflovershaslittletodowiththe

desire for love or sex. Rather, union betweenmale and female characteristicsfulfillsinthereaderadesireforwholeness.

Whentheprincerescuestheprincessandtheyuniteinaweddingattheendofthemovie,theaudiencesubconsciouslyexperiencesthejoiningoftwohalves.Thesubconsciousideaisthatthemanneedstobecomemorelikeawomanandthewomanneedstobecomemorelikeamaninordertobewhole.

Thisneed tobecompletedbyanexternal sourcedoesn’thave to include aweddingorevenamaleorfemalecharacter,however.Asuperherodeficientinaparticularwaycouldbehelpedoutbyanothersuperherowhoreentersthestoryattheend,forexample.

Thecontrollingideaofthiskindofendingisthatthecharacterisrescuedbysomebody or something else that they needed in order for them to be madecomplete.Inlovestories,ofcourse,it’sallabouttheunionofmaleandfemalecharacteristics, but the emotional need this kind of story resolves is muchgreater.It’saboutbeingmadewholebyexternalprovision.

So what are some of the ways we can offer external help for customerslookingtobecomecompleteorwhole?Hereareafewexamples:

Reducedanxiety:Foryears,brandsthatsellbasicitemslikedishdetergentandglasscleanerhavealmostcomicallypositionedtheirproductsasanti-anxietymedication.Astheherointhecommercialusestheproduct,hisorhersenseoffrustrationsubsidesuntil,atlast,they’reabletoseetheirbrightshiningfaceglowingbackattheminthepolishedplatter,andthenofftheygointothesunset.Whatisthebrandreallyoffering?Satisfactionforajobwelldone.Afeelingofclosureaboutacleanhouse.Abetter,morepeacefullife.Willtheuseofyourproductleadtothereliefofstressandafeelingofcompleteness?Ifso,talkaboutitandshowitinyourmarketingmaterial.

Reducedworkload:Customerswhodon’thavetherighttoolsmustworkharderbecausetheyare,well,incomplete.Butwhatifatoolyouoffercouldgivethemwhatthey’remissing?Whetherthey’resellingwheelbarrows,software,jackhammers,orafishingapparatus,manufacturershavebeenpositioningtoolsas“thethingthatwillmakeyousuperhuman”fordecades.

Moretime:Formanycustomers,timeistheenemy,andifourproductcanexpandtime,we’reofferingtosolveanexternalproblemthatiscausinganinternalfrustration.Notbeingableto“fititallin”isoftenperceivedby

ourcustomersasapersonaldeficiency.Anytool,system,philosophy,orevenpersonwhocanexpandtimemayofferasenseofcompleteness.

3.UltimateSelf-RealizationorAcceptance(TheNeedtoReachOurPotential)

Movies likeRudy,Hoosiers, andChariots of Fire all tap into the humandesiretoreachourpotential.Andit’snotjustsportsmovies.LegallyBlonde,TheTheoryofEverything,andWhiplashareallaboutheroeswhofacegreatoddsintheir journey to prove themselves. Once proven, the heroes realize an innerpeaceandcanfinallyacceptthemselvesbecausethey’vereachedtheirpotential.

Anoutwarddemonstrationofworthisn’talwaysnecessarytocreatethiskindof resolution. Heroes can also take an internal journey to come to the sameconclusion.When Bridget Jones realized she was too good for the boss withwhom she desired a relationship, she came to an ultimate self-realization thatreturnedhertoaplaceofpeaceandstability.Andwhileit’strueshedidn’tclosethestoryloopofunitingwiththemanshewanted,resolutionisbroughtaboutassheabandonsthatgoalinexchangeforthegreaterfulfillmentofself-acceptanceandcontentment.

In 2013, the soap companyDove released a series of short films featuringwomenwhowerethesubjectsofanFBI-trainedforensicartist.Withoutactuallyseeing the women, the artist would draw each woman based on how shedescribedherself.Later,theartistwoulddrawthesamewomanbasedonhowastrangerdescribedher.The revealwasshocking.Thesketchesdrawn from thestranger’s description were alwaysmore beautiful than the ones in which thewomen described themselves. The point: many women don’t realize howbeautifultheyare.Theadwasanattempttohelpwomenacceptthemselvesandfindgreatercontentmentintheirintrinsicbeauty.

Whetherit’sbyfulfillingsomepurposeoracceptingthemselvesastheyare,this return to contentment resolves something in a story that is universallyhuman:thedesireforself-acceptance.

Howcanabrandofferasenseofultimateself-realizationorself-acceptance?Hereareafewideas:

Inspiration:Ifanaspectofyourbrandcanofferorbeassociatedwithaninspirationalfeat,openthefloodgates.BrandslikeRedBull,Harvard

BusinessReview,UnderArmour,TheKenBlanchardCompany,MichelobUltra,andevenGMChaveassociatedthemselveswithathleticandintellectualaccomplishmentandthusasenseofself-actualization.

Acceptance:Helpingpeopleacceptthemselvesastheyareisn’tjustathoughtfulthingtodo;it’sgoodmarketing.NotunliketheDovecampaign,AmericanEagleturnedheadswhentheylaunchedtheirAeriecampaign.Inthecampaign,AmericanEagleusedrealpeopleasmodelsandrefusedtoretouchtheimages.Tacklingbody-imageissues,AmericanEaglewentbeyondbasicproductpromotionandcontributedtouniversalself-acceptanceamongtheirclientele.

Transcendence:Brandsthatinvitecustomerstoparticipateinalargermovementofferagreater,moreimpactfullifealongwiththeirproductsandservices.Tom’sShoesbuiltanameforitselfbysellingstylishshoeswhilesimultaneouslygivingapairtosomebodyinneedinwhattheycalleda“oneforone”model.Thosewhoworetheshoesclaimedamajorfactorindecidingtomakethepurchasewasasenseofinvolvementwithalargermovement.Atlessthantenyearsold,thefor-profitbrandsoldformorethan$700million.AnotherexampleofabrandthathelpscustomersachievealeveloftranscendenceisDaymondJohn’sclothingbrandFUBU,anacronymfor“ForUsByUs,”inreferencetotheAfricanAmericancommunitybeingrepresentedinthemarketplace.Thebrandoffersmorethanfashion;itoffersasenseofunity,transcendence,andentrepreneurialismfortheAfricanAmericancommunity.

CLOSINGTHESTORYLOOPS

The ideabehind thesuccessmodule in theSB7Framework is thatweoffer toclose a story loop.Humanbeings are looking for resolutions to their external,internal,andphilosophicalproblems,andtheycanachievethisthrough,amongother things, status, self-realization, self-acceptance, and transcendence. If ourproductscanhelppeopleachievethesethings,weshouldmakethisacoreaspectofourbrandpromise.

KEEPITSIMPLE

Offering to close a story loop ismuchmore simple than you think. Even theinclusionofsmiley,happypeopleonyourwebsite isastrongway tooffer theclosingofastoryloop.Peoplewanttobehappy,andthoseimagespromiseyourproductwilldeliver.

Ifyousellrugs,asuccessfulresolutionmightbeabeautifulfloororaroomthatfinallyfeelsfinished.Ifyousellicecream,asuccessfulresolutionmightbearich,creamytasteofheaven.Campinggear?Anadventuretoremember.

WhileI’vebeenslightlyphilosophicalinthischapter,trynottooverthinkit.What problem are you resolving in your customer’s life, and what does thatresolution look like? Stick to basic answers because basic answers really dowork.Then,whenyougetgood,startdivingdeeperintothelevelsofproblemsyourbrandresolves.

Theimportantideainthissectionisthatweneedtoshowrepeatedlyhowourproductorservicecanmakesomebody’slifebetter.Ifwedon’ttellpeoplewherewe’retakingthem,theywon’tfollow.Astoryhastogosomewhere.

Haveyoutoldyourcustomerswhereyouwanttotakethem?



• Brainstorm the successful resolution you’re helping your customersachieve. What will their lives look like if they use your products andservices?

• UsethebulletpointsinthesuccessmoduleofyourBrandScripttocaptureyourbestanswers.

Now that you’ve createdyourStoryBrandBrandScript, let’s take a look atthe biggestmotivator your customer has formaking a purchase: the desire tobecomesomebodydifferent.

CHAPTER11

PEOPLEWANTYOURBRANDTOPARTICIPATEINTHEIRTRANSFORMATION

Even thoughyou’ve filledoutall sevenpartsofyourStoryBrandBrandScript,you’velikelynoticedthere’soneleft.Thefinalsectionservesasthefoundationfor the overall BrandScript andwill help you create a guiding focus for yourbrand. In fact, we’ve only danced around the greatest single motivation yourcustomer has. This single motivator is the driving force behind nearly everydecision we make as human beings.Whether we’re buying lawn furniture orchoosingamate,wecan’tescapeit.

I’mtalkingaboutthehumandesiretotransform.Everybody wants to change. Everybody wants to be somebody different,

somebody better, or, perhaps, somebody who simply becomes more self-accepting.

When you look closely at your BrandScript, you’ll see it. Your brand ishelpingpeoplebecomebetterversionsofthemselves,whichisabeautifulthing.Youarehelping thembecomewiser,moreequipped,morephysically fit,moreaccepted,andmoreatpeace.Likeitornot(andwehopeyoulikeit),weareallparticipatinginourcustomers’transformation,whichisexactlywhattheywantustodo.

Brands that participate in the identity transformation of their customerscreatepassionatebrandevangelists.

HEROESAREDESIGNEDTOTRANSFORM

Atthebeginningofastory,theheroisusuallyflawed,filledwithdoubt,andill-equippedforthetasksetbeforethem.Theguideaidsthemontheirjourney,rifewith conflict.The conflict begins to change the character, though.Forced intoaction,theherodevelopsskillsandaccruestheexperienceneededtodefeattheirfoe. Though the hero is still filled with doubt, they summon the courage toengage, and in the climactic scene defeat the villain, proving once and for alltheyhavechanged,thattheyarenowcompetenttofacechallengesandarebetterversionsofthemselves.Thestoryhastransformedthem.

Thissamecharacterarc,bytheway,isthearcforTheOldManandtheSea,PrideandPrejudice,Pinocchio,Hamlet,SleepingBeauty,andTommyBoy. It’sthearcofalmosteverypopularstorywecanname.Why?Becauseit’sourstory.Feelings of self-doubt are universal, as is the desire to become somebodycompetent and courageous.And all of thismatterswhen it comes to brandingourproductsandservices.

Afewimportantquestionswehavetoaskourselveswhenwe’rerepresentingourbrandare:Whodoesourcustomerwanttobecome?Whatkindofpersondotheywanttobe?Whatistheiraspirationalidentity?

SMARTBRANDSDEFINEANASPIRIATIONALIDENTITY

Recently I ran down to Home Depot to get a stud finder so I could installshelvinginthegarage.Nexttothestudfindersinthetoolsectionwasaselectionof Gerber Knives. Gerber is a knife company out of Portland, Oregon, thatmakes a range of multipurpose pocketknives. Their commercial campaign,however, offers the buyer a lot more than a knife. They sell somethingintangible.Theysellan identity,andby that Imean theysellakindofpersonyouandIcanbecome.I’dbeenstudyingtheircommercialsforalongtime,andeventhoughIknewexactlywhattheyweredoingtomysubconscious,Iwantedoneanyway.Butwhy?IthoughttomyselfasIstoodtherestaringattheknives.I’mawriter.TheonlythingIneedaknifeforistomakeapeanutbutterandjellysandwich.

Still, the pull was palpable.What if I had to swim under a boat to cut a

tangled rope from itspropeller?Orcutapant legoffmybloodyblue jeans tomakeatourniquetformyinjuredarm?

ThankfullymyexecutivebrainoverpoweredmyprimitivebrainandIwalkedawaywithjustthestudfinder.Butwhywasitsohard?WhydidIwanttheknifesobadly?AndthenwhydidIspecificallywantaGerberKnife?Certainlytheymakegreatknives,buttherearemanyothercompaniesmakinggreatknivesandI’dneverreallycaredornoticed.

The reason was simple. Gerber defined an aspirational identity for theircustomersand theyassociated theirproductwith that identity.TheaspirationalidentityofaGerberKnifecustomeristhattheyaretough,adventurous,fearless,actionoriented,andcompetenttodoahardjob.Epitomizedintheiradvertisingcampaign “Hello Trouble,” Gerber positioned their customer as the kind ofpersonwhosailsboatsintostorms,ridesbulls,rescuespeoplefromfloods,andyes,cutstangledropesfromboatpropellers.Intheirtelevisioncommercialstheypresent imagesof theseaspirational,heroic figuresoveranthemicmusicandanarratorrecitingthelines:

Hello,Trouble.It’sbeenawhilesincewelastmet.ButIknowyou’restilloutthere.AndIhaveafeelingyou’relookingforme.YouwishI’dforgetyou,don’tyou,Trouble?Perhapsit’syouthathasforgottenme.PerhapsIneedtocomefindyou,remindyouwhoIam.1

Thecommercialisterrific.Oneday,tomysurprise,aStoryBrandalumnus,whohappened tohavebeenoneof theArmyRangers aboutwhom themovieBlackHawkDownwasmade,stoppedbythehouse.Wecaughtupforamoment,andthenhegavemealittlethank-youpresent,aGerberKnife.Heevenhadmyname engraved on the blade. He knew I liked the commercial and thought itwouldbeathoughtfulgift.TothisdayIkeepthatknifeclippedtothedashboardofmy truck.Occasionally I’ll take it into the kitchen, stare at a jar of peanutbutter,andsay,“Hello,Trouble.”

Imayjustbeawriter,butIlovethatknife.Butletmeaskyouaquestion.Wasthatknifeawasteofmoney?Imean,let’s

sayIdidpayfortydollarsfortheknifeandneverusedit.DidIgetrippedoff?

I’ve asked that question to hundreds of people who’ve attended theStoryBrand Marketing Workshop, and the answer has always come back thesame:no.Itwasnotawasteofmoney.Itwaswellworththefortydollars.Ican’thelpbutagree.ThetruthisIgotaknifeandsomethingmorethanaknife.Inaway, Gerber helpedme become a better person. They defined an aspirationalidentity and invited me to step into it. They made me feel more tough andadventurous,and theyevencreatedamomentbetween two friends.And that’sworthagreatdealmorethanfortydollars.

HOWDOESYOURCUSTOMERWANTTOBEDESCRIBEDBYOTHERS?

The best way to identify an aspirational identity that our customers may beattractedtoistoconsiderhowtheywanttheirfriendstotalkaboutthem.Thinkabout it.Whenothers talkaboutyou,whatdoyouwant themtosay?Howweanswerthatquestionrevealswhoitiswe’dliketobe.

It’s thesameforourcustomers.Asit relates toyourbrand,howdoesyourcustomerwanttobeperceivedbytheirfriends?Andcanyouhelpthembecomethatkindofperson?Canyouparticipateintheiridentitytransformation?Ifyouoffer executive coaching, your clients may want to be seen as competent,generous, and disciplined. If you sell sports equipment, your customers likelywanttobeperceivedasactive,fit,andsuccessfulintheirathleticpursuits.

Onceweknowwhoourcustomerswanttobe,wewillhavelanguagetouseine-mails,blogposts,andallmannerofmarketingmaterial.

AGUIDEOFFERSMORETHANAPRODUCTANDAPLAN

Playingtheguideismorethanamarketingstrategy;it’sapositionoftheheart.Whenabrandcommitsitselftotheircustomers’journey,tohelpingresolvetheirexternal, internal, and philosophical problems, and then inspires themwith anaspirational identity, they domore than sell products—they change lives.Andleaderswhocaremoreaboutchanginglivesthantheydoaboutsellingproductstendtodoagoodbitofboth.

LastyearStoryBrandconsultedwithDaveRamseyandhisteamatRamseySolutions. Ramsey Solutions may be the best example of a narrative-basedcompanyIknow,andDavehimselfisaterrificexampleofaguide.Overaseriesofworkshops,dinners,andspeeches,weintroducedtheRamseyteamtotheSB7Framework,lessasawayofeducatingthemthanasawayofgivingvocabularytowhattheywerealreadydoing.

DaveRamsey hosts one of the largest radio shows inAmericawithmorethan eightmillion daily listeners. On the show he offers financial advice andstrategiesthatcenteraroundtacklingandconqueringpersonaldebt.Unlikemanyadvisors, though,Ramseyoffersmore thanwisdom;he offers a narrativemaphiscustomerscanenterinto.Ramseycomesbackfromeverybreakonhisradioshowwiththesameline:“WelcomebacktoTheDaveRamseyShow,wheredebtisdumb,cashisking,andthepaid-offhomemortgagehastakentheplaceoftheBMW as the status symbol of choice.” There they are, the elements of story,completewithanidentitytostepintoandanewstatussymboltogoalongwithit.

ThoughDave’sface isprominentonbookcoversandbillboardspromotinghis show, he never positions himself as the hero. Instead, Ramsey has a nearobsession with his listeners’ journeys. Dave’s understanding of his listeners’external problems (consumer debt and financial illiteracy), internal problems(confusionandafeelingofhopelessness),aswellastheirphilosophicalproblem(accruingdebtforthingswedon’tneedpositsmoralquestions)engageslistenersin a living story. Always entertaining, Dave never misses an opportunity toembolden his listeners with an aspirational identity, encourage theirimprovements,andremindthemthattacklingtheirfinancialchallengesisasteptopersonalstrengthandtherearefewoflife’sproblemsthatcan’tbeconqueredwithalittlestrategyandcommitment.

Daveevenoffersaclimacticsceneinhiscustomers’story.AfterexecutingaplanheoffersthroughhisFinancialPeaceUniversity,listenersareinvitedonhisshowtoperforma“Debt-FreeScream.”People travelfromthousandsofmilesaway tobefeaturedon theshow,andwhen theyarrive,dozensof theRamseyteam surround the accomplished hero with applause as the hero shouts, “I’mdebt-free!”

Once a listener has completed the journey, Dave lets them know they’vechanged,thatthey’redifferentnowandthere’snothingtheycan’taccomplishiftheyapplythemselves.

GREATBRANDSOBSESSABOUTTHETRANSFORMATIONOFTHEIRCUSTOMERS

When we first met with Dave, I was surprised to learn he didn’t know thataffirmingthehero’stransformationwasanoftincludedsceneattheendofmanystories.Aftertheclimacticscene(thedebt-freescream),theguidecomesbacktoaffirmthetransformationofthehero.

InStarWars, theghostofObi-Wanstandsnext toLukeSkywalkerashe’srewardedforbravery.InTheKing’sSpeech,LioneltellsKingGeorgehewillbeagreatking.PeterBrandsitsBillyBeanedowninthemovieMoneyballandletshimknowhe’shittheequivalentofahomerunasthemanageroftheA’s.

Themainpurposethesescenesserveistomarkthetransformationtheherohasexperiencedsotheaudiencehasapointofreferencethatcontraststhehero’scharacterfromthestory’sbeginning.Theaudienceneedstobetoldveryclearlyhow far the hero has come, especially since the hero usually struggles withcripplingdoubtrightupuntiltheendandtheydon’tevenrealizehowmuchtheyhavechanged.

A hero needs somebody else to step into the story to tell them they’redifferent,they’rebetter.Thatsomebodyistheguide.Thatsomebodyisyou.

Therearehundredsofthousandsoffinancialadvisors,andthousandsofthemhavewrittenbooks.Hundredsof thosewho’vewrittenbookshavepodcastsorradio shows, and yet Dave Ramsey enjoys a wider popularity. Why? Well,certainly his advice is good. Nobody is attracted to incompetence. But I’mconvinced it is the way he frames the customer’s journey as a narrative andparticipatesintheirtransformationthatsetshimapart.

IDENTITYTRANSFORMATION

In the foundationalmoduleofyourStoryBrandBrandScript,we’ve includedasection thatwill allowyou to define an identity transformation your customermayexperienceastheyrelatetoyourbrand.

Whodoesyourcustomerwanttobecomeastheyrelatetoyourproductsandservices?

AtStoryBrand,wewantourcustomerstobecomemarketingexperts.WhentheyleaveourworkshoporafterhavingspenttimewithoneofourStoryBrand

Guides,wewant themto return to theofficeandhavepeoplewonderingwhathappened to them. How did they get such marketing savvy? How did theybecomesoclear in their thinking?Whyare their ideassuddenlysogood?DidtheysuddenlygetaPhDinmessaging?

SimilartothesuccessmoduleofyourBrandScript, theaspirationalidentitysectionanswersaquestionabouthowthestoryends,exceptinsteadoftellinguswherethestoryisgoing,ittellsuswhotheherohasbecome.

Brandsthatrealizetheircustomersarehuman,filledwithemotion,driventotransform, and in need of help truly domore than sell products; they changepeople.DaveRamseychangespeople.Starbuckschangespeople.Applechangespeople. Tom’s Shoes changes people. Gerber Knives changes people. It’s nowonder brands like these have such passionate fans and do so well in themarketplace.

EXAMPLESOFIDENTITYTRANSFORMATION

ThousandsofStoryBrandclientshavedefinedanaspirational identity for theircustomersandbeguntoparticipateintheirtransformation.Becauseofthis,moreandmorecompaniesarenotjustimprovingtheworldthroughtheirproductsandservices; they’re actually improving the way their customers see themselves.Offering an aspirational identity to our clients adds enormous value toeverythingelsethatweoffer.

HerearesomeexamplesofaspirationalidentitiesfromStoryBrandalumni:

PETFOODBRANDFrom:PassivedogownerTo:Everydog’shero

FINANCIALADVISORFrom:Confusedandill-equippedTo:Competentandsmart

SHAMPOOBRANDFrom:Anxiousandglum

To:Carefreeandradiant

Have you thought about who you want your customer to become?Participatinginyourcustomer’stransformationcangivenewlifeandmeaningtoyourbusiness.Whenyour teamrealizes that theysellmore thanproducts, thattheyguidepeople toward a strongerbelief in themselves, then theirworkwillhavegreatermeaning.

Spendsome time thinkingaboutwhoyouwantyourcustomers tobecome.Howcanyouimprovethewaytheyseethemselves?

Howcanyourbrandparticipateinyourcustomer’stransformationaljourney?Let’sdomorethanhelpourheroeswin;let’shelpthemtransform.



• Brainstormtheaspirationalidentityofyourcustomer.Whodotheywanttobecome?Howdotheywanttobeperceivedbyothers?

• Use the “to” lines of yourBrandScript to define an aspirational identity.Filling out the “from” line is then simple. It’s simply the opposite ofwhateveryoudefineastheiraspirationalidentitycapturedinthe“to”line.

SECTION3

IMPLEMENTINGYOURSTORYBRANDBRANDSCRIPT

CHAPTER12

BUILDINGABETTERWEBSITE

WewillonlyseeanincreasedengagementfromcustomersifweimplementourStoryBrand BrandScript in our marketing and messaging material. TheBrandScript you’ve put together has to show up on websites, in e-mailcampaigns,elevatorpitches,andsalesscripts.Youmusteditexistingmarketingmaterials and create new and better materials, then get thosematerials in thehandsofpotentialcustomers.

TothedegreethatyouimplementyourStoryBrandBrandScriptisthedegreeto which people will understand why they need your products. Themore weimplement,themorecustomerswilllisten.

Themoreyou execute, themore clearlyyou’ll communicate and themoreyourbrandwillstandout.

The third section of Building a StoryBrand gives both large and smallcompanies tangible, practical steps they can take to apply their StoryBrandBrandScript.Whetheryou’reamom-and-popshop,astart-up,apersonalbrand,or even a multibillion-dollar organization, you’ll learn from the thousands ofcompanieswhohavecreatedandexecutedtheirStoryBrandBrandScript toseeradicalresults.

STARTWITHYOURWEBSITE

Most of us don’t havemillions to spend on amarketing campaign, but that’sokay.Thesedayswecangetserioustractionjustpayingattentiontoourdigitalpresence.Agreatdigitalpresencestartswithaclearandeffectivewebsite.Ourwebsite isn’t theonlytoolweneedtomotivatebuyers,but it’susually theonethatdoestheheavylifting.Peoplemayhearaboutusthroughwordofmouthorsocialmedia,buttheydefinitelygotoourwebsitetolearnmore.Whentheygetto our website, their “hopes need to be confirmed,” and they need to beconvincedwehaveasolutiontotheirproblem.

Inshort,weneedawebsitethatpassesthegrunttestandconvertsbrowsersintobuyers.

KEEPITSIMPLE

Atourworkshopswe’vereviewedthousandsofwebsites,andmostofthemhavesuccumbedtovillainousnoise.Thedaysofusingourwebsiteasaclearinghouseof information are over. Businesseswere once able to post all the small printaboutwhat theydoon theirwebsite,but the Internethaschanged.Todayyourwebsiteshouldbetheequivalentofanelevatorpitch.

Yourwebsite is likelythefirst impressionapotentialcustomerwillreceiveaboutyourcompany.It’salmostlikeafirstdate.Thecustomersimplyneedstoknow that you have something they want and you can be trusted to deliverwhateverthatis.

Evenifyourcompanyhasgrownbecauseofwordofmouth,awebsitefullofnoisecankillpotentialsales.Yourwebsitematters.

Aswe’vehelpedourclientscreategreatwebsites,we’vecomebacktofivethingstheyneedtoincludeinordertoseeresults.Thesefivethingsarejustthebeginning of a marketing campaign, but unless we’ve got these five thingsworkingforus,there’snoreasontomoveon.Let’sjustcallthesethebasics.

THEFIVETHINGSYOURWEBSITESHOULDINCLUDE

1.AnOfferAbovetheFoldWhenpeoplego toyourwebsite, the first thing theysee is the imagesand

textabovethefold.Thetermabovethefoldcomesfromthenewspaperindustryandrefers tothestoriesprintedabovewherethenewspaperfoldsinhalf.Onawebsite, the images and text above the fold are the things you see and readbeforeyoustartscrollingdown.

As Imentionedearlier, I like to thinkof themessages above the fold as afirst date, and then as you scroll downyou canput themessages youwant toshareonasecondandthirddate.Butaswe’vetalkedabout,thestuffyoushareonafirstdateshouldbeshort,enticing,andexclusivelycustomer-centric.

MywifewasrecentlygiftedanonlinemembershiptosomesortofcookingschoolinSeattle.Afriendsentittoherasathank-youforsomeworkshe’ddoneon theirwebsite.At first,Betsywasexcited,until shewent to thesite.On themainpageof thesite (beforeshe logged in), therewasabeautifulpictureofacarrotcakeandbeneath itsomekindof inside jokeabouthavingsomething toeatwhilewatchingGameofThrones.Wedidn’t get it. She scrolleddownandclickedonavideo,hopingitwouldexplainwhatkindofthingshe’dbeengiven.Instead, the video featured a cartoon explanation of how the company gotstarted. Somebody named Joe met somebody named Karen, who was friendswithsomebodynamedTodd,andtheyalllovedcooking!

Itwasn’tuntilmywifesignedinandbeganexploringwhatthesiteofferedthatshegotexcited.Shecametobedthatnighttellingmeaboutacertainkindofnaturalingredientshecouldusetotakethecoloroutofliquorsoallhercocktailswouldlookclear.Ididn’tunderstandwhythiswasimportantuntilsheexplainedthat thesage fromhergardenwouldstandoutmoreas ithungfromtheglass.“Oh,thesage,”Isaid.“Theyofferaservicetohelpyoursagestandout.”

“No,”Betsysaid.“Ittookmeacouplehourstofigureitout,butthewholesubscriptionisaboutthesethreefunfriendsinSeattlewhoaregoingtomakemeaprointhekitchen!”

BINGO! Betsy said it. She said the very words that needed to be printedabovethefoldontheirwebsite:

“WEWILLMAKEYOUAPROINTHEKITCHEN!”

Oneshortsentencewouldhavehelpedusunderstandwhattheyofferedandevengivenuswordstousetohelptheirbusinessspread.

Thereisnotellinghowmanycustomersthatsiteislosingbecausetheyaremaking their customerswork so hard to understandwhy anybodywould needtheir service.Myownwife,whonow loves the site,wouldhavebouncedhadshenotbeengivenafreepass.

Theideahereisthatcustomersneedtoknowwhat’sinitforthemrightwhentheyreadthetext.Thetextshouldbeboldandthestatementshouldbeshort.Itshouldbeeasytoreadandnotburiedunderbuttonsandclutter.IrecentlywenttothewebsiteforSquarespaceanditsimplysaid,“WeHelpYouMakeBeautifulWebsites.” Perfect. They could have said a lot of things on theirwebsite, butbecause they know to keep messages short and relevant, they’re makingmillions.

Above the fold, make sure the images and text you use meet one of thefollowingcriteria:

• Theypromiseanaspirationalidentity.Byofferingtomakemywifeaprointhekitchen,theschoolinSeattle

could have let her know “what’s in it for her” by appealing to anaspirational identity. Can we help our customers become competent insomething?Will theybedifferentpeopleafter they’veengagedus?Let’sspellitoutclearly.

• Theypromisetosolveaproblem.Ifyoucanfixaproblem,tellus.Canyoustopmycatfromclawingthe

furniture?My car fromoverheating?My hair from thinning?Say it.Wedidn’tgotoyourwebsitetoreadabouthowmanycompanysoftballgamesyou’vewon;wecameheretosolveaproblem.

• Theystateexactlywhattheydo.Theeasiestthingwecandoonourwebsiteisstateexactlywhatwedo.

There’sashopdownthestreetfromuscalledLocalHoney,whichwouldcauseanybodytothinktheyselllocalhoney.Theyquicklyovercamethisconfusion,though,withataglinethatsays,“Wesellclothes.Wedohair.”Gotcha.LocalHoneysellsclothesanddoeshair.I’venowfiledthemawayintheRolodexofmybrainandwillrememberthemwhenIneednewhairornewclothes.

Takealookatyourwebsiteandmakesureit’sobviouswhatyoucanofferacustomer.Someofourclientsdospellouttheiroffer,buttheyspellitoutinthemiddle of a paragraph that starts out, “We’ve been in business since 1979,committedtoexcellenceandcaringaboutourcustomers...”That’sallniceandsweet,butJ.K.Rowlingdidn’tstartherfirstHarryPotternovelwith“MynameisJ.K.RowlingandforalongtimeI’vewantedtowriteabook...”Thefactthat she alwayswanted towrite a bookwasn’t part of the actualHarryPotterstory,andshewas smartenough toknow it.Shegot straight to thepoint.Shehookedthereader.Shewassmart,andwecanbesmarttoo.Anofferabovethefoldisasurewaytogetacustomerhookedonthestorywe’retelling.

2.ObviousCallstoAction

Ifyou’renotsurewhatacalltoactionis,gobackandreadchapter8inthisbook. It’s important.Fornow,knowthat thewholepointofyourwebsite is tocreateaplacewherethedirectcalltoactionbuttonmakessenseandisenticing.Whilewe’reinbusinesstoserveourcustomersandbettertheworld,we’llbeoutofbusinesssoonifpeopledon’tclickthat“BuyNow”button.Let’snothideit.

Therearetwomainplaceswewanttoplaceadirectcalltoaction.Thefirstisatthetoprightofourwebsiteandthesecondisinthecenterofthescreen,abovethefold.Yourcustomer’seyemovesquicklyinaZpatternacrossyourwebsite,soifthetopleftisyourlogoandperhapstagline,yourtoprightisa“BuyNow”button,andthemiddleofthepageisanofferfollowedbyanother“BuyNow”button,thenyou’velikelygottenthroughallthenoiseinyourcustomer’smindandtheyknowwhatroleyoucanplayintheirstory.

Forbestresultsthe“BuyNow”buttonsshouldbeadifferentcolorfromanyotherbuttonon the site (preferablybrighter so it standsout), andbothbuttonsshould look exactly the same. I know this sounds likeoverkill, but remember,people don’t read websites, they scan them. You want that button to keepshowing up like a recurring theme. A person has to hear something (or readsomething) many times before they process the information, so we want torepeatourmaincalltoactionseveraltimes.

Yourtransitionalcalltoactionshouldalsobeobvious,butdon’tletitdistractfromthedirectcall toaction.I likefeaturingthetransitionalcall toactioninaless-bright button next to the call to action so the “Will youmarryme?” and“Canwegooutagain?”requestsarerightnexttoeachother.Remember,ifyouaren’taskingpeopletoplaceanorder,theywon’t.

3.ImagesofSuccessWordsmakeupthemajorityofourmessaging,butnotallofit.Theimages

we use on our websites also communicate something. If people come to ourwebsite and see pictures of our building, we’re likely wasting some of theirmentalbandwidthonmeaninglessmessages,unless,ofcourse,you’reabed-and-breakfast.But even then, imagesof thebuildingaren’twhat I’d leadwith. I’dsavethatfortheseconddate.Webelieveimagesofsmiling,happypeoplewhohavehadapleasurableexperience(closedanopenstoryloop)byengagingyourbrandshouldbefeaturedonyourwebsite.

Everybody wants to experience a better life in some way or another, andwhileitmayseemsimple,imagesofpeoplesmilingorlookingsatisfiedspeaktous.Theyrepresentanemotionaldestinationwe’dliketoheadtoward.

Manyofusneedtodisplayourproducts,butifwecanfeaturethoseproductsin the hands of smiling people, our images might have more power. Noteverybodyneedstobesmiling,ofcourse; thiswouldn’tseemauthentic.Butingeneralweneedtocommunicateasenseofhealth,well-being,andsatisfactionwithourbrand.Theeasiestwaytodothisisbydisplayinghappycustomers.

4.ABite-SizedBreakdownofYourRevenueStreamsAcommonchallengeformanybusinessesisthattheyneedtocommunicate

simply about what they do, but they’ve diversified their revenue streams sowidely that they’re having trouble knowing where to start. If this is yourstruggle,you’rehardlyalone.Wehadaclientacoupleofyearsagothathadtwomainproducts:atwo-daypersonalizedlife-planningprocessforindividualsand

a two-daystrategicoperationsplanningsession for teamsofexecutive leaders.Soundssimpleenough,exceptthecompanydidn’treallymakemoneyoffeitherproduct; instead, theymademoney training andcertifying the facilitators.Thechallenge, then,was to increasedemand for eachproduct so thatmorepeoplewouldwanttobecomefacilitators.Thismeanstheyhadtodrivetraffictothreedifferent products: the life-planning product, the strat-ops product, and thefacilitatorcertification.

If this company sounds like yours, the first challenge is to find an overallumbrellamessage thatunifiesyourvarious streams.Forour friendsdeliveringlife-planning and strat-ops facilitation, we chose the need people have for acustomized plan. Above the fold on their website, we recommended the text“The Key to Success Is a Customized Plan” over an image of a facilitatormappingoutaplanonawhiteboardforasatisfiedclient.Aspotentialcustomersscrolleddown thepage, theywould see two sections to choose from,personallifeplansandcorporatestrategyplans.Eachof thesebuttons led tonewpageswithmessages filtered by two different BrandScripts. Customerswere able toschedule facilitationsoneitherpage.Thekey togrowing thebusiness, though,wasabuttonatthetopandbottomofeachandeverypagethatsaid,“BecomeaTrainedFacilitator.”

We may think our business is too diverse to communicate clearly, but itprobably isn’t. Certainly there are examples where various brands within anumbrellacompanyneedtobesplitupandmarketedseparately,butinmostcaseswe can find an umbrella theme to unite them all. Oncewe have an umbrellamessage,wecanseparate thedivisionsusingdifferentwebpagesanddifferentBrandScripts.Thekeyisclarity.Whenwebreakdownourdivisionsclearlysopeoplecanunderstandwhatweoffer,customerswillbeabletochoosetheirownadventurewithoutgettinglost.

5.VeryFewWordsPeopledon’treadwebsitesanymore;theyscanthem.Ifthereisaparagraph

above the fold on yourwebsite, it’s being passed over, I promise.Around theofficeweusethephrase“writeitinMorsecode”whenweneedmarketingcopy.By “Morse code” we mean copy that is brief, punchy, and relevant to ourcustomers. Think again about our caveman sitting in his cave. “You sellcupcakes.Cupcakesgood.Mewanteatcupcake.Melikepinkoneandmustgotobakerynow.”Mostofuserrtoofarintheoppositedirection.Weusetoomuch

text.Whysay,“Asparentsourselves,weunderstandwhatitfeelsliketowantthe

best for our children. That’swhywe’ve created a schoolwhere parentsworkclosely with teachers through every step of their child’s education journey,”whenyoucouldjustsay,“WeeklyConferenceCallswithYourChild’sTeacher”asabulletpointalongwithfiveothergreatdifferentiatorsaboutyourschool?

Ascustomersscrolldownyourpage,it’sokaytousemoreandmorewords,butbymoreandmoreIreallymeanafewsentenceshereandthere.Someofthemost effective websites I’ve reviewed have used ten sentences or less on theentire page. That’s the equivalent of about ten tweets or one press conferencewithBillBelichick.

Ifyoudowanttousealongsectionoftexttoexplainsomething(wedoitonour site, in fact), just place a little “readmore” link at the end of the first orsecond sentence so people can expand it if they like, that way you aren’tbombardingcustomerswithtoomuchtext.

Asanexperiment,let’sseeifyoucancuthalfthewordsoutofyourwebsite.Can you replace some of your text with images? Can you reduce wholeparagraphs into threeor fourbulletpoints?Canyou summarize sentences intobite-sizedsoundbites?Ifso,makethosechangessoon.Theruleisthis:thefewerwordsyouuse,themorelikelyitisthatpeoplewillreadthem.

STAYONSCRIPT

These are the five most important things to do with your website. There aremore,ofcourse,butifyouaddedalltherestofthetipsandstrategiestogether,theywouldn’tmakeasbigofadifferenceasgettingthesefivethingsright.

IfyouthinkaboutyourStoryBrandBrandScriptasadrumkit,thinkofyourwebsiteasadrumsolo.Thereshouldn’tbeasingleword,image,orideasharedon your website that doesn’t come from the thoughts generated by yourStoryBrandBrandScript. Thewords don’t have to be an exact replica of yourBrandScript,buttheideasshouldbethesame.Ifyou’reincludingmessagesonyourwebsitethatdon’tcomefromoneofthecategoriesoftheStoryBrand7-PartFramework,yourcustomerswillonlyhearnoise.

CHAPTER13

HOWSTORYBRANDCANTRANSFORMALARGEORGANIZATION

So far, we’ve seen how a solid StoryBrand BrandScript transforms customerengagement. But its value doesn’t stop there. Your BrandScript can also beleveraged to transform employee engagement. And that has enormousimplicationsforlargeorganizations.

Customers aren’t the only ones who get confused when the message isunclear.Employeesgetconfusedtoo,fromthedivisionpresidenttotheregionalmanagertothelaborerearningminimumwageonthefrontline.

THECURSEOFTHENARRATIVEVOID

Youmaynotrealizethis,butyourorganizationishaunted.Iknowthisbecauseevery organization encounters the same sinister spirit that roams the hallslookingforvictimstooppress.IcallthisshiftyshadowtheNarrativeVoid.

TheNarrativeVoidisavacantspacethatoccursinsidetheorganizationwhenthere’snostory tokeepeveryonealigned. Inextremecases theNarrativeVoidcan takeup residence in theverycenterof theorganization, splintering it intofactions of disconnected efforts that never quite come together as a unifiedmission.

Foryears,companieshaveattemptedtoexorcisetheNarrativeVoidusingthemost sacreddocument available: themission statement.Thecorporatemissionstatement is like the holy grail of organizational effectiveness.Withmonasticdedication, executives gather for off-site retreats where they etch painstakingphrasesontotabletsfewwilleverreadandevenfewerwillunderstandorapply.Talkaboutastorygoingnowhere.

Needlesstosay,onlyinveryrarecaseshasamissionstatementactuallyledacompanytobeonmission.

AREYOURPEOPLECONFUSED?

ThediagrambelowgivesasnapshotofanorganizationinfectedwithaNarrativeVoid.Itpaintsapictureofmanycompaniestoday.Thedifferentdivisionsacrossthe organization exist inmicrocosms that can only be truly understood by thepeoplewholiveinthem.Lefttothemselves,thesepeoplemustmakedecisionsanddevelopstrategiestomeetdemands.Theyassumethesedecisionsonlyaffectthem.Butalongthewaytheirchoicescreatetinyovertonesthatrippleacrosstheorganization.Fromanorganizationalperspective,it’slikebleedingtodeathfromathousandpapercuts.

Asyoucansee,wherethere’snoplot,there’snoproductivity.

THECOSTOFANARRATIVEVOID

In the1990s,Gallupbeganmeasuring the levelofcommitmentemployeesfelttoward their job and their employer. The numbers were startlingly low. Theirresearchfoundthataboutoneoutofeveryfiveemployeesnationwideweretrulyexcited about the work they were doing.1 This is a problem. The obviousassumption is that an engaged associate gives more discretionary effort thansomeonewhoisnotengaged.Notonlythat,butengagedassociatestookfewersickdaysandwerelesslikelytobecomeaturnoverstatistic.

Gallup’sdiscoveryrevealedthatcompanieswerelosinghundredsofmillionsthroughgapsinproductivityandefficiency.Backin2012,GallupestimatedthiswascostingtheUnitedStates$450billionto$550billioneachyear.2Needlesstosay,employerspaysomeonethesameamountinsalariesandbenefitswhetherthey’reengagedornot.SowhenleadersofcompaniesbegantogettheirheadsaroundGallup’sfindings,theracewasontocurethedisengagementepidemic.

Asitturnsout,oneofthebiggestcontributorstotheriseofdisengagementhas been the information explosion. As I mentioned earlier, people arebombardedwithmore than three thousandmarketingmessages every twenty-fourhours.And that’s justmarketingmessages.Thenumberofnon-marketingmessages—through articles, Internet posts, and slanted news stories—is evenhigher.Comparethatto,say,the1970s.We’vegonefromthreeTVnetworksandonelocalnewspapertomorethantwohundredchannels,millionsofnewsblogs,podcasts,Internetradio,Twitter,Instagram,Facebook,Snapchat,andLinkedIn.

Meanwhile, the communication of most companies has been going inreverse.Thepersonal interaction that once fueled connection in theworkplacehasbeenreplacedbytelecommuting,remotefieldoffices,andconferencecalls.The days of catching up around the water cooler are gone. Granted, they’veaddede-mailblastsandanemployeeportal,butstudiesshowreadershipofthoseoutletsisminimal.

Could it be thewhite noise is a breedingground for theNarrativeVoid? Idon’tthinkit’sacoincidence.

A strong, StoryBrand-inspired narrative expels theNarrativeVoid thewaylight drives out darkness. Companies who calibrate their activities around acommonstorydon’tjuststatetheirmission,theyoperateonmission.

JUSTBECAUSEYOUKNOWTHESTORYDOESN’TMEANYOURTEAMDOES

So how does a StoryBrand BrandScript stop the bleeding? Let’s look at howmostworkplaceswork.

Inmanycasesitstartswithonboarding.WithoutaStoryBrandBrandScript,itusuallygoeslikethis:HRpersonwelcomesnewemployee,issuesacompanykeyfob,andsitshimdowninfrontofasexualharassmentvideofortenminutes.Next they skim through the company manual together and cover some light

gossip about the personal life of a certain seniormanager.A quick trip to thelobbytoreadthecompanymissionstatement,dropthenewguyoffathiscube,andtheHRpersonisbackathisdeskinanhour.Done.

Forthenextthreetofiveyears,thenewguydoesasolidjobmeetingalltheperformance management metrics laid out by his supervisor. He earns threebonuses,onepromotion,and thedepartment’s topaward twoyears ina row—and never works past 6:00 p.m. He learns to navigate around the people thatcreateresistance,pickshisbattles,acceptscompromises,andabsorbsoccasionalconsequences.Thenoneafternoonaheadhuntercallswithagood-enoughoffer,andhe’sontothenextchapterofhislife.

Noboatswererocked.Nostarswerereached.Forthecompany,therewerewinsandlossesandafewties.It’slikeamoviewherenothinghappens,nobodycares,andthepopcorn’sstale.

Isitanywondertheworkplaceiswrackedbydisengagement?DidyounoticetheNarrativeVoidinthisstory?Withoutaunifyingnarrative

at the center, therewasnothing to inspire thenewhirebeyond the statusquo.The company didn’t do anything wrong. But they didn’t do anything specialeither. In a competitive environment, that approach won’t get you very far.That’s the intoxicatingdeceptionof theNarrativeVoid. It lulls thecompanytosleep.Andeventuallytodeath.

GETTINGTHEORGANIZATIONBACKONMISSION

When customers are invited into a magnificent story, it creates customerengagement.Couldthesamebetrueforemployees?Absolutely.

With a StoryBrand-inspired narrative, ordinary jobs become extraordinaryadventures.WithaunifyingBrandScript,theabovestorywouldhavegonemorelikethis:

Beforeevenapplyingforajob,theprospectiveemployeehasalreadyheardthebuzzon the street about this cool company. It’s somehowmore alive.Thepeoplewhoworkthereloveitandsodotheircustomers.Theyexudeasenseofcompetencewithin their industry aswell as across the community in general.Theirleadersarerespected.Eventheirformeremployeestalkaboutitwithahintof sentimental longing.On the list of ideal places towork, there are few that

compare.Duringthefirstinterview,thecandidatestartstounderstandwherethebuzz

hasbeencomingfrom.ThehiringmanagerdescribesthecompanythewayyoumightdescribeLewisandClarkepreparing to tame thewesternfrontier.Thereareinterestingcharacterswhoseliveshaveledthemtothisplace.Businessgoalssound likeplot twists.Therearemountains toclimbandrivers tocross.Therearestormstoweather,bearstohunt,andtreasuretofind.Thehiringmanagerisvisibly excited as she walks effortlessly through the seven categories of thecompany’snarrative.

Butnotjustanyonegetsselectedforthisexpedition.Theemployeesofthiscompanyaren’ttryingtobesnobs,they’rejuststayingtruetothestorythey’refollowing and they don’t want to compromise the plot. If you happen to beselected, it’s because destiny basically demands it. Instantly the candidate’sconceptofworkshiftsupalevel.It’snolongerjustaboutwhathecangetoutofit. It’s also about who he will become if he’s allowed to enter the story. Hesensesthatworkingforthiscompanywilltransformhim.

Bythesecondandthirdinterviews,thecandidatehasmetmostoftheteamand even been interviewed by them. Everyone he meets tells the exact samestoryheheardon thestreetand in the first interview.Thestory isgrowingonhim.Herealizesheneeds tobepartofastory like this tobe fullysatisfied inlife.Wealldo.

Finally, his first day on the job arrives, and the onboarding experience ismore like being adopted than getting hired. He spends quality time with afacilitator who takes a small, new team through a curriculum explaining thestoryoftheircustomerandhowthecompanypositionsthemselvesastheguidein their customer’s story. Amazingly, the onboarding is more about thecompany’scustomersthanitisaboutthecompanyitself.Thisorganizationlovestheircustomersandisobsessedwithseeingthemwintheday.Finally,thenewemployeediscovers thesecret.Thesepeoplearehere to serveacustomer theylove.

OurnewrecruitistheninvitedtoaspecialluncheonfornewhireshostedbytheCEO.During the luncheon, theCEOdeliversashortbutpowerfulkeynotebasedon the company’sBrandScript.Thekeynote is invigorating, theCEO isintoxicatinginhisloveforthecompany’scustomers,andthewholethingbacksupwhatthenewrecruitlearnedduringtheonboardingcourse.Thegrandfinale?A short film, based on the company’s StoryBrand BrandScript, about theamazingimpact theorganizationismakingnotonlyinbusinessbutalsointhe

livesofindividuals.OurnewrecruitaskstheHRdirectorifhecangetalinktothevideosohecansendittohisfriendsandfamily,moreorlessbraggingabouthisamazingnewjob.

For thenext three to fiveyears, thenewguy feels likehe’s still getting toknow theplace.Everymonthhediscoversnew reasonswhy this is his dreamjob. Pictures of customers are plastered all over the walls, celebrating theirsuccesses.Hisdailytasksarenotmundanebutarespecificobjectivesthathavehim working together with other teams to help their customers solve theproblemsthatarefrustratingthem.Hiscoworkersarenothiscompetitionbutareasupportivecommunitythatactuallywantshimtothriveandgrowastheyliveouta storyaboutchanging theworld.Customers themselvesvisit theoffice togetatourofthecompanythathelpedsolvetheirproblems.

Headhunterscalleverymonthwithjobsthatalmostalwaysrepresentaraiseandapromotion.Heusuallyforgetstocallthemback.

Acrosstheorganization,thepeopleseemfullypresentnotjustphysicallybutmentally.Productivityishighandefficiencyisamatterofpride.Thankstoverylowturnover,theorganizationmaintainsarichrepositoryofvaluableexperiencethatpaysdividendsmostcompaniesneverrealize.

Didyounoticethealignmentandconsistencyinthisstory?It’snotbecausetheygather around a plaque in the lobby eachmorning and sing the companysonglikeabunchofcommunistsobeyingadictator’sfailedvision.Ifyoudidn’tknow their secret, you’d think everything just sort of fell into placespontaneously.Butbehinditallisaleadershipteamthatunderstandsthepowerof story, has created a StoryBrandBrandScript, and has learned to implementthatnarrativeineveryfacetoftheorganization.

WHENAMISSIONCOMESTOLIFE

Missionstatementswereneverabadidea.Theywerejustneverenough.Infact,amissionisexactlywhatpeopleneedinordertocometogetherasacompany.Butastatementisinadequatetoturnamissionintoastory.It’slikereadingthetaglineonamovieposterinsteadofseeingtheactualmovie.

BenOrtlip is the director of the “On-Mission” division at StoryBrand.Hespecializes in implementing the StoryBrand Framework inside largeorganizations. A few years ago, a very popular fast-food restaurant chainapproached his team about helping them with engagement. At the time, the

brand had crossed the billion-dollar threshold and was experiencing about 5percentgrowth.Thatmightseemprettysolidtomostpeople,butthisplacehasamazingfoodandismadeupofsomeofthefinestpeopleyou’llmeet.Benfeltliketheyshouldbedoingbetter.

After spending some time at headquarters and behind the scenes inrestaurantsinseveralstates,itwasclearthatsomecomplacencyhadbeguntosetin. There was nothing wrong with their operations. The product wasphenomenal.Andtheirmarketingwaseffective.Theproblemwasthey’dgrownlarge enough, and in somany directions, they’d lost their plot. It’s not unlikewhenamoviebecomesasuccessandtheyturnitintoasequel.Often,thestoryjustfeelsforced.

ISYOURTHOUGHTMOSPHEREONSCRIPT?

KillingoffaNarrativeVoidisn’teasy,andittakestime.AroundtheStoryBrandoffice,Benuses the term thoughtmosphere.A thoughtmosphere is an invisiblemixtureofbeliefsandideasthatdrivesemployeebehaviorandperformance.Athoughtmosphere improves when a StoryBrand-inspired narrative is created,talkingpoints aredevised, and aplanof execution is put inplace to reinforcethosetalkingpointssoeverystakeholderunderstandstheirimportantrole.

Fortherestaurantchaininquestion,thisinvolvedvideocurriculum,aseriesof regionalmeetings, amajor national convention, andupdates from theCEOoften filmed in casual settings at headquarters. Retreats for franchise ownersinvolvedpersonalupdatesfromtheCEOfollowedbyinspirationalspeakerswhocouldspeakintotheorganization’snarrative.Thecompanyheldconcertsonthebeachforjustthestakeholders,andotherbrandswhohadasimilarmissionwerediscussedandpubliclypraisedfortheirsimilarworkservingcustomers.

Almost immediately, you could sense a shift across the brand. There wasrenewed energy. People who hadn’t been seen or heard from in years startedshowingupatmeetings,readytolockarmsagain.TheNarrativeVoidwasgone.

Andtangiblegrowth?Inlessthanthreeyears,thechainwentfrom5percentgrowthtonearly30percent,allwiththeverysamepeoplewhohadbeeninsidethe organization all along. For a billion-dollar company, that translated intohundredsofmillionsperyear,everyyear.

Thenumber-onejobofanexecutiveis toremindthestakeholderswhatthemission is, over and over. And yet most executives can’t really explain the

overall narrativeof theorganization.Here’s theproblem: if an executive can’texplainthestory,teammemberswillneverknowwhereorwhytheyfit.

When a company gets onmission, everybodywins.A company that is onmissionlookssomethinglikethis:

READYTOGETYOURCOMPANYONMISSION?

A truemission isn’t a statement; it’s away of living and being.Amission ismore than token rituals that make momentary reference to the things youremployeesshouldcareabout.Amissionisastoryyoureinforcethrougheverydepartment strategy, every operational detail, and every customer experience.That’swhatitmeanstobeacompanyonmission.

AnditallstartswithyourStoryBrandBrandScript.WecreatedtheOn-Missionprogramtoprovideaturn-keyserviceforlarger

organizations to achieve a full, custom implementation of their StoryBrandBrandScript—toweave the elements of their vital narrative into the importantfunctions that shape culture and foster employee engagement around themission.

We guide many organizations through a process that goes something likethis:

1. CreateaBrandScriptwithyourleadershipteam.2. Audittheexistingthoughtmosphere.3. CreateacustomOn-Missionimplementationplan.4. Optimizeinternalcommunicationstosupporttheplan.5. Installaself-sustainedteamfortheOn-Missionplan.

People often ask what an On-Mission company does differently fromeveryone else. I think theywant a list.Yes, there are cool ideas youprobablyhaven’t seen before, like using behavioral typologies to identify job fit, orintroducing a platform called a “virtual water cooler” to foster connectionsbetweencoworkers.

TherealityismostofthethingsanOn-Missioncompanydoeslookstrangelysimilartothethingsothercompaniesdo.It’sjustthatOn-Missioncompaniesdothesethingswhileunifiedaroundacommon,disciplinednarrative.

AnOn-MissionCompanyTurnsTheirEntireTeamintoaSalesForce

ThemaindistinctiveofanOn-Missioncompanyistheirattentiontohowthebasic blocking and tackling of business is synchronized around a StoryBrandBrandScript.TheBrandScriptfiltersoutallthenoiseandletseachstakeholder,eachday,knowwhythey’redoingwhatthey’redoing.

When team members understand the story of the organization and canexplain it in short, disciplined sound bites that have been reinforced throughvaryingmodesofcommunicationfromexecutives,theygivewordstopotentialcustomers thatpotentialcustomerscanuse tospread theword.Brief,narrativeideassharedfrominspiredteammembersspreadfasterthanmuddled,confusingexplanationssharedbybored,disengagedemployees.

AnOn-MissionBrandUnderstandstheStoryofTheirTeamMembers

WhenyouleveragetheStoryBrandFrameworkexternally,formarketing, ittransformsthecustomervalueproposition.Whenyouleverageit internally,forengagement,ittransformstheemployeevalueproposition.

Allengagementrisesandfallsontheemployeevalueproposition.Increasingcompensationisonewayyoumightaddvaluetoemployees,butthat’sjustthebeginning. You can also raise value by improving the employee experience:advancement opportunities, recognition, meaningful work, camaraderie, andflexibility.Allthosethingsaddvaluetoo.

To accomplish this, many StoryBrand BrandScripts are created. Certainlythere is the externalBrandScript that is pointed at the customer, but there arealsoBrandScripts created from theperspectiveof the leadership to theoverallteam.IntheseStoryBrandBrandScripts, theteamispositionedastheheroandthe company leadership is positioned as the guide. Compensation packages,leadership development, organized events, and more are all “tools” theleadership creates to help their employeeswin theday.Without understandingwhere a team member’s narrative is going, compensation, development, andeventsareallfuelingfiresheadinginathousanddirections.

We’ve found time and time again that leaders desire to be seen as heroeswhen, inactuality,everything they think theywant fromplaying theheroonly

comesbyplayingtheguide.Guidesarerespected,loved,listenedto,understood,andfollowedloyally.

Whenthestoryofthecustomerandthestoryofthecompanyalignwiththestoryoftheteam,wegetanalchemythatisnotonlyprofitable,it’shealing.NowthatI’vespentseveralyearsrunningacompanythatisonmission,Icannevergo back. There is more to life than dominating the market. Dominating themarketisonlyabeautifulstoryiftheteamthataccomplishessuchachallengingtaskhastiedthatambitiontotheirownpersonaldreams.

Is your organizationonmission?Does every stakeholder you interactwithunderstand the storyof your customer andwhat role theorganizationplays inthat story? And do they understand their personal role in this importantnarrative? If not, getting your company onmissionmay be the first step in aturnaround. Not just for the company, but for your customers, your teammembers,andevenyou.

Wherethere’snostory,there’snoengagement.

THESTORYBRANDMARKETINGROADMAP

Five(almostfree)thingsyoucandotoimplementtheStoryBrandFrameworkandgrowyourbusiness

Sowhere dowe go from here?Now thatwe have a StoryBrandBrandScript,how can we use these powerful messages so they have the greatest possibleimpactonourbottomline?

The StoryBrand Marketing Roadmap is your hassle-free “getting started”guidetoimplementingwhatyou’veaccomplishedincreatingyourBrandScript.Ifyou’veyettocreateaBrandScript,eitherattendoneofourworkshopsliveoronline,orgobackandfollowtheprocessoutlinedinthisbook.

Once your StoryBrand BrandScript is created, you’ll likely want to refineyourwebsite.Weconsiderthisthefirstandmostimportantstepyoucantaketogrow your business, and that’s why we separated that step into a previouschapter.Notonlywilleditingyourwebsitegrowyourbusiness,butitwillhelpyouandyourteamunderstandthebasictalkingpointsofyournewandimprovedmessage.

Once your website has been edited so that it communicates clearly, weconsider this roadmap themosteffectivenextstepmostbusinessescan take toseeanimpact.

Of the thousands of clients we’ve worked with, these five marketing andmessaging efforts (along with editing their website so it works) get the bestresults regardless of whether our clients are running a small business or amultibillion-dollarcompany.Andthegreatnewsis,they’renearlyfree.Imean,they’re going to cost you some time, but you won’t have to hire a giantadvertisingfirmtoseeresults.

Whatarethefive(almostfree)thingsyoucandotogrowyourbusiness?Heretheyare:

1. Create a One-liner. This roadmap is going to teach you the four-partformula for creating a single statement that will grow your business.You’llwant tomemorize this statement yourself and repeat it any timesomebody asks youwhat you do.You can teach your one-liner to yourstaffandfeatureitonyourwebsite,ine-mailsignatures,andevenonthebackofyourbusinesscard.Peoplearewonderinghowyoucanmaketheirlivesbetter,andwe’regoingtoshowyouhowtotelltheminsuchawaythattheywillwanttoengagewithyourbrand.

2. Create aLeadGenerator andCollectE-mailAddresses.You need alead generator. You need a PDF, e-course, video series, webinar, liveevent, or just about anything else that will allow you to collect e-mailaddresses.Aleadgeneratorwillhelpyoufindqualifiedbuyerssoyoucanlet them know, directly and authoritatively, how you can help themresolve their problems.Thismay be the singlemost important piece ofcollateral you create in response to this book, and in this roadmap, I’llshowyouhow.

3. CreateanAutomatedE-MailDripCampaign.Marketinghaschanged,and even the largest of companies are diversifying their ad spend toincludee-mailcampaigns.Butwhereisthebestplacetogetstarted?Byfar,you’llgetyourbest results throughanautomateddripcampaign. Inthis section, I’ll give you the basics. Once you start collecting e-mailaddressesandusingabeginner’snurturingcampaign,itwillbeasthoughyou’veemployedasalesteamthatworksforyouwhileyousleep.

4. CollectandTellStoriesofTransformation.Almosteverystoryisaboutthetransformationofthehero,andwhenwetellstoriesabouthowwe’vehelped our customers transform, potential customers immediatelyunderstandwhatyourbrandcanofferthem.Inthissection,I’llhelpyoucollect stories of transformation, teaching you what questions tospecificallyaskyourcustomersandwheretousethosestoriestogetthegreatestresponsefrompotentialcustomers.

5. CreateaSystemThatGeneratesReferrals.Onceyoucreateasystemthat funnels potential customers into becoming actual customers, yourworkisnotquitedone.Thefinalstepistoturnaroundandinvitehappycustomerstobecomeevangelistsforyourbrand.Thiswillonlyhappenifwecreateasystemthatinvitesandincentivizesthemtospreadtheword.The StoryBrandMarketing Roadmapwill close out with a step-by-stepguide, as well as outside-the-box ideas, for incentivizing your existing

customerstotelltheirfriendsaboutyourproductsandservices.

YOURSTEP-BY-STEPPLAN

Each step of the StoryBrandMarketing Roadmap will help your company inpercentages.Themoreyouexecute, thecleareryourmessagewillbecomeandthemoreyourcompanywillgrow.

Theroadmapmaytakeyouafewmonthsorevenayeartoexecute,butdon’tworry.Youshouldseeresultswitheachstep.

If you’d like tohire aCertifiedStoryBrandGuide to takeyou through theroadmap, you can search for the guide who is right for you atwww.clarifyyourmessage.com. Certified StoryBrand Guides are independentcontractorswhoactasmarketingcoachesandconsultantsandareeachcertifiedthrough an immersive, live training program. They are specifically trained tohelp you clarify your message and execute this roadmap to get the greatestresult.

Whetheryouhireaguideorgoitalone,thesearefiveofthemostsuccessfulwaysourclientshaveimplementedtheirnewandimprovedmessage.Considerthis roadmap tobeachecklist.Onceyou’vecreatedaStoryBrandBrandScriptusing theSB7Framework, refined yourwebsite so it is clear and compelling,andexecutedeachofthefivetasksontheStoryBrandMarketingRoadmap,youwillsavemoneyandgrowyourcompany.

STORYBRANDROADMAPTASKONE:CREATEAONE-LINERFORYOURCOMPANY

Most business leaders lose the sale the second they start talking about theirbusiness.Whensomebodyaskswhatwedoandweanswerbyrollingoureyesand saying, “Well, it’s complicated” or “Well, my grandfather started thecompany. . .”we’velostthecustomer’sinterestimmediately.Instead,imaginememorizingasinglestatementyoucouldrepeatafteranybodyaskswhatyoudo.And imagine thatstatementbeingrelevant to theneedsofpotentialcustomers.Imagine this statement being so powerful it causes people to ask for yourbusinesscard.

Aone-linerisanewandimprovedwaytoanswerthequestion“Whatdoyoudo?”It’smorethanasloganortagline;it’sasinglestatementthathelpspeoplerealizewhytheyneedyourproductsorservices.

Tounderstandhow itworks, let’s take another page out of theHollywoodplaybook. When writers pitch their screenplays to studio executives, thedifferencebetweenbeingacceptedorrejectedoftencomesdowntowhat’scalledalogline.

Aloglineissimplyamovie’sone-sentencedescription.Astrongloglinesellsthescreenplayandcontinuestobeusedall thewaythroughamovie’sopeningweekend. If you’ve ever scrolled through a movie app on your phone or onNetflixlookingforsomethingtowatch,chancesareyou’vereadalogline.Hereareafewexamples:

“A precocious private high school student whose life revolves around hisschoolcompeteswithitsmostfamousandsuccessfulalumnusfortheaffectionofafirst-gradeteacher.”—Rushmore

“Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate ‘Captain’ JackSparrow to save his love, the governor’s daughter, from Jack’s former pirateallies,whoarenowundead.”—PiratesoftheCaribbean:TheCurseoftheBlackPearl

“A science-fiction fantasy about a naive but ambitious farm boy from abackwaterdesertwhodiscoverspowersheneverknewhehadwhenheteamsupwithafeistyprincess,amercenaryspacepilot,andanoldwizardwarriortoleadaragtagrebellionagainstthesinisterforcesoftheevilGalacticEmpire.”—StarWars:ANewHope

“Anincompetent,immature,anddimwittedheirtoanauto-partsfactorymustsavethebusinesstokeepitoutofthehandsofhisnewcon-artistrelativesandbigbusiness.”—TommyBoy

Whatmakestheseloglinescompleteandeffective?Twothings:imaginationandintrigue.Theysummarizethemovieinawaythataviewercanimaginethestory, and they do sowith enough intrigue that theymake the readerwant towatchthefilm.

Theone-lineryouwillcreateforyourcompanywillworklikealoglineinamovie;itwillintriguequalifiedbuyersandinvitethemtodobusinesswithyou.

Nowimagineeverybodyinyourcompanymemorizingyourone-liner.Whatwouldlife looklike ifeverybodyyouworkedwithwereconvertedintoasalesforcespreadingthewordaboutyourproductsandservices?Creatingaone-linerandrepeatingitoverandoverisagreatwaytospreadthewordaboutwhatyou

do.To craft a compelling one-liner, we’ll employ a distilled version of the

StoryBrandFramework.Ifyouusethefollowingfourcomponents,you’llcraftapowerfulone-liner:

1. TheCharacter2. TheProblem3. ThePlan4. TheSuccess

Yourone-linerdoesn’thave tobea single sentence,nordoes itneed tobefour sentences. Think of it more as a statement. You simply want tocommunicate these four ideas.Who is your customer?What is their problem?Whatisyourplantohelpthem,andwhatwilltheirlifelooklikeafteryoudo?

Let’stakeadeeperlookateachofthefournecessarycomponents:

1. THECHARACTERIfyou’vecreatedaStoryBrandBrandScript,you’vedonetheheavy

liftingwhenitcomestounderstandingwhoyourcharacterisandwhattheywant.Let’ssayyourdemographicissoccermomsandyousellaPilatesclass.Yourone-linermightbe,“Wehelpbusymothersgetaweekly,meaningfulworkoutsotheyfeelhealthyandfullofenergy.”Ifyousellvacationrentalstoretiredcouplesyoumightsay,“WesaveretireesthecostofasecondhomeinFlorida,yetdeliverthewarmbeachesandluxuryaccommodationstheylove.”Theseexamplesstartwithacharacter.Abusymom.Aretiree.Peopleneedtobeabletosay“That’sme!”whentheyhearyourone-liner.

2. THEPROBLEMAsIsaidearlierinthebook,storieshingeonconflict,soweshould

nevershyawayfromtalkingaboutourcustomers’challenges.Definingaproblemtriggersthethoughtinyourcustomer’smind:Yeah,Idostrugglewiththat.Willyourbrandbeabletohelpmeovercomeit?

Soccermomsarechallengedwithbusyschedules,andtheycanneverseemtofindtimetoworkout.AretiredcouplelookingtospendtheirwinterinFloridacringesatthecostofbuyingasecondhome.Butdefiningtheproblemisvital,becauseonceyoudoyou’veopenedastoryloopand

they’llbelookingtoyoutohelpthemfindaresolution.3. THEPLAN

Youwon’tbeabletospelloutyourentireplaninyourone-liner,butyoumusthintatit.Forworkout-deprivedsoccermoms,theplanmightbeweekly,meaningfulworkouts.Fortheretiredcouple,theplanofatime-sharecanmakethedifference.

Whenacustomerreadsyourone-liner,theplancomponentshouldcausethemtothink,Well,whenit’sorganizedthatway,itmakessense.Perhapsthere’shope.

4. THESUCCESSThisiswhereyoupaintapictureofwhatlifecouldlooklikeafter

customersuseyourproductorservice.Forsoccermoms,successmayinvolveasenseofhealth,well-being,orattractiveness.ForretiredcoupleslookingforasecondhomeinFlorida,successcouldbeassimpleaswarm,enjoyablewinters.

Let’sput itall togetherbycraftingaone-linerforsoccermomstoseehowpowerfulaone-lineractuallyis.

• TheCharacter:Moms• TheProblem:Busyschedules• ThePlan:Short,meaningfulworkouts• TheSuccess:Healthandrenewedenergy• “Weprovidebusymomswithashort,meaningfulworkouttheycanusetostayhealthyandhaverenewedenergy.”

Contrast that statement with the description most business leaders mightgive:“Irunagym.”

Ifyou’reabusysoccermom,yourearswouldperkupbecausethenewone-liner identifies you, helps you overcome your problem, gives you a plan, andpromises a better life.A statement like thiswill invite customers into a betterstorytheycanactuallylive.

Whataboutourretiredcouple?

• TheCharacter:Retiredcouples• TheProblem:Asecondmortgage

• ThePlan:Atime-shareoption• TheSuccess:Avoidingthosecold,northernwinters• “Wehelpretiredcoupleswhowanttoescapetheharshcoldavoidthehassleofasecondmortgagewhilestillenjoyingthewarm,beautifulweatherofFloridainthewinter.”

Again, compare this statement to what most business leaders would say:“Well, it’scomplicated.IgotinvolvedinrealestateseveralyearsagoandthenwhenwehadoursecondkidwemovedtoFlorida...”Boring.Noise.

AtStoryBrand,ourone-liner is “Mostbusiness leadersdon’tknowhow totalkabout their company, sowecreateda framework thathelps themsimplifytheir message, create great marketing material, connect with customers, andgrowtheirbusiness.”Again,aone-liner issimplyaclear, repeatablestatementthat allows potential customers to find themselves in the story a company istelling.

KeepEditingYourOne-LinerUntilItWorksConsider your first one-liner a rough draft. Write it down and test it

repeatedly.Run it by your friends, spouse, potential customers, even strangersstanding in line at Starbucks. Do people look interested?Do they completelyunderstand what you offer? If so, you’re on the right track. When they startaskingforyourbusinesscardorformoreinformation,you’vereallydialeditin.

HowtoUseYourOne-LinerOnceyou’vecreatedyourone-liner,useitliberally.Hereareafewwaysto

putittowork:

1. Memorizeyourone-linerandrepeat itoverandover.There’sagoodchance you’ve become so used to rambling about your business thatreciting your one-liner won’t come naturally. Memorize it as thoughyou’re an actor in amovie and it’s yourmost important line.Read andrepeat ituntilyoucanrecite itasfastasyourownname.Thiswill takesometime,butitmightbethebestfewhoursyouspendworkingonyournewmessagingcampaign.

2. Haveyourteammemorizetheone-liner.Nowit’stimetogetyourteamto own the one-liner. That includes everyone from theCEO to the guywhomowsthelawn.Ifeveryteammembercanrepeattheone-liner,youwillhaveconvertedyourstaffintoaviralsalesforce.Havefunwiththis!Print theone-liner onyourwalls, coffee cups,T-shirts, or anything elseyour team interacts with daily. After each member of your teammemorizes the one-liner, theywill be spreading a clear and compellingmessageaboutyourcompanyat everycocktailpartyandbaseballgametheyattend.Beprepared,though,becauseyou’llbeamazedathowhardthisreally

is.Brandingisdifficultanditwilltaketime.Carryaroundawadoffive-dollarbillsandasksomebody in theofficeeachdaywhatyourcompanydoes.Ifsomeoneanswerswiththeone-liner,rewardhimorherwithacrispfive.Soon,wordwillspreadaroundtheofficeandpeoplewillknowtheyneed to get this down. Itmight cost you a thousand dollars by the timeyou’re done, but I assure you, it will be the best money you’ve spentmarketingyourcompany.

3. Includeitonyourwebsite.Whileit’slargelysubjectivewhatwordsyouinclude on your website, make sure to get your one-liner in theresomewhere. Even a small paragraph beneath the main section of yourwebsite will do. Including your one-liner almost guarantees your siteinvitespotentialcustomersintoastorytheyfindinteresting.Makeitboldandlegiblesoitbecomesoneoftheobviousstatementsyouwantviewerstoread.

4. Repeatyourone-linerineverypieceofmarketingcollateralpossible.Useyourone-linertillitfeelsborderlineexcessive.Includeyourone-linerineverypieceofmarketingpossible.Ourcustomersaren’tgoingtoreadevery one of our e-mails or visit our webpage every day. The moreopportunitiesacustomerhastoreadorhearourone-liner,themorelikelytheywillbetounderstandhowwecanmaketheirlivesbetter.

Print your one-liner onyour business cards and in your socialmedia bios.Printitonyourpackaging.Includeitinyoure-mailsignature.Repeatitoverandovertoincreasethepercentagechancecustomerswillreadit.

I recently attended a benefit concert inwhich a bunch ofA-listmusicianspassedaguitararoundtoraisemoneyforanonprofit.Eventhoughtheseartistshadwrittenhundredsofsongsamongthem,Inoticedtheyonlyplayedtheirhits.

Had thisbeen their own show, theywouldhaveplayed lesser-known songsormixedinnewones,butsincetheycouldeachonlyplayafewsongs,theyplayedthecrowd’sfavorites.

Have you ever consideredwhat it’s like to be a big-timemusic star? Theadoring crowds and star treatment are great, but life on stage can get ratherrepetitive.I’veoftenwonderedhowdifficultitmustbeforJamesTaylortosing“FireandRain”againandagain,nightafternight,decadeafterdecade.What’sworseishecannevermailitin—eachnightthecrowdsaredifferent,andhehastodeliverasongfirstreleasedin1970withfreshenergyandpassioneverytime.

That’s thediscipline it takes tobesuccessful. JamesTaylor sings thesamesongoverandoveragainbecauseultimatelyhe’saservantofthepeople.He’sabrilliantartist,buthe’salsoaprofessional,andprofessionalsdowhatittakestopleasetheircustomers,paythebills,andgrowtheirbrand.

Whenyouthinkabouthowoftenyou’llneedtosayyourone-liner,thinkofyourselfasabigmusicstar.Amateursrambleon,playingandsayingwhatevertheywant, but professionals serve their audience.Our one-liner is like our hitsong, andwe need to say it over and over and over until even our customershaveitmemorizedandstartrepeatingittotheirfriends.

ROADMAPTASKTWO:CREATEALEAD-GENERATORANDCOLLECTE-MAILADDRESSES

Quickquestion:Whatisthemostsacred,private,personalpossessionyouowntoday?Theonethingyou’dbeterrifiedofotherpeoplehavingfull,unmitigatedaccessto?

I’mgoingtotakeawildguessandsayit’syoursmartphone.If you think about it, there’s an awful lot of your life—photos, texts, and

apps—storedup in that littledevice. It’salsovery likely there’sone importantaccountonyourphonethatactsasagatewaytonearlyeveryothercomponentofyourlife:

Youre-mailaccount.If this is trueofyou, it’salso trueofyourcustomers.Ane-mailaccount is

oneof themost sacred,personal thingspeoplepossess.Butwhat ifyoucouldhave a direct line to customers through that very channel?What if customerswillinglygaveyoupermissiontocontacttheminsuchapersonalway?

That’se-mailmarketing.E-mailisthemostvaluableandeffectivewayyoucanspreadthewordaboutyourbusiness,especiallyifyourcompanyrevenueisunder$5millionandyoudon’thavealargemarketingbudget.AsofthiswritingIhavehundredsofthousandsofTwitterfollowersandnearlyasmanyFacebookfans,butallmysocialmediaplatformscombineddon’tperformanywhereclosetosendingoutanupdateorofferviae-mail.

BustingtheMythoftheNewsletterSignupMost business leaders who come to one of our workshops think e-mail

doesn’tworkbecausesofewpeoplesignupfortheirnewsletter.Ihatetobethebearer of bad news, but no onewants to sign up for your newsletter.Nobodywantstosignupto“stayintheloop,”becausethiskindofofferdoesn’tpromiseanythingofvalue.Theonlythingitimpliesisspam.

Sohowdowegetpeople to joinoure-mail list?Weoffer themsomethingvaluableinreturn,somethingmorevaluablethanthevagueofferofanewsletter.This“something”isaleadgenerator,aresourcethatmagneticallyattractspeopletoourbusinessesandinvitesthemtotakeaction.IntheStoryBrandFramework,we call this a transitional call to action. A transitional call to action, if youremember, is like asking potential customers out on a date.We’re not askingthemtocommit,butweareaskingthemtospendalittlemoretimewithus.

HowtoCreateanIrresistibleLeadGeneratorInordertocombatnoiseintoday’smarketplace,yourleadgeneratormustdo

twothings:

1. Provideenormousvalueforyourcustomer2. Establishyouasanauthorityinyourfield

In the year we started StoryBrand, our first lead generator was a simple,downloadabledocument(inPDFformat)called“5ThingsYourWebsiteShouldInclude.” It was remarkably successful. More than forty thousand peopledownloaded it, which allowed me to e-mail reminders about our upcomingStoryBrandMarketingWorkshops.Icreditthatsingleleadgeneratorwithtakingourcompanypastthe$2millionmark.Fromthere,wecreatedafreevideoseries

called The 5-Minute Marketing Makeover(http://fiveminutemarketingmakeover.com), which took our lead generation toanother level.Wewere no longer grinding to create business.Nowwe createleadgenerators foreachrevenuestreamourcompanyoffers.Thisallowsus tosegment our customers by their interests and offer different products to solvetheirvariousproblems.

Thereareendlessoptionsforcreatingleadgenerators.Ourclientshavebeenincrediblycreativeinofferingvaluableinformationandservicesinexchangeforane-mailaddress.Ofallwe’vecreatedandwe’veseenourclientscreate,therearefivethataremosteffective.

FiveTypesofLeadGeneratorsforAllTypesofBusinesses

1. DownloadableGuide:Thisisashockinglyinexpensivewaytogenerateleads,andit’swhatweusedwhenlaunchingStoryBrand.Getspecific.Ifyou’re a localmarket selling produce, offermonthly recipes or tips fortendingagarden.

2. OnlineCourseorWebinar:Creatingabriefonlinecourseorwebinarisinvolved,butit’salsoeasierthanever.Ifyou’reanexpertonsomethingand want to position yourself as such in the marketplace, offer a freetraining online in exchange for an e-mail address. By doing so, you’llhavepositionedyourselfasanexpert,createdreciprocity,andearnedyourcustomer’strust.

3. SoftwareDemos or a FreeTrial: This hasworkedwonders formanybusinesses.RememberintheearlyninetieswhenAOLsentdemoCDsinthemailwithonethousandhoursoffreeInternetbrowsingforforty-fivedays?Theyworkedlikeacharm.TheInternethaschangedsincethen,butthemarketingprincipleremainsthesame.

4. Free Samples: My wife, Betsy, orders ready-to-cook meals from abusinesscalledBlueApron.Togeneratemoreleads,BlueAproncreditsher with “free sample meals” she can send to friends and family. Anumberofthemtryit,andtheyendupbuyers.

5. Live Events: If you’ve ever walked into a large pet store like Petco,you’ve likely seen invitations to free dog obedience classes. Even ifyou’re a smaller operation, hosting a quarterly class is a terrificway to

buildasmalldatabaseofqualifiedcustomers.

StillStuck?SwipeIdeasfromTheseExamplesOnekeytohavinganeffectiveleadgeneratoristogiveitanirresistibletitle.

Thesearesomesample leadgenerators I’veseen thatworkedwell.There’snoneed to reinvent the wheel. Leverage these proven examples and createsomethingsimilar.

“5MistakesPeopleMakewithTheirFirstMillionDollars”—AdownloadablePDFguideofferedbyafinancialadvisorwhowantedtofindyoung,newlywealthyclientstohelpthemwiththeirfinancialplanning.

“BuildingYourDreamHome:10ThingstoGetRightBeforeYouBuild”—Afreee-bookofferedbyanarchitectwhowantedtoestablishherselfasaguidetofamilieslookingtobuildacustomhome.

“CocktailClub:LearntoMakeOneNewCocktailEachMonth”—Thiswasamonthlyeventsurprisinglyputonbyagardenstorethattaughtattendeeshowtoinfusebittersandsimplesyrupswithherbs.Theobjectiveforthispromotionwastocreateacommunityaroundtheirstore.Businessisbooming(orshouldIsayblooming)becausepeoplewanttoattendtheirclasses.

“BecomingaProfessionalSpeaker”—Afreeonlinecourseofferedbyaspeakingcoachforthosewhowantedtobecomeprofessionalspeakers.Thisgeneratedleadsforlong-termsubscriptionstohiscoachingservice.

Theideasgoonandon.Nowthatyou’reawareofleadgenerators,you’llseethem everywhere. Keep a running list of lead generator possibilities. If onestrikesyouasabnormallystrong,gettoworkandcreateaversionofyourown.Thekeyhereistoavoidfallinginto“paralysisbyanalysis.”ThebestandeasiestplacetostartiswithadownloadableguideinPDFformat.Ifyouaren’tawriter,don’tworry.Thereareplentyofwritersforhire,andyoucanfindsometerrificStoryBrand Certified Copywriters through our directory atclarifyyourmessage.com.

Theprocessisquitesimple:Havethewriterinterviewyouaboutyourareaofexpertise,andheorshewill fleshout thecontent.Youcan thensend thefinal

drafttoadesignertolayout.Theprocessisfastandinexpensiveandwillyieldtremendousresults.

HowMuchValueShouldIGiveAwayforFree?Thisisoneofthemostcommonquestionswegetasked.Myresponse:beas

generous as possible. To my knowledge, it’s never cost me to give awayvaluable, free content.People consume this contenton the runandwillgladlypay to attend aworkshop or hire a facilitator that helps them slow down andlearntheinformationatacustom-createdpace.

Ifyou’regoingtocreateadownloadablePDF,keepittoaboutthreepagesofcontent.Stuffasmuchvalueasyoucanintothosethreepagessoyourprospectswillseeyouasthe“go-to”guide.

Among marketers, it’s been said you give away the “why”—as in why apotential customerwould need to address or be aware of a certain issue—andsellthe“how,”whichiswhereyouofferatoolorteachcustomershowtofollowthrough step-by-step.My personal belief is thatwe should be generous—verygenerous.AtStoryBrand,we certainlygive away the “why,” butwe alsogiveaway an awful lot of the “how.” It’s never cost me to be generous with mycustomers.

HowManyE-mailAddressesDoWeNeedtoGetStarted?

This is a commonquestion, and I’mgoing to give the common answer: itdepends.Afinancialadvisormayget“abovethegrind”withfivehundrede-mailaddresses, but thosemay take years to acquire. A national or global businessmayneedhundredsofthousandsofe-mailsthatarefurthersegmentedbasedondemographicinformation.Butifyourbusinessisgeneratinglessthan$5millionayear,youshouldseeresultswithaslittleastwohundredandfiftyqualifiede-mailaddresses.

WhereShouldIFeatureMyLeadGenerator?Make sure you feature your lead generator liberally on your website. I

recommendcreatingapop-upfeatureonyoursitethat,aftertensecondsorsoofthebrowserarriving,offersyourresourcetotheuser.Thoughpeoplecomplainabout pop-ups, the stats are clear: they readily outperform nearly every othertype of Internet advertising. Just make sure there’s a ten-second buffer. Youdon’twantthepop-uptoappearimmediately.Thatwouldbelikebeingtackledbyasalesmanassoonasyouwalkthroughthedoorofaretailstore.

Likefarmingafield,buildingahealthyandengagede-mail list takes time,butit’stimewellspent.Starttoday.Ayearfromnow,you’llbegladyoudid.

ROADMAPTASKTHREE:CREATEANAUTOMATEDE-MAILDRIPCAMPAIGN

In my midtwenties, after having spent a year or more traveling around thecountry in aVolkswagen van, I got awarehouse job at a publishing companyoutsidePortland,Oregon.Thejobcametomebyaccident.Afriend’sdadownedthe company and noticed I needed a job. But I’m grateful. Working inpublishing,eveninanentry-levelposition,helpedmefallinlovewithbooks.

Withinafewyearsofgettingthatjob,Iwasputinchargeofthecompany.Itwasanunintentionalmoveon theowner’spartbecausepeoplekept retiringortakingotherjobsandtheownerkept“temporarily”movingmeup.Oneseason,though,theownerhiredaconsultanttohelphimfigureoutwhattodo,andafterstudying thenumbers, theconsultantpointedatmeand said, “Put that guyoncommission and let him dowhat hewants.” Iwas just as taken aback asmyboss.Withoutanyofusrealizingit, thecompanyhadactuallystartedgrowing.And when we sat down and looked closely at the numbers, we realized thereason.

Just before my series of promotions, I’d discovered a piece of softwarecalledFileMakerPro.Weusedthissoftwaretomanageourdatabaseandorders.I passed the hours fiddling aroundwith the software and one day realizedwecouldseewhohadplacedthelargestorderseachmonthandsendthemaletterinthe mail. This is all standard marketing these days, but back then it wasrelativelynewtechnology.EachmonthIsentabouttwohundredformletterstothebusinesses that ordered themost copiesofourbooks.That simple activitygeneratedatonofbusiness.

ThelettersIwrotetoourcustomerscontainedanythingbutgoodsalescopy.

Oneof the letterswasabout a camping trip I’d takenasakid!Shakespeareanplots,thesewerenot.

Thesedaysmylettersgetalotbiggerresponse,butlookingback,eventhoseterrible letters worked to grow our business. And yet all our customers weredoing was taking them from a pile of mail on their desk and throwing themaway.

Sowhydidthecompanygrowifpeopleweren’tevenreadingmyletters?WhatIrealized,inhindsight,wasthateverymonthourtopcustomerswere

beingremindedthatweexisted.Everytimeoneofthosecustomersthrewaletteraway,evenwithoutopeningit,ourlogowasflashingacrosstheireyes.

Content is important, but the point is, there is great power in simplyremindingour customersweexist. Iwasyounganddumbat the time,but I’dstumbledontosomething.Ourcustomersmaynotneedourproduct today,andtheymight not need it tomorrow, but on the day they do need it,wewant tomakesuretheyrememberwhoweare,whatwehave,andwheretheycanreachus.

SendPotentialCustomersRegular,ValuableE-mailsThedaysof directmail aren’t completelydead, but it goeswithout saying

that e-mail has largely takenover.Now that you’veobtained e-mail addressesthrough your lead generator, the next step is to create an automated e-mailcampaign.

Anautomatede-mailcampaignisaterrificwaytoremindcustomersthatyouexist.Andiftheyhappentoopenyoure-mail(you’llbesurprisedathowmanypeople actually do), then it’s a greatway to invite them into the story you’retellingasacompany.

Anautomatede-mailcampaignisaprewrittensequenceofe-mailmessagesthattriggeronceapersonisaddedtoyourlist.Somepeoplecallthisan“auto-responderseries”ora“funnel,”buttheideaisthatyou’llbeinvitingpeopleintoanarrativethatleadstoasaleevenwhileyousleep.

DoesAnybodyReadTheseThings?Don’tworryiftheopenratesonthesee-mailsarelow.A20percentopenrateisindustrystandard,soanythingabovethatisperformingwell.Andremember,evenifapersonseesanddeletesane-mail,thegoalhasbeenaccomplished:youare“branding”yourselfintotheiruniverse.

If someone unsubscribes from your list, that’s a good thing. Thatpersonwillprobablyneverbuyfromyouanyway,anditreducesthesizeofyourlistsoyouaren’tpayingyoure-mailserviceproviderfore-mailsthataredeadweight.Thelastthingyouwanttodoinyourmarketingisbother someone, so if someone unsubscribes, all the better. It’s moreimportant to have a list of qualified, interested subscribers than a largenumberofpeoplewhoneverintendtobuy.

IsubscribetoplentyofmailingliststhatIhardlyopenane-mailfrom.Whydon’tIunsubscribe?Becauseeverytwentyorsoe-mails,theysendsomething I actually want to open. Yet all those e-mails I delete arefurtherbrandingthosecompaniesintomyconsciousness.

GettingStartedWhile there are many kinds of automated e-mail campaigns, the one we

recommendstartingwithisthenurturingcampaign.Anurturingcampaign isasimple, regular e-mail that offers your subscribers valuable information as itrelatestoyourproductsorservices.

Notunlikeourleadgenerator,wewantthesee-mailstocontinuepositioningus as the guide and to create a bond of trust and reciprocity with potentialcustomers.Therewill comea time to ask for a sale,but this isn’t theprimarygoalofanurturingcampaign.Atypicalnurturingcampaignmayhaveane-mailgoingoutonceeachweek,andtheordermightlooklikethis:

E-mail#1:Nurturinge-mailE-mail#2:Nurturinge-mailE-mail#3:Nurturinge-mail

E-mail#4:Salese-mailwithacalltoaction

Thispatterncanberepeatedmonthaftermonth.Irecommendcreatingafewmonths’worthofmaterialandlettingitride,thenaddingtoitasyouhavetime.The idea is tooffer somethingofgreatvalue and thenoccasionally ask for anorder and remind people you have products and services that can make theirlives better. Pretty soon you’ll have hundreds of potential customers beingintroducedtoyourbusiness.Whentheyneedhelpinyourareaofexpertise,theywillrememberyouandplaceanorder.

Sowhat’s thedifferencebetweenanurturinge-mail andane-mailwithanofferandcalltoaction?

TheNurturingE-mailAgoodwaytocrafteachnurturinge-mailistouseaneffectiveformulathat

offers simple, helpful advice to a customer. I’ve been using this formula foryearsandcustomersloveit.

1. Talkaboutaproblem.2. Explainaplantosolvetheproblem.3. Describehowlifecanlookforthereaderoncetheproblemissolved.

Ialsorecommendincludingapostscript,ortheP.S.Often,theP.S.istheonlythingsomebodywhoopensamasse-mailwillactuallyread.

That’sreallyit.Ifyoucoverthesethreeareasasefficientlyaspossible,you’llbecraftinge-mailsyourcustomersopen,read,andremember.

AGOODNURTURINGE-MAILRecentlyweconsultedwiththeownerofadogboardingcompanyinterestedingrowingherbusiness.Werecommendedshecreatealead-generatingPDFcalled“5ThingsYourDogThinksAboutWhenYou’reAway”inexchangeforthee-mailaddressesofqualifiedcustomers.Whatdogloverwouldn’twanttoreadaPDFwithatitlelikethat?Perfect.

AfewdaysaftersomebodydownloadedthePDF,theywouldgetthefirste-mailinthenurturingcampaign.Itlookedlikethis:

Subject:ShouldWeFreeFeedOurDogs?

DearName,

AtCrestHillBoardingwe’reoftenaskedwhetherit’sokaytofreefeedourdogs.It’scertainlytheeasiestwaytomakesureadogalwayshasfoodandnevergoeshungry.Buttherearesomeproblemswithfreefeeding.Dogsthatarefreefedoftengainexcessfatlaterinlifeandhealthproblemscanoccurwithoutournoticing.

Werecommendfeedingyourdogasetamount,onceortwiceperday.Aftertwentyminutes,ifyourpethasn’teatentheirfood,werecommenddiscardingtheexcessandwaitinguntilthenextsettimetofeedthemagain.

Bystickingtoasetamountandsetschedule,you’llbeabletomonitorwhatyourdogeatsandalsobeabletodiagnoseanyillnessyourpetmaybesufferingfromthatismakingthemlosetheirappetite.Thiswillensureyourdogstayshealthyandhappylongintotheirlife.

Here’stoenjoyingourpetsforalong,longtime.

Sincerely,X

P.S.Asforhowmucheachdogshouldbefed,itreallydependsonhowoldyourdogisandhowbig.Nexttimeyouandyourdogareintheshop,introduceustoyourdogandwe’lltellyoueverythingweknowaboutthebreed.

Thebottomof thise-mailcontainedourclient’s logo, theirone-liner,andaphonenumberincaseanyonewasreadytoplaceanorder.Still,gettinganorderwasn’t the primary concern. The primary concern was to offer something ofvalue,positionthebusinessastheguide,andcreatereciprocity.

Youcanseehowgettingaweeklye-mail like thiswouldmakeourclient’s

kennelstandout inanydogowner’smind.Thenext timeapotentialcustomerhad tosuddenly leave town, they’dfondlyrememberherkenneland take theirdoginforboarding.

After three more e-mails like this, our client included an e-mail thatcontainedanofferandacalltoaction.

TheOfferandCalltoActionE-mailAbout every third or fourth e-mail in a nurturing campaign should offer a

productorservicetothecustomer.Thekeyhereistobedirect.Youdon’twanttobepassive,becausebeingpassivecommunicatesweakness.Inthise-mailyouareclearlymakinganoffer.

Theformulamightlooklikethis:

1. Talkaboutaproblem.2. Describeaproductyouofferthatsolvesthisproblem.3. Describewhatlifecanlooklikeforthereaderoncetheproblemis

solved.4. Callthecustomertoadirectactionleadingtoasale.

AGOODOFFERANDCALLTOACTIONE-MAILSimilartothenurturinge-mail,theofferandcall-to-actione-mailaimstosolveaproblem.Theonlydifferenceisthatthesolutionisyourproductandastrongcalltoactionhasbeeninserted.Youareinvitingthissubscribertodobusinesswithyou. Here’s an offer and call-to-action e-mail we wrote for Crest Hill dogkennel:

Subject:Asolutionforscaryboarding

DearName,

Ifyou’reanythinglikeus,youhateleavingyourdogbehindwhenyougooutoftown.Andyouhatetheideaofyourdogbeinglockedinacratenexttoabunchofotherstress-inducing,barkingdogs.Asdoglovers,weusedtohatethatfeelingtoo,andthat’swhywecreatedCrestHillBoarding.

AtCrestHill,yourdogplayssohardallday,theyareeagertoliedownatnight.Wehavethreefull-timestaffmembersthrowingtennisballsandenticingdogstorunandplaysothey’refartoodistractedtorealizethey’reanywhereotherthanasecondhome.Thismeansthatbytheendofthedayalltheotherdogsareeagertosleeptoo,andsoyourdogrestscomfortably.Youwon’tbelievehowquietourkennelsareonceweputthedogstobedat8p.m.

RightnowyoucanbookthreenightsatCrestHillathalfprice.Thisisaone-timeofferandit’smeanttointroduceyoutohowdifferentlywetakecareofyourpet.Wethinkonceyouseehoweageryourdogwillbetojoinus,you’llfeelbetterwhenyouhavetoleavetown.Nomoreguilt.Nomoresadgood-byes.

Totakeadvantageofthisoffer,justcallus.Youdon’tevenhavetoknowwhenthenexttimeyou’regoingtoleavetownis,wewilljustmarkyouinoursystemashavingtakenadvantageoftheoffer.

Callustodayat555–5555.

Wecan’twaitforyourdogtoexperiencetheCrestHilldifference.

Sincerely,X

P.S.Makesuretocalltoday.Thecallwillonlytakeacoupleofminutes,andyou’llbe inour systemforever.Afteryoucall,yourdog’s favoritehome away from home will be waiting whenever you’re in need of asafe,reliable,andfun-for-yourdogsolution.

This e-mail weaves in a tremendous amount of content from Crest Hill’sStoryBrandBrandScript,includingtheexternalproblemandinternalfearofthecustomer alongwith elements from the successmodule.But the gist of the e-mailisthatifasubscriberpurchasesCrestHill’soffer,oneoftheirconcernswillberesolved.

Notethatthecalltoactionisstrongandcontainsadegreeofscarcitybecauseitisaone-timeoffer.Anyonewhoreadsthise-mailknowsexactlywhatwewantthemtodo:boardtheirdogatCrestHill.

WhatSoftwareShouldWeUse?Therearemanysoftwareoptionswhenitcomestocreatinganautomatede-

mailcampaign.Ifyou’reworkingwithadesigneroradvertisingagency,thisislikely a question for them. You want your designer to work with whateversoftwarethey’reaccustomedtousing.

Ifyouwanttocreatethesystemyourself,MailChimpisafantasticservice,especiallyforautomatede-mailcampaignsthataresimpleandreliable.

If you have a robust list and want to segment your audience, provide e-commerce solutions, take advantage of advanced strategies, and create apowerful e-mail force to be reckoned with, we recommend Infusionsoft. AtStoryBrandweuse Infusionsoftwithgreat success.Our friendsat Infusionsoftareworkingontemplatee-mailsdevelopedincoordinationwiththeStoryBrandteam to ensure e-mails that get a response.Youcan learnmore about these e-mailtemplatesatstorybrand.com/infusionsoft.

StartSmallGetting an e-mail campaign up and running can be intimidating, but it

doesn’thavetobe.Makesuretostartsmall.Togetstarted,simplyopenaWorddocumentandstartwritingyoure-mails.Youcanpasteyoure-mailsintoane-mailapplicationlater.Writingthatinitiale-mailisthefirststep.Onceyoureaditback to yourself, you’re going to want to send it to customers. That’s thebeginning.Beforeyouknowit,you’llhavearobustsystemofe-mails thatareengagingcustomersatallhoursoftheday,evenwhileyousleep.

ROADMAPTASKFOUR:COLLECTANDTELLSTORIESOFTRANSFORMATION

As we learned earlier in the book, few things are more foundational to acompelling story than the transformation of the hero. Why? Because

transformation is a core desire for every human being. That’s why so manystoriesareabouttheherobeingtransformedintosomebodybetter.

People love movies about characters who transform, and they lovebusinessesthathelpthemexperiencetransformationthemselves.Oneofthebestwayswecanillustratehowwehelpourcustomerstransformisthroughcustomertestimonials.

Great testimonials give future customers the gift of going second. Thechallenge lies ingetting the rightkindof testimonial:one that showcasesyourvalue,theresultsyougetforcustomers,andtheexperiencepeoplehadworkingwithyou.Simplyaskingforatestimonialusuallywon’tworkbecausecustomerswill share their feelings about you by default. “Nancy is a great friend! WehighlyrecommendNancyandherteam!”

While those are nice words, they do very little in telling a story oftransformation.Therearenospecificresultsmentionedordetailsaboutwhatlifeislikenowthatthetransformationhastakenplace.

Ifyou’reaskingcustomerstowriteatestimonialforyou,it’slikelytheyare(1)toobusytogivedeepthoughttowritingthetestimonialor(2)subparwritersorcommunicators.

Weavingtogetheracompellingtaleoftransformationmeansyouhavetoasktherightquestions—youneedsomerawmaterialstoworkwith.Thefollowingquestionswill allowyou to build a bankof compelling testimonials thatworkwithnearlyanycustomerquicklyandeasily.

Thesequestionsworkbecausethey“lead”theclientdownaspecifictrainofthought.Simplyusethesequestionstocreateaformcustomerscanfillout.Oncetheyfillout theform, thenatural flowof thesentenceswillallowyoutocopyandpastetheanswerstobuildaclientcasestudy.

Thesesamequestionscanalsobeusedtocreatevideotestimonials.Simplyinvitecustomerstobeinterviewedandaskthemthefollowingquestions.Oncethe video is edited and b-roll is inserted, you can feature your video on yourwebsiteorinanurturingorsalese-mailcampaign.

Here are five questions most likely to generate the best response for acustomertestimonial:

1. Whatwastheproblemyouwerehavingbeforeyoudiscoveredourproduct?

2. Whatdidthefrustrationfeellikeasyoutriedtosolvethatproblem?3. Whatwasdifferentaboutourproduct?

4. Takeustothemomentwhenyourealizedourproductwasactuallyworkingtosolveyourproblem.

5. Telluswhatlifelookslikenowthatyourproblemissolvedorbeingsolved.

Youcanseethearcofthequestionsnaturallyyieldsatransformationstory.Onceyoucapturethetestimonial,featureiteverywhere:e-mails,promovideos,keynotespeeches,liveinterviews,events.Oneseasonweclosedeachepisodeofthe Building a StoryBrand podcast with an interview with someone whotransformedtheirbusinessandtheirlifebyapplyingtheStoryBrandFramework.Theresponsewasoverwhelming.Wenotedanimmediateuptickinregistrationsforourmarketingworkshops.

The point is that people are drawn to transformation. When they seetransformation inothers, theywant it for themselves.Themorewe feature thetransformationjourneyourcustomershaveexperienced,thefasterourbusinesswillgrow.

ROADMAPTASKFIVE:CREATEASYSTEMTHATGENERATESREFERRALS

Askanybusinessownerhowtheygetnewcustomersandthemajoritywillsay“wordofmouth.”Itwouldseemobvious,then,thateverybusinessouttherehasa system for generating more word-of-mouth referrals. Unfortunately, that’sseldomthecase.

Once you create a system that funnels potential customers into becomingactualcustomers,thefinalstepistoturnaroundandinvitehappycustomerstobecomeevangelistsforyourbrand.Thiswillonlyhappenifyoucreateasystemthat invites and incentivizes people to spread the word. Various studiesconductedbytheAmericanMarketingAssociationhaveshownthatreferralsandpeer recommendations are up to 2.5 times more responsive than any othermarketingchannel.

If you’ve done the simple, fun work of creating your StoryBrandBrandScript,yourmessageshouldbeclear.Nowit’stimetoimplementasystemthatgetspeoplerepeatingthatmessagetotheirfriendsandfamily.

Let’s takeastep-by-steplookatwhatit takestocreateaneffectivereferral

system.

1. IDENTIFYYOUREXISTING,IDEALCUSTOMERS

At the top of the current Domino’s Pizzawebsite there’s a link that says,“Don’t have a pizza profile?Create one.”That link, even though it’s in smallprint, is a hugemoneymaker. Thosewho frequently order from the restaurantchain use this link to build their perfect pizza and enter their credit cardinformationtoorderit.Domino’sthensendsthemoccasionalpromptstoreorder,especiallybeforebigeventslikeimportantfootballgamesorholidayweekendswhentheyknowtheircustomersarelikelytoenjoytheirproduct.

Nowimaginetakingthatstrategytothenextlevel.Whatifcreatingaspecialdatabase of existing, passionate customers and communicating with themdifferentlycanhelpyougeneratereferrals?Developingasimplecampaignusingtoolsyourexistingfanscanusetospreadthewordaboutyourbrandiskey.Notonlycouldyouincreaseyourexistingbusiness,butthesehappycustomerswillbecomeanactivatedsalesforceandinvitetheirfriends.

1. GIVEYOURCUSTOMERSAREASONTOSPREADTHEWORD

Afewyearsago,Iutilizedtheservicesofaconsultingfirmthat,aspartoftheir system, asked me for a list of referrals. The request made meimmediatelyuncomfortable.Ifeltliketheywantedtousemeformyfriends,orworse,turnmeintooneoftheirsalespeople.

Thatsaid,theservicetheyprovidedwasgood,andhadtheyframedtherequestanotherway,Imighthavecomplied.Specifically,itwouldhavebeenniceifthey’dhavecreatedasmall,educationalvideothatwouldhavebeenvaluable to my friends. I’dmuchmore quickly pass along a video than Iwouldhandovermyfriends’e-mailaddresses.

ConsidercreatingaPDForvideothatyouautomaticallysendtoexistingclientsalongwithane-mailthatgoessomethinglikethis:

DearFriend,Thanksfordoingbusinesswithus.Anumberofourclientshave

wanted to tell their friends about howwe help customers, but theyaren’t surehow todoso.We’veput togethera littlevideo thatwill

help your friends solveXproblem. If you have any friendswithXproblem,feelfreetosenditalong.We’dbehappytofollowupwithany of them, andwe’ll be sure to let you knowwhetherwe couldhelp.

We know you value your relationships and so do we. If yourfriends are experiencing a problem we’ve helped you solve, we’dlovetohelpthemtoo.Ifthere’sanythingelsewecando,pleaseletusknow.

Sincerely,Nancy

P.S.XProblemcanbefrustrating.Ifyou’dratherintroduceustoyourfriend inperson, just letusknow.Wearemore thanhappy tomeetwiththemintheirplaceofbusinessoratouroffice.

1. OFFERAREWARD

Ifyoureallywanttoprimethepump,offerarewardtoexistingclientswhorefertheirfriends.AsImentionedearlier,mywifehasinviteddozensoffriendsto try out Blue Apron, a company that sends ready-to-cook meals right topeople’sdoors.PlentyofBetsy’sfriendshaveenjoyedtheserviceandsignedonforthemselves.BetsyreceivesarewardfromBlueAproneverytimesomebodysignsup.

Anotherwaytoofferarewardistostartanaffiliateprogram.Youcanofferyourcustomersa10percentcommissionon theorders theybring toyou.Thissystem has generatedmillions of dollars for thousands of companies. A goodaffiliateprogramcandotheworkofanexpensivesalesforceifyoustructurethepercentageswell.

AutomatetheWorkThe easiest, fastest referral system can be automated using Mail Chimp,

Infusionsoft, HubSpot, or any other e-mail marketing system. Simply includeanycustomerwhoplacesoneortwoordersinanautomatedcampaignthatoffersthemaneducationalvideoorPDFtheycanpasson,anaddedvaluefor telling

theirfriendsaboutyou,orabonusorevenacommission.Makesurethesystemoptscustomersoutafterplacingseveralorderssoyoudon’thiteverycustomereverytimetheyorderwithanothersalespitch.Wedon’twanttoriskannoyingpeople.

SOMEREAL-WORLDREFERRALSYSTEMSImplementing a referral system takes work, but it’s effective. Take someinspirationfromthesesamples.You’llquicklyseethattheeffortwillpayoff.

A100PercentRefundforThreeNewReferralsWithinaSemester.Thiswasthebrainchildofanafter-schooltest-prepacademythatpreparedhighschoolstudentsfortheSATandACTcollegeadmissionstest,butitcouldjustaswellhavebeenaneyedoctororamassagetherapist.Parentsweregivenareferralcardtohandouttofriends,manyofwhomhadkidsaroundthesameage.Eachtimeoneofthecardscameback,thereferrerwascreditedhundredsofdollarsbecausethesecourseswereexpensive!Whentheyreferredthreenewregistrants,thereferrerwasgivena100percentrefund.Sure,thekidswerecompetingwithtestscores,buttheparentsendedupcompetingforreferrals,andbusinessskyrocketed.Thebusinessalsoofferedspecialseminarsforparentsandstudentsofthe100PercentReferralClub.

Invite-a-FriendCoupons.Whenstudentssignedupforgolflessons,therangeofferedeachnewstudentseveralcouponsforafreebucketofgolfballsforafriend.Whileit’sanindividualgame,golfisasocialsportsincepeopleenjoyplayingtogether.Thecourseexperienceda40percentincreaseinstudentssigningupforlessonsbecausewordofmouthspreadsoeffectively.

Open-HouseParty.Wheneverahomecontractorfinishedalarge-scaleproject,heaskedthehomeownersiftheywouldbewillingtothrowanopen-housepartyinexchangeforaslightdiscount.Friends,family,andneighborswereinvitedtoacookoutonthenewlybuiltdeck.Thecontractorusedthisopportunitytoexplainhowtheworkwasdoneandpassoutcards.Withonlyafewopen-houseparties,thecontractorfilledhisscheduleforthefollowingtwelvemonths.

FreeFollow-UpPhotos.AweddingphotographerinSyracuse,NewYork,offeredcouplesafreefollow-upportraitontheirone-yearanniversaryifthecoupleprovidedthreereferralsatthetimeofthewedding.Shealso

followedupwithcardstotheentirebridalparty,expressinghowmuchofapleasureitwastophotographthem.Needlesstosay,businessboomedbecausepeoplewhoareinweddingpartiesoftenendupgettingmarriedsoonthemselves.

WHAT’SYOURMARKETINGPLAN?

Inmy twenties I spent an entire year playing chess.Nearly everyday Imet afriend at a coffee shop and we’d go at it for a couple of hours. My skillsimproved, and I ended up winning more than half my matches until anotherfriendstartedshowingup.Hebeatmeeverytime,usuallywithintwentymoves.

The reason? I knew a lot about the philosophy of chess, but I didn’t havewhat’s referred toasanopening.Beforesittingdowntoplay,mymoreskilledopponentplannedhisfirstfivemoves.Thisopeningstrategywascriticaltohissuccess.OnceImemorizedafewopeningsofmyown,Istartedtowinagain.

If theStoryBrandFrameworkisafoundation, thefivemarketing ideas thatmake up the StoryBrand Marketing Roadmap should serve as your opening.Thesefivesimpleyetpowerfultoolshavebeenusedbycountlessbusinessestoincreasetheirrevenue.

Again, consider this roadmap a checklist. After you’ve created yourStoryBrandBrandScript,gettoworkoneachaspectofthisroadmapandwatchasyourcustomersengageandyourcompanygrows.

To hire a StoryBrand Certified Guide to help you execute your StoryBrandMarketingRoadmap,visitwww.clarifyyourmessage.com.OurdirectorycanhelpyoufindaStoryBrandCertifiedGuide(marketingcoach),StoryBrandCertifiedCopywriter, web designer, videographer, printer, or even a complete designagency. Stop wastingmoney onmarketing that doesn’t work. Hire somebodywhoknowshowtocraftaclearmessage.

StoryBrand does not take a percentage of sales from any of our certifiedagents.

AFTERWORD

Sadly,youdon’thave to lookaroundlongtorealize thatoften thepeoplewhoare communicating the clearest aren’t necessarily the people with the bestproductsorservices,andthey’reoftennotthepeoplewhoarebestqualifiedtolead.

OurhopeatStoryBrandistohelpthepeoplewhoactuallydomakethebestproducts and services, and the peoplewho really should be leading, find theirvoice.Wewantthegoodguysholdingthemicrophonemorethanthebadguys,to put it simply. Why? Because if hardworking people like you invite theircustomersintoastorythatmakestheirlivesbetter,theworlditselfwillbecomeabetterplace.

Businessisoneofthemostpowerfulforcesintheworldforgood.Withourbusinessesweprovidejobs,anine-to-fivecommunityforourteams,meaningfulworkforterrificpeople,andmostimportantly,productsandservicesthatsolveourcustomers’problems.

There’sapopularnotionamongcynicsandpoliticians thesedays that saysbusinessisbad,thatcorporationsareruiningtheworld.Isupposetherearesomebadeggsoutthere,butI’venotmetthem.Theclientsweworkwithjustwanttoimprovetheircustomers’lives,andI’mgratefultohelpthemdoso.

Gettingupeverydaytogrowyourcompanyisdifficultwork.Iknowhowitfeelstolosesleepwonderinghowyou’regoingtomakethebottomlinesoyoudon’thavetoletanybodygo.TheStoryBrandFrameworkwascreatedtoreducethisstress.Itwascreatedsoyouwouldbeheardinthemarketplace,growyourbusiness,andtransformyourcustomers’lives.I’mgratefulfortheworkyou’redoing.Yourworkisimportant.

It’s true: if you confuse, you’ll lose. But if you clarify your message,customerswilllisten.Here’stohelpingthegoodguyswin.

Becauseinagoodstory,theyalwaysdo.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I’m grateful to Tim Schurrer, Kyle Reid, Koula Calahan, Avery Csorba, JJPeterson,ChadSnavely,SuzanneNorman,MattHarris,BrandenDickerson,TimArnold,MattOlthoff,andBetsyMillerforhelpingmebuildStoryBrand.Theirtirelessworkonbehalfofourclientshashelpedthousandsofbusinessesconnectwith customers, hire more people, and solve their customers’ problems. Thisteamismorethanastaff;theyarefamily.

I’m also grateful toMikeKim,who helpedme edit this book into shape.Mike spent weeks going through the book making it better on every page.Webster Younce, Heather Skelton, and Brigitta Nortker of HarperCollins alsocontributedsignificantlytothebookwiththeircarefuleditsandadditions.

Special thanks toBrandenDickerson for his help fleshing out commercialevidence for the framework. Ben Ortlip lent invaluable feedback on how toimplementtheStoryBrandFrameworkinlargeorganizations.I’mgratefulforhishelp increatingourStoryBrandcultureprogramalongwithhiscontribution tochapter 13. Ben’s ability to take large corporations through a multifacetedprogram, allowing them to conquer the narrative void and see bottom-lineresults,hasinspiredusall.

Lastly,thankyou.Thankyoufordaringtomakeandsellthings,forsolvingcustomers’ problems, helping heroes find homes, and putting your customers’storiesaboveyourown.AsIsaidinthebeginning,mayyouberichlyrewardedforyoureffort.

PRAISEFORTHESTORYBRANDFRAMEWORK

“BeforeStoryBrand,customersweren’tseeingthemselvesinouroffering.We’rea staffing agency that specializes in helping companies find andhire the rightpeople.We help companies post job applications, we test candidates, and weprovide software for applicant tracking. Sadly, our message, though, was allaboutus.Weweretalkingaboutourstrengthsratherthanthecustomer’sneeds.Also, our marketing material was too complex and hard to understand. AfterbringinginaStoryBrandfacilitator,weclarifiedourmessageandmadeitaboutour customer. We revised our sales process and started listening to ourcustomers’ needs, asking them about their external problems and how thoseproblems were making them feel in their daily work. The results wereimmediate.WecreatedourBrandScriptinDecemberandspentthenextcouplemonthsexecutingournewmessagingacrosseverypartofthecustomerjourney.Withinsevenmonthswe’dseena118percentincreaseinoverallrevenue.Yes,thatmeanswemorethandoubledsales.Wealsosawa276percentincreaseinthenumberofpayingcustomersduring that same timeperiod.Andwe’re stillgrowing.Inthelastsixmonths,we’vebeenincreasingrevenue9percentmonthovermonth,whichreallyaddsup!”

—EDWINJANSEN,HEADOFMARKETING,FITZII

“LipscombUniversityisoneofthefastestgrowinguniversitiesintheSoutheast,soitwasnosmalltasktogetallthestoriesofourschoolclearandonmission.We knew it was important, and so we brought in StoryBrand to deliver aworkshop toour entire faculty.Without question, it helpedusunderstandwhowewere,whowewere serving, andwhatweneeded to communicate tooffervalue. After StoryBrand, each department felt like theywere a subplot in thegreaterstoryofLipscomb.Themost tangiblewaywesawresultswas through

ouroutreachtothecommunity.Westoppedpositioningourselvesastheheroandinstead began to serve the greater collective vision of Nashville. All of thisculminated in a series called ‘Imagine,’ inwhichwe brought in themayor ofNashville,GovernorBillHaslam,andformerpresidentGeorgeW.BushtospeakabouthowNashvilleandLipscombcouldpositivelycontributetotheworld.Westopped talking about us andwe started serving as a guide to the communityaroundus.Sincethisdramaticpivot,therenewedenergyaroundagreatervisioninwhichLipscombwouldplayaparthasresulted inmore than$50million indonations that will go toward development. I’d say the results have beenfantastic.”

—JOHNLOWRY,VICEPRESIDENTOFDEVELOPMENT,LIPSCOMBUNIVERSITY

“BeforeStoryBrand,weatReed’sDairythoughtwehadtotellpeopleaboutus.Ourmarketingwas clumsy and awkward, andour conversion rateson e-mailsweredeclining.Thiswaskeepingmeupatnight.IboughttheStoryBrandonlinecourseandputtheframeworktouseimmediately.Wehaveanannualcampaigninwhichwe sell littlemilk coupons so people can buy theirmilk in advance,twentygallonsatatime.Themostwe’deversoldthroughane-mailcampaignwas $3,000 worth. We only do this campaign for one day each year, so weconsidered$3,000prettygood.IwonderediftheStoryBrandFrameworkcouldhelpusdoevenbetter.Isatandwrotethatyear’se-mailusingafewofthethingsIhad learned in theworkshop.The responsewas incredible:$52,000worthofcouponbooksinoneday.We’dneverseenanythinglikeit.IgotonaplanetoNashville to attend the next live workshop and have since bought thecopywriting course. Our conversion rates on our e-mails have more thandoubled.Inthelastfewmonthswe’veincreasedourextraproductsalesby12.5percent. We keep seeing results in everything we apply the framework to,includingourretailstoresandouricecreamdivision.Isleepprettygoodthesedays.”

—ALANREED,CEOOFREED’SDAIRY

“I was asked to give a TED Talk about the work I do advocating for protontherapyasatreatmentforcancer.AsIreviewedtheenormousbinderofmaterialIwanted tocover, I realized the taskwasepic.TherewasnowayIcouldboildownall Iwanted to say intoaneighteen-minute talk.After spendinga singleday with a StoryBrand facilitator, I had hope. We mapped out my talk on awhiteboard,andIagreedtoleavemostofthethingsIwantedtotalkaboutonthe

editingroomfloor.Thetalkwaseasytomemorize,flowedlikeashortstory,andengaged the audience from beginning to end. StoryBrand didn’t just help mepreparemyTEDTalk, they helpedme understand how to better approach theadvocacyI’dbeendoing.Itallcomesdowntosimple,repeatablemessagesthatgrabtheaudience.WithoutStoryBrand,I’dhaveneverbeenable toclarifymymessageandinformtheaudienceaboutacauseIcaresodeeplyabout.Withthehelp of StoryBrand, I hit a home run, ormore appropriately, I landed a tripleluxe.”

—SCOTTHAMILTON,OLYMPICGOLDMEDALIST,FOUNDEROFSCOTTCARES,ANDTHREE-TIMECANCERSURVIVOR

“These Numbers Have Faces is a nonprofit working to provide educationalequality in Sub-Saharan Africa, where only 5 percent of the population willattenduniversity.BeforeStoryBrand,ourbiggestproblemwaswewereplayingthehero.Wetalkedmoreaboutournonprofitthanwedidaboutourstudentsorour donors.Whenwe did talk about our students’ problems, we talked abouttheirexternalproblemsratherthantheirinternalproblems,whichwenowknowisalimitedwayofapproachingourmessaging.AfterattendingtheStoryBrandworkshop,weoverhauledourmessaging. Inour e-mails,webegan to connectdonorswiththenarrativeofthemission,andonsocialmedia,wetoldthestoriesofourheroicstudents.WeusedourStoryBrandBrandScripttodraftourend-of-year report that got significant attention.Asof today,we are on track to raisemoremoneythisyearthaneverbefore.Weblewourfund-raisinggoaloutofthewater.Wewillgointonextyearwiththelargestcashadvantagewe’veeverhad.Team,donor,andstudentmoraleisatanall-timehigh.”

—JUSTINZORADI,EXECUTIVEDIRECTOROFTHESENUMBERSHAVEFACES

“WhenEntreLeadershipgrewfromabrandthatbasicallyjustofferedliveeventsinto a full-fledged coaching service for small business owners, we startedexperiencingchallengesinhowtoexplainwhatwedidandhowwedidit.Eventhoughwe’dbeenwritingcopyandupdatingourwebsite foryears, the realitywasthatmostofthetimewewerejustguessingatthebestwaytosaythings.Asaresultpeopledidn’tunderstandourcoachingservicethewaywethoughttheydid.Thiswasfrustratingbecausethevalueofourprogramwassoobvioustous.Themistakewemadewas assuming itwas obvious to our customers too.Wewereclear...theywereconfused.Thatdoesn’tsell.Iknewwewerecapableofmoreconversionsandmoreeffectiveconnectionwithouraudience,butIwasn’tsurehowtogetthere.Itwasn’tuntilwebroughtinaStoryBrandfacilitatorand

sat down as a team to overhaul our entire world through the lens of theStoryBrand Framework that we became crystal clear on how to explain ourcoachingservice.EntreLeadershiphasgrownsignificantly,andwearetrackingto more than double membership in the next two years. The StoryBrandFrameworkisaninvaluableresource,andInowexpectourmarketerstouseitineverythingwecreate.”

—DANIELTARDY,VICEPRESIDENTOFENTRELEADERSHIP,RAMSEYSOLUTIONS

“At Marie Mae we sell beautiful paper products and office supplies. BeforeStoryBrand,ourmarketingeffortswereajumbledmess.IonceoverheardaclosefriendtalkingaboutMarieMaeCompany.. .anditwasnothingclosetowhatwewere doing. I attended a StoryBrandMarketingWorkshop and learnedwewere talking about the wrong things in our marketing copy. This was lifechangingforourstart-up.Weusedtheframeworktosimplifyourmessagedowntoasingletagline:‘Youarechangingtheworldfromyourdesk.Shouldn’tyourofficeproductsdothesame?’Westartedfocusingmoreonthemeaningfulworkour customerswere doing and showing how they couldmake an even biggerimpact around the world just by choosing office products that also make animpact.We simplified our website using the SB7 Framework, and all of ourmarketinge-mailsarenowrunthroughtheSB7filteraswell.IntheyearsinceweimplementedtheStoryBrandFramework,wehaveincreasedourrevenueby20xandgottenourproductsintothehandsof250,000people.Weattributethissuccess largely to the clarity in our story and the shift in our marketingmessages.Wearegrateful.”

—JILLIANRYAN,FOUNDEROFMARIEMAECOMPANY

“Before StoryBrand, I felt like my marketing was falling flat. I felt like mybusinesshadhitaceiling.GoingthroughtheframeworktaughtmeIwastalkingaboutmyprogramsallwrong.IusedtheStoryBrandFrameworktorecreatemysalesmaterialfromscratch.Ittookquiteabitofefforttorethinkthewholething.I dipped my toes in the water by making a few changes to key pieces ofmarketing material, being sure they spoke directly to my clients’ needs. Irelaunched my program with my new sales materials and saw a massiveresponse. A campaign that would have typically brought in $6,000 to $9,000brought in more than $40,000. StoryBrand is the most practical, applicable,implementable,logical,simple,usefulmarketingprogramI’veeverexperienced.It’sgoingtochangeeverythinginmybusiness,andI’mjustgettingstarted.”

—JENNYSHIH,BUSINESSCOACH

“Weoftengotagreatdealofconfusionwhenwe tried toanswer thequestion,‘Sowhatdoyoudo?’Wewereregularlyfrustratedbythefactthatwehadahugebodyoforganizationalknowledgeaboutourownwork,andit requiredat leastanhourtoconveyittopeople.Asastart-up,nonprofitorganization,ourrevenue(donations)werebarelyenoughtokeepusafloat.Weknewabigreasonforthiswas that our model was a bit complex and it didn’t get communicated withclarity,leavingpotentialdonorsconfused.WetookabigriskandchosetosendourentireUSteam(threepeople)toStoryBrand—ariskthatateupasignificantcut of our cash on hand. StoryBrand was indispensable for us. In the daysfollowingStoryBrand,wemade a hard pivot on our communications strategy.Overthecourseofacouplemonths,wewentfromanorganizationonthevergeofcollapsetoanorganizationthatwasthriving.InQ4alone(post-StoryBrand),weliterallytripledourannualrevenue.NowMavunohasexpandeditsreachby400percentineasternCongo,andweareendingextremepovertyforthousandsofCongolese.Wearemakingdramaticchangeforsomeofthemostvulnerablepeople inoneof theworld’smostwar-tornenvironments.Wearepostured forenormous scale, and that is due in large part to StoryBrand. Thank you forhelpinguschangetheworld.”

—DANIELMYATT,CEOOFMAVUNO

STORYBRANDRESOURCES

THESTORYBRANDONLINEMARKETINGWORKSHOP

IfyoulearnbetterviavideoandwouldliketotakeanSB7courseonyourowntimeandatyourownpace, theStoryBrandOnlineMarketingWorkshopwalksyou through the creationofyourBrandScriptwhilegivingplentyof examplesandinspirationalstoriesofsuccess.Onceyou’redonewiththecourse,youwillhaveamessageyoucanuse tocreatewebsites,keynotes,elevatorpitches,andmuchmore.Getthecourseatstorybrand.com/online.

STORYBRANDMARKETINGROADMAPONLINECOURSE(ACOURSEINCOPYWRITING)

DonaldMillerandcopywritinglegendRayEdwardsteamuptoteachyouhowtowriteagreatsalesletter,wireframeawebsite,createaone-liner,writeane-mailcampaign,andmuchmore.IfyouwanttolearntowriteterrificsalescopyusingtheStoryBrandmethod,thengetthecourseatstorybrand.com/roadmap.

THESTORYBRANDLIVEMARKETINGWORKSHOP

If youwant to get away and clarify yourmessagewhile being surrounded byexcitingpeerswho are alsoworking to grow their companies, signup for ourlive workshop. Our facilitators will show you endless examples of successfulmessagingandcoachyoutomakesureyou’recreatingtheperfectBrandScript

for your company. Not only this, but wewill review best practices in simplemarketing techniques thatwill giveyou a planmoving forward.Get away fortwodaysandwalkawaywiththeentireprocessthisbookdescribesfinishedandready for execution. Our live workshops will get you results. Register for aworkshoptodayatstorybrand.com.

THESTORYBRANDPRIVATEWORKSHOP

WalkingyourpeoplethroughtheStoryBrandFrameworkinthecomfortofyourown office is the next step to aligning your team, growing your business,reducing marketing costs, and creating a common language that excites andinspires your team. You’ll spend two days clarifying your StoryBrandBrandScriptandunifyingyourteam,andourfacilitatorswilleventakealookatyourexistingmarketingmaterialsonceyourBrandScriptiscreated.Theprivateworkshopprocesstakes1.5days,andyourcompanywillneverbethesame.Getmoreinformationatstorybrand.com/privateworkshop.

BECOMEACERTIFIEDSTORYBRANDGUIDE

If you’d like to give great marketing advice by helping people clarify theirmessage and execute the StoryBrandMarketingRoadmap, apply to become aCertified StoryBrand Guide. StoryBrand Guides are approved through aninterview process and then listed in our online directory. Those who have aknackformarketingandmessagingandwanttostartacoachingbusiness,alongwith existing coaches looking to increase their value, are welcome to apply.Corporationswantingtocertifymembersoftheirteammayalsoapply.Youcanlearnmoreatstorybrand.com/guide.

STORYBRANDCOPYWRITERCERTIFICATION

StoryBrandclientsoftenneedacopywriter,andifyouwanttobeoneofthem,youhavetodomore thanjust taketheonlinecourse;youhavetobecertified.DonaldMillerandRayEdwardshaveteameduptocreatearobustcertification

course that will equip you to write copy that gets results. As a StoryBrandCertifiedCopywriter,youwillunderstandhowtowireframeawebsite,createaone-liner,writeane-mailcampaign,drafta terrificsales letter,andmore.Andonceyou’recertified,you’llbelistedonourwebsitesopotentialcustomerscanfind you. Only a select number of copywriters are certified each year.Certificationcanbedoneonlinethroughourcoursesandanassessment.Registeratstorybrand.com/copywriter.

STORYBRANDAGENCYCERTIFICATION

If you have a design agency and want to use the SB7 Framework to createmarketing collateral for your clients, you can be listed in our AgencyCertificationdatabasebytakingouragencycertificationprogram.Eachprogramis custom-comprised for each agency based on how many designers,copywriters, and project managers your team includes. Find out more atstorybrand.com/agency.

STORYBRANDCULTUREPROGRAM

Large companies are more fractured than ever. As a company grows andsucceeds, the plot often starts to get lost. Our culture program helps a largecorporationcreateanoverallStoryBrandBrandScript, createaBrandScript foreach division, create onboarding curriculum to implement the BrandScriptcompany-wide,andcreateacustomplantoradicallyaffectthethoughtmosphereofyourorganization.Ourcultureprogramworkswith individualcompanies tocreate custom strategies to make sure your entire team is on the same page,actingasaunifiedbody,andmovingforwardtowardyourmission.Ifyourteammembers don’t fully understand the story you’re inviting customers into,schedule a culture analysis today. Schedule your analysis atstorybrand.com/culture.

NOTES

Chapter2:TheSecretWeaponThatWillGrowYourBusiness1. SamanthaSharf,“TheWorld’sLargestTechCompanies2016:AppleBests

Samsung,MicrosoftandAlphabet,”Forbes.com,May26,2016,http://www.forbes.com/sites/samanthasharf/2016/05/26/the-worlds-largest-tech-companies-2016-apple-bests-samsung-microsoft-and-alphabet/#2b0c584d89ee.

2. AlfredHitchcock:Quotes,IMDB,http://m.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/quotes.

Chapter3:TheSimpleSB7Framework1. “GreatPresentations:UnderstandtheAudience’sPower,”Duarte,

http://www.duarte.com/great-presentations-understand-the-audiences-power/.

2. RonaldReagan,“FarewellAddresstotheNation,”January11,1989,TheAmericanPresidencyProject,http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws?pid+29650.

3. “PresidentBillClinton—AcceptanceSpeech,”PBSNewshour,August29,1996,http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics-july-dec96-clinton_08-29/.

4. ClaireSuddath,“ABriefHistoryofCampaignSongs:FranklinD.Roosevelt,”Time,http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1840998_1840901,00.html.

Chapter4:ACharacter

1. ViktorE.Frankl,Man’sSearchforMeaning(Boston:BeaconPress,2006).

Chapter5:HasaProblem1. JamesScottBell,Plot&Structure:TechniquesandExercisesforCraftingaPlotThatGripsReadersfromStarttoFinish(Cincinnati,OH:Writer’sDigestBooks,2004),12.

2. “WhyCarMax?,”CarMax.com,accessedFebruary10,2017,https://www.carmax.com/car-buying-process/why-carmax.

3. “TheJust100:America’sBestCorporateCitizens,”Forbes,May2016,http://www.forbes.com/companies/carmax/.

Chapter6:AndMeetsaGuide1. JamesScottBell,Plot&Structure:TechniquesandExercisesforCraftingaPlotThatGripsReadersfromStarttoFinish(Cincinnati,OH:Writer’sDigestBooks,2004),31–32.

2. ChristopherBooker,TheSevenBasicPlots:WhyWeTellStories(London:Continuum,2004),194.

3. BenSisario,“JayZRevealsPlansforTidal,aStreamingMusicService,”theNewYorkTimes,March30,2015,https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/31/business/media/jay-z-reveals-plans-for-tidal-a-streaming-music-service.html.

4. Ibid.5. “Clintonvs.Bushin1992Debate,”YouTubevideo,4:08,postedby“Seth

Masket,”March19,2007,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ffbFvKlWqE.

6. Infusionsofthomepage,accessedFebruary9,2017,https://www.infusionsoft.com.

7. AmyCuddy,Presence:BringingYourBoldestSelftoYourBiggestChallenges(NewYork:LittleBrownandCompany,2015),71–72.

Chapter7:WhoGivesThemaPlan1. “WhyCarMax?,”CarMax.com,accessedFebruary10,2017,

https://www.carmax.com/car-buying-process/why-carmax.

2. ArlenaSawyers,“HotTopics,TrendstoWatchin2016,”AutomotiveNews,December28,2015,http://www.autonews.com/article/20151228/RETAIL04/312289987/hot-topics-trends-to-watch-in-2016.

Chapter9:ThatHelpsThemAvoidFailure1. SusannaKim,“Allstate’s‘Mayhem’IsBiggestWinnerofCollegeBowl,”

ABCNews,January2,2015,http://abcnews.go.com/Business/allstates-mayhem-biggest-winner-college-bowl/story?id=27960362.

2. DanielKahnemanandAmosTversky,“ProspectTheory:AnAnalysisofDecisionunderRisk”(Econometrica,47(2),March1979),263–91,https://www.princeton.edu/~kahneman/docs/Publications/prospect_theory.pdf.

3. DominicInfante,AndrewRancer,andDeannaWomack,BuildingCommunicationTheory(LongGrove,IL:WavelandPress,2003),149.

4. Ibid.,150.

Chapter10:AndEndsinaSuccess1. StewFriedman,“TheMostCompellingLeadershipVision,”HarvardBusinessReview,May8,2009,https://hbr.org/2009/05/the-most-compelling-leadership.

Chapter11:PeopleWantYourBrandtoParticipateinTheirTransformation1. “HelloTrouble,”Vimeovideo,1:44,postedbyAdamLong,February13,

2013,https://vimeo.com/59589229.

Chapter13:UsingStoryBrandtoTransformCompanyCulture1. TheGallupOrganizaion(1992-1999).GallupWorkplaceAudit,

Washington,DC:U.S.CopyrightOffice.2. SusanSorensonandKeriGarman,“HowtoTackleU.S.Employees’

StagnatingEngagement,”Gallup,June11,2013,http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/162953/tackle-employees-stagnating-engagement.aspx.

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