Do You Have A Strong Story That Sells?

If you are looking for one of they key secrets to increasing the effectiveness of your marketing, remember this. Stories sell.

People love stories. You might even say we are wired this way. It is in our DNA. From the time we are babies, through years of watching television and the Internet, to gossip over the water cooler our lives revolve around stories.

You may say that, “Numbers are the language of business.” While that is true, many people are financially illiterate. The story that the numbers tell, the story behind the number, buried in the notes of the financial report, that is what people are interested in.

We understand stories. There is a plot. Typically a hero, a protagonist that saves the day. An enemy or antagonist, the force that the hero must overcome. Here is another hint. Are you ready?

Your prospect wants to be a hero. Trust me its true. They want to overcome adversity, make the bonus, save the company, etc.

Why do you think so much consumer products marketing focuses not on the product itself, but on the benefits the product will provide? The shampoo will not just clean your hair, no it will sweep you off on adventures with beautiful men and women across the globe.

I will be honest with you. Most marketing stories go overboard verging on fantasy. So as a profitable marketer we will be looking for a different type of story. It is called a value proposition.

What Is A Value Proposition?

Value propositions or “ValueProps” are statements summarizing the key benefit that the prospect or customer will receive from your product or service. (Benefits again!).

The best value proposition are often quantified mini-stories. They provide a mix of benefit, case study and quantified results all in one.

Here are some examples.

Example 1: Business Growth

Weak Value Prop: Our clients grow their business fast!

• No proof, no quantifiable result, and the question arises is this fluff?

Stonger value prop “Our clients experience growth of 25%”

• Better but not quite. 25% of what?

Let’s try again.

Example 2: Quality

Weak Value Prop: Acme clients get the highest quality we can provide.

• Is this good or bad? There is no way to tell. Maybe Acme quality is lousy but that is the best they can provide. Who knows?

Stronger Value Prop: The return rate for Acme clients is less than 0.01%!

• Better. However maybe sales are so low that it doesn’t matter.

Here is a solid one: With a 100% no questions asked money-back lifetime guarantee, our auditor Dewey, Cheatham and Howe is willing to testify that with over 1.13 million units sold, and over 53,278 satisfied customers, Acme has never been asked to take back a single product by a customer. Not one.

This is a great value proposition for the following reasons:

1. Benefit: 100% Money back guarantee reduces risk.

2. Customer Focused: Lifetime guarantee

3. Quantifiable: 1.13 million units, 53,278 customers

4. Specific: 1.13 million units, 53,278 customers

5. Promise: You can always return it, but none so far.

6. Proof: Ask our auditors

Your value propisition along with your unique selling proposition are key cornerstones of your offering.

You may be a consultant, company or firm that does many things.In that case your value proposition may be that you are a one stop shop.

If your clients are looking for specialists rather than generalists, then you may want your value proposition to reflect your primary offering.

Case Studies

There is one other type of story that you can use to support your value proposition. It is called a case study. A case study is a story or report that depicts the actions you took on behalf of a client to solve their problems and the results they receive. It is your value proposition come to life in story form.

Let’s say you have a value proposition that you can help companies reduce their purchasing costs by a minimum of 10%. You are stating a claim that you can provide a benefit (savings) that solves their problem (they are paying more than they should). Your challenge is to provide proof and credibility to your claims. If you have actually done this on behalf of a client, you can write a brief synopsis of what happened.

There are typically three parts to a case study.

1. Statement of the client’s problem.

2. Actions you took on their behalf.

3. Results your client received.

Case studies can be as little as one page, or can be several pages long. The more specific your case study the better.

You should approach your client and ask if they would be willing to be named in the case study. You can suggest to them that this will provide them free advertising and publicity.

If they are resistant, you can offer them a complimentary bonus of some sort, extra services, or some other offering.

If they accept, be sure to have them review the final document and give you their permission in writing.

This avoids any misunderstandings down the road. If they do not choose to participate, you can still write a case study, you will just have to make it somewhat generic, and not use any details that identify your client.

Key Takeaways

1. Stories sell and the more specific your story the better it will sell for you.

2. A value proposition is a unique type of story or elevator pitch for your business.

3. A case study brings your value proposition to life and provides additional proof that you can deliver on your claims.

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