Ann y b o d y . C o m m u n i c a t i n g . A n y t h i n g . A
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TABLE OF CONTENTS CORE CONCEPTS
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How StoryBrand Got Started
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How Story Works
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Story in Major Motion Films
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How Major Brands Use Story
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Knowing What Not to Say
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MODULES
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Module 1: A Character
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Module 2: With a Problem
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Module 3: Meets a Guide Who Understand Their Fear
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Module 4: Who Gives Them a Plan
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Module 5: And Calls Them to Action
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Module 6: That Results in Failure
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Module 7: That Results in Success
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EXECUTION
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Filling Out a BrandScript
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Checklist
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BrandScripts
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Introduction Wha should you you say on your websie? websie? Wha abou your nex email blas? Wha abou your your nex elevision commercial, prin ad or sales repor? Wha should you say abou your your brand in your nex keynoe presenaion?
I’s a noisy world, and only hose who speak clearly will be heard. Even so, speaking clearly isn’ easy. Many
STORYBRAND IS A DIFFERENT
business leaders struggle struggle with with the “curse of knowledge.” Tha is, hey’ve become so amiliar wih heir producs
BRAND�DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK IN WHICH WE USE THE POWER OF STORY TO MAKE IDEAS CLEAR.
and services ha hey hink cusomers know as much as hey do. However, hey don’, and his is a aal misake.
Customers don’t tend to buy the best products and services—they buy the products and services that are easiest to understand. Seve Jobs didn’ sell he bes compuer, phone or musiclisening device; bu he did build he cleares, simples and mos easy o undersand echnology brand.
A SoryBrand, we use he power power o sory o make make ideas clear. We We do his because we believe believe sory compels a human brain aser and sronger han any oher orce. When you filer your markeing maerial hrough he seven-sep SoryBrand ramework, ramework, your cusomers will immediaely undersand wha you offer and why your producs mater wihin he sory hey are ryi ng o live. When cusomers undersand how how you you can help hem live a beter sory, sory, hey will will respond.
Sincerely,
Donald Miller, Presiden o SoryBrand
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Core Concepts
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Introduction A story compels a human brain the same way a puzzle or riddle intrigues us. Essenially, a sory is a series o quesions. I hose quesions are relevan, asked well, well, and asked in he righ order, hey will keep a person ineresed. There are a housand differen ormulas or sories and some work beter han ohers. The StoryBrand 7-Part Framework is a conglomerate
of some of the most popular stories and has been used in movies ranging from Star Wars to We chose his ramework because i has been baked in he Hollywood sysem or Tommy Boy. We years, so i’s proven o compel he human brain.
How StoryBrand Got Started Watch Core Modules, Video 1: How StoryBrand Got Started
In his video Don alks abou how SoryBrand go sared and how sory helps us undersand how people hink. The main example he uses is ha sory works like music in he sense i has rules. I we break he rules o music, sounds descend ino noise. The warning or us as communicaors is o undersand he rules o sory so our cusomers won’ look a our maerial and see i as noise.
Takee a sep back rom your markeing markeing collaeral? Is i noise or music? Assignment: Tak
Assignment: Open your websie or an acquainance and give hem 5 seconds o look a i. Afer 5 seconds, can hey answer hese 3 quesions?
1. Wha do we offer? 2. How could wha we offer make your lie beter? 3. How can you purchase wha we offer?
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Watch Core Modules, Video 2: How Story Works
The StoryBrand 7-Part Framework 5
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The Framework Explained EVERY STORY MUST BE CLEAR The absolue enemy o a sory is cluter. I a scene makes i ino a movie ha doesn’ serve he plo, ha scene has o go, no mater how good i is. A disciplined soryeller soryell er knows wha o ake ou and wha o leave in. This will mean a grea deal more once we creae your BrandScrip, bu or now, know ha hese are he essenial elemens o a sory and i we add o or subrac rom hem, we risk losing our audience. Le’s look a each elemen in greaer deph:
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A CHARACTER A person who will ake ake he journey. The main characer in a sory is ofen called he hero or he proagonis. Some sories have many characers bu he SoryBrand ramework ocuses on he simples sory srucure and is a single-proagonis model. To To really compel an audience, he hero is usually called o a ask ha is ouside heir comor zone bu is necessary or heir survival and he benefi o ohers. Ineresingly, Ineresingly, he hero is no he sronges sronges or mos reliable characer in he he sory. Usually,, he srong characer is he guide. Ye, Usually Ye, he hero is he cener o he sory because hey are he one who mus ake acion. They are are also he one who experiences a characer arc—a change in heir characer or perspecive brough abou by he advenure o he sory.
Skywalker (Sar Wars), Wars), Bridge Examples of Heroes in Stories: Frodo Baggins (Lord o he Rings), Luke Skywalker Jones (Bridge Jones’ Diary)
WHO HAS A PROBLEM No sory works works unless he hero encouners a problem. The reason a characer has o encouner a problem early in he sory is because he problem posis a sory quesion. Will he characer ge ou o he problem? How bad will he damage be i hey don’? Will Will hey ge heir happy ending? Will hey deea heir enemy? This is why sories are so compelling o he human brain—hey posi a series o quesions ha make he audience sick around o ge an answer. Will he guy ge he girl? Will he hero disarm he bomb? Will he eam win he big game?
In a good sory, here are hree levels o problems, p roblems, and hey are inerwined. Those levels are inernal, exernal and philosophical.
Examples of External Problems: Frodo (mus save Middle-Earh), Luke Skywalker (mus deea he Evil Empire), Bridge Jones (mus find love)
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Examples of Internal Problems: Frodo (Is he courageous, brave and disciplined enough? Is he good?), Luke Skywalker (Does he really have have wha i akes o be a Jedi, or is his aher righ abou him?) Bridge Jones (Is she worhy o love?)
Examples of Philosophical Problems: Frodo (Will good win ou over evil? Will group ineress win ou over sel ineres?), Luke Skywalker (Will good win ou over evil? Will group ineres win ou over sel ineres? Will benevolence win ou over greed? Will reedom win ou over yranny?) Bridge Jones (Is lie air? Can love win ou over lus? Can sel-love and sel-accepance be enough?)
MEETS A GUIDE WHO UNDERSTANDS THEM In sories, characers do no solve heir own problems. I hey could solve heir own problems, hey’d likely likely have never goten ino rouble in he firs place. p lace. Wha normally happens, is he characer mees somebody, reads somehing, remembers somehing or experiences somehing ha helps hem grow. In he SoryBrand ramework, ha somebody or somehing is he guide. A good guide has “been here here and done ha” in he sense hey undersand he journey he characer is on and can see clearly where hey need o go. In ac, he firs job o he guide is o lisen, undersand and empahize wih he hero’s problem. The The second is o give he hero a plan hey can use o figh or a happy ending. The guide, no he hero, is he sronges, mos seady characer in he sory. This is why he SoryBrand sraegy calls on you o posiion your brand as he guide raher han he hero.
Examples of Guides: Frodo (Gandal and many ohers), Luke Skywalker (Yoda and Obi Wan Kenobi) Bridge Jones (Bridge’s mum, riends and many more.)
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AND GIVES THEM A PLAN When he hero mees he guide, guide, hey are conused. The job o he guide, hen, is o break hrough hrough he hero’s conusion and give hem confidence heir lie can be beter. The plan can be as simple as a paradigm shif - you - you used o hink his way, bu I wan you o hink anoher anoher way way - or as complex as a muli level sraegy ha will help he hero win a complicaed batle. Regardless, afer he hero hears he plan, p lan, hey mus decide wheher o ake acion on he plan p lan hey’ve been given.
Examples of Plans: Frodo (You have wha i akes.), Luke Skywalker (Trus he Force, Luke.), Bridge Jones (To find love we mus ake risks.)
THAT CALLS THEM TO ACTION A call o acion in a sory is he poin a which he he hero mus decide wheher wheher o ac on he plan. Will hey atack he he Deah Sar or will hey run? In a sory, sory, he call o acion is a poin o crisis. I’s ofen a dark nigh o he soul or he hero. They mus choose wheher o say in heir comor zone or embrace he plan given o hem by he guide. A good guide empahizes wih he hero’ hero’ss problem, gives hem a plan, and calls hem o acion.
Examples of Calls to Action: Frodo (Gandal: “All I did was give your uncle a litle nudge ou he door.”), ”), Luke Skywalker (Joins he Empire in he figh o desroy he Deah Sar.), Bridge Jones (Makes he Call.)
THAT RESULTS IN A SUCCESS In sory srucure, a happy ending is called a success while a sad ending is called a ailure. Wheher or no a sory ends in a success or a ailure, ailure, hough, an audience mus know know wha wha migh happen in order o remain compelled. We We have o know he hero can eiher ge or lose he
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girl, disarm he bomb or die rying, or win he game or lose o heir arch rival. Usually, Usually, a some poin during he sory, anoher characer, ofen he guide, will sae he happy ending well beore i happens. “I you do his, Middle-Earh will be saved” and so orh…
Examples of Success: Frodo (saves Middle-Earh and many more), Luke Skywalker (desroys he Deah Sar), Bridge Jones (Finds love or hersel and finds love in a parner.) p arner.)
OR A FAILURE Good screenwriers and noveliss help us imagine dire consequences wheher or no hey acually happen in order o build suspense. Laer we’ll alk abou how successul brands do he same hing, bu or now, now, jus know every audience mus have a clear idea o wha possible ailure he hero aces i hey don’ ac on he plan. I we don’ know wha ailure migh beall he hero, audiences zone ou and lose ineres.
i s aken over), Luke Skywalker Skywalker (he Evil Empire rules Examples of Failure: Frodo (Middle-Earh is he galaxy), Bridge Jones (remains lonely)
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A Story Must Be Clear The SoryBrand ramework ramework is jus one way o ell a sory, bu here is one universal ruh abou elling sories ha canno be broken:
A STORY MUST BE CLEAR. I every scene in a sory canno be placed ono a simple char, he sory runs he risk o boring he audience. There are excepions, o course, bu here aren’ many. Being a good soryeller is a lo like being a good ennis player. Firs you learn orm, hen you improvise. I you don’ learn orm, hough, you’ll never compee wih he proessionals.
A SoryBrand, his is our our philosophy abou abou branding oo. Once somebody undersands undersands he SoryBrand ramework, ramework, heir branding mehodology will be given orm, and once ha orm is pereced, hey can begin o play ouside o ha orm. Bu he orm comes firs.
Again, clariy is key. key.
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Watch Core Modules, Video 3: Story in Major Motion Films
POPULAR MOVIES THROUGH THE STORYBRAND LENS Here are wo popular sories laid ou on he SoryBrand char so you can see how simple and clear hey are a heir bones.
In he Hunger he Hunger Games movies, Kaniss is rying o survive he Games and needs he help o Games movies, Haymich. Haymich gives her confidence and a plan so she can win he Games and survive.
Every sory is abou a characer ha wans somehing and has o overcome conflic o ge i. Luke wans wans o rebel agains he Evil Empire, bu he also wans o know i he has wha i akes o be a Jedi. I’s Yoda ha gives him confidence, a plan and raining o go ou and deea d eea he enemy. The The comedic or happy ending happens when Luke desroys he Deah Sar.
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l l a b y e n o M
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g a B r e h t a e L n n e K n e h p e t S
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Why the StoryBrand Framework Matters to Your Brand O course, we aren’ jus sudying sory or un. The goal is o help you creae a BrandScrip you can use o communicae clearly. In he nex secion, you’ll begin o see how brands use he power o sory o engage heir cusomers. And soon, you’ll be doing he same wih your brand.
In Part Two, you’ll see how successful brands:
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Ideniy heir cusomer’s heroic journey and encourage hem in heir pursuis.
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Empahize wih heir cusomer’s inernal and exernal problems.
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Esablish hemselves as a rused guide (wihin heir field o experise.)
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Offer heir cusomers a plan ha breaks hrough heir conusion and gives gives hem sel confidence.
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Call heir cusomers o acion acion by by asking hem hem o engage heir heir producs or services.
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Do everyhing hey can o help heir cusomers define heir successul ending.
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Make sure heir cusomers know o he poenial negaive consequences o no engaging wih heir brand.
This well-worn well-worn narraive pah is subconsciously amiliar o people because hey’ve seen i a million imes in movies, elevision and lieraure. Once you begin using SoryBrand ramework ramework in your brand sraegy, your cusomers will find your brand more compelling.
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Watch Core Modules, Video 4: How Major Brands Use Story
How Major Brands Use Story The idea behind he SoryBrand sraegy is o use he mos proven o sory ormulas o guide our brand communicaion. Brands who’ve who’ve aken aken his approach have have had remarkable success, and you can oo.
THE STORYBRAND FRAMEWORK IS A COMMUNICATION FILTER When screenwriers screenwriers wrie a screenplay, screenplay, hey map ou scene by by scene wha wha is going o happen, hen plug in he dialogue laer. The grid hey creae, hen, serves as a filer. No a single scene, characer or word can be added o he sory unless i fis wihin he grid. As we’ve we’ve said, i a wrier adds anyhing ha isn’ in heir disciplined grid, hey risk conusing he audience.
The problem wih mos companies is hey keep rying differen di fferen markeing acics ha work or a while bu soon end up wih a brand narraive ha is inconsisen and conusing. When we don’ have a igh, disciplined BrandScrip, cusomers have rouble figuring ou wha we offer and why why i maters o hem.
Our goal in secion hree is o help you undersand he many ways ways successul brands use his ramework o clearly communicae wha hey offer. Every brand piece we create doesn’t have
to tell a complete story, but every brand piece does have to fit within at least one of the seven elements of the framework. If it doesn’t, it has to go.
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How Do They Do It? Now ha we undersand how a sory works, le’s look closely a how major brands use sory srucure o filer heir brand communicaion. In visual orm, here is how Allsae Insurance covers he seven SoryBrand elemens.
You’ll Y ou’ll noice each o he SoryBrand SoryBrand elemens are included in heir overall overall sraegy. While ew o heir brand maerials conain all he elemens a once, heir overall campaign is disciplined and on scrip. Here’s a breakdown o how hey covered each o he elemens:
1. A HEROIC CHARACTER Allsae acknowledges heir cusomers cusomers are winsome, un un and successul.
2. WITH A PROBLEM Allsae humorously shows “mayhem” “mayhem” o be he problem heir cusomers cusomers ace. Anyhing Anyhing bad can happen a any ime. I’s as hough hey’re asking heir cusomers i hey’re ready. ready.
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3. MEETS A GUIDE WHO UNDERSTANDS THEIR FEAR Allsae’s rusworhy rusworhy pichman esablishes confidence, calmness calmness and auhoriy when when i comes o dealing wih mayhem. Tha said, he’s no he hero, he’s he guide.
4. AND GIVES THEM A PLAN Allsae’s “Value “Value Plan” gives heir cusomers somehing somehing ha breaks hrough heir conusion. Now Now buying insurance and proecing hemselves hemselves rom mayhem mayhem seems easy. The name o he plan also insinuaes i’s no expensive and i’s well worh he price.
5. AND CALLS THEM TO ACTION On Allsae’s websie, here is a single call o acion, and ha is o get a quote. There’s one box o fill ou wih your email address. The call o acion is i s simple, clear and obvious .
RESULTING IN
6. SUCCESS Allsae released a commercial showing showing how good lie lie can be when you’re no worried. I’s a beauiully sho commercial commercial abou people enjoying lie. This This is he “successul ending” cusomers cusomers can experience i hey buy Allsae insurance.
7. FAILURE Allsae’s mayhem mayhem characer serves as boh he he problem and he ailure. They cover cover he ragic ending aspec o he campaign by showing heir cusomers wha can happen i hey don’ have have insurance. This elemen o heir campaign is un and winsome so as no o come off as ear mongering, a acic ha would cerainly backfire on a brand.
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Dominos
Notes:
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CarMax
Notes:
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Bush Campaign
Notes:
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Romney Campaign
Notes:
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Reviewing the StoryBrand Framework Beore we creae your BrandScrip, review he ollowing graphic o remind yoursel why each o he seven sory elemens are so imporan.
IN CLOSING As you can see, successul brands brands use a sory ramework ramework o creae clear and compelling compelling brand messages. Now ha you undersand how sory works and how brands can use he elemens o sory o compel cusomers, le’s work on applying hese powerul elemens o your own brand. Wheher you’re you’re a wrier, a poliician, a plumber or he markeing markeing direcor or or a billion-dollar brand, here’s here’s pleny you can do o clariy your your messaging and reach a wider audience.
In Par Three o he SoryBrand ramework, we’ll we’ll look a each o he seven elemens and come up wih concree messages you can apply in all levels o your markeing. Le’s creae your BrandScrip.
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3 Levels of BrandScripts BrandScripts
Y N A P M O C
S N O I S I V I D
S T C U D O R P
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Knowing What Not to Say Watch Core Modules, Video 5: Knowing What Not to Say
Cusomers are drawn o clariy, clari y, which means we have o de-cluter our messaging. Wach Core Conceps Video 5 and ge a eel or how and why o de-cluter your brand. Remember, your websie should pass he grun es. This means ha even a cave man should be able o grun wha i is you offer. Here’s some moivaion and inspiraion o simpliy your messaging o i’s absolue cleares.
you ake off your your websie websie o make i more more clear? Are here butons, butons, Assignment: Wha can you paragraphs or images you could remove ha would make your offer more easy o undersand? I so, consider making hose changes as you go hrough he 7 modules o creae your BrandScrip.
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Modules
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Introduction Now ha you undersand he SoryBrand ramework, i’s ime o creae your BrandScrip. Your BrandScrip will be a summary o each o he seven elemens as i relaes o your brand. You You will hen use your BrandScrip o filer all brand communicaion. Once your BrandScrip is done, everyhing on your websie, in your adverising maerials, and even he way your eam alks abou your brand will be unified and on scrip. s crip. Your Your markeing will make sense o poenial cusomers and your business will grow.
Once your BrandScript is complete, you will use it in three ways: 1.
To change your curren brand maerials
2. To filer uure brand communicaion 3. To uniy your eam around around a common, narraive mission
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Watch Module 1: A Character
MODULE 1 A CHARACT CHA RACTER: ER: Your Your Brand is not the hero, your customer is Many SoryBrand SoryBrand cliens make a philosophical misake in heir brand sraegy: hey assume heir brand maerials should be abou hemselves. They shouldn’. shouldn’. Your brand maerials should be abou your cusomers. Wha do hey wan? Wha problems are hey acing? How can we educae hem abou our field o experise? Wha producs do we sell ha hey can use as weapons in heir figh or a happy ending?
Engaging wih poenial cusomers is a lo like daing. On a firs dae, he more you alk abou yoursel, he less likely you are o ge a second dae. Insead o alking abou ourselves, we should be doing a lo o lisening and acively demonsrae an ineres in he person who’ who’ss decided o risk an evening on us. Mos people are subconsciously scanning he world or people who undersand hem. Those are he people we find mos impressive. And i’s no differen wih brands.
The firs sep in creaing a SoryBrand BrandScrip is o define wha i is ha our cusomers wan. A sory is abou a characer ha wans wans somehing and has o overcome overcome conflic o ge i. The The reason people resonae wih sories is because hey serve as a meaphor or our own lives. We all wan hings and we all experience challenges geting wha we wan. When people experience rouble, hey look around or help, or a plan, or somehing hey can do or use o figh fi gh or a happy ending. And ha somebody or somehing needs o be your brand.
A common misconcepion misconcepion abou heroes, is hey are are perec. They They aren’. aren’. In almos every sory, sory, he hero has flaws. They are are someimes selfish, ofen scared, unskilled and undisciplined. undiscip lined. I akes he guide o help hem become he kind o characer ha can desroy he Deah Sar.
Your Y our brand, o course, will serve as he guide or he hero. hero. You You are going o help hem ge wha
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hey wan. Wheher i’s o help a cusomer buy a home or heir amily, fix a car so hey can ake heir kids o soccer pracice, bake a cake or heir daugher’s birhday pary, or allow hem o find res in enerainmen, your brand exiss o serve he desires o your cusomers.
Use his secion o ideniy wha your cusomer wans. Firs, brainsorm. Then, ranser a summary o your answers o your one-page BrandScrip.
BRANDSCRIPT: A CHARACTER Brainstorm the Module
Make a BrandScript Decision
1. Wha does your cusomer wan as i relaes o your brand?
2. Who does your cusomer wan o become?
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Watch Module 2: With a Problem
MODULE 2 WITH A PROBLEM A sory doesn’ doesn’ ge ineresing unil he main characer characer encouners a problem. Wihou rouble, sories are boring, and i’s he same wih creaing a brand sraegy. Until you clearly define
what problems your brand can solve for your customers, they won’t understand why you’re relevant to their lives and will move on to your competitors. Every hero is looking or somebody who believes believes in hem and undersands hem.
A story happens when a gap is created between the hero and the successful ending. This sory gap is all abou conflic. When a hero’s lie is urned upside down, hey’re hrown ino a sory crisis which moivaes he journey. The The second your cusomer experiences somehing negaive regarding your field o experise, hey’ll sar floundering around oward a happy ending. Nobody hinks abou a mechanic unil heir car breaks down. Nobody hinks abou ennis shoes unil heir old pair becomes uncomorable. The beginning of the hero’s journey starts at the
point they experience conflict. I you can clearly communicae wha ha crisis eels like, your cusomers will ideniy wih you and rus you o help hem find a resoluion o heir inernal and exernal problem.
And le’s remember, here here really are are hree kinds o problems in sories, INTERNAL, INTERNAL, EXTERNAL and PHILOSOPHICAL. You You are likely in he business o solving cusomer’s exernal problems. Eiher you’re you’re fixing heir plumbing, selling hem elevisions, or consuling o expand heir business. Tha’s Tha’s fine. I you didn’ didn’ solve a cusomer’s cusomer’s exernal problems, you’d you’d no have have a business o begin wih. However, the reason customers go looking for solutions to their
external problems is because those problems are creating internal stress, confusion or fear. Inernal problems are wha exernal problems are causing your cusomers o eel. In oher words,
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companies ofen sell soluions o exernal problems, bu he moivaion o purchase hose soluions come rom a cusomers’ inernal problems. In your BrandScrip, you’ll ideniy an inernal, exernal and philosophical problem your brand helps your cusomer solve.
In addiion, we can ideniy a single “Deah Sar” our cusomers ace ha we wan o help hem desroy.. For example, he “Deah Sar” we’ve idenified or our SoryBrand cliens is salled growh desroy in heir business. We wan o equip hem o leave our workshops and desroy he conusing brand communicaion ha is salling heir growh.
In his secion, we will define some o he INTERNAL, EXTERNAL and PHILOSOPHICAL problems our cusomers ace, as well as a single “Deah Sar” your brand can help your cusomers desroy.
For review:
EXTERNAL PROBLEMS: physical problems, financial problems, relaional problems INTERNAL PROBLEMS: doubs, ears and insecuriies he exernal problem manies PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS: good vs. evil. Lives in he world o should and ough
Use his secion o ideniy he kinds o problems your cusomers experience regarding your field o experise. Summarize your answers on your one-page BrandScrip.
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BRANDSCRIPT: WITH A PROBLEM Brainstorm the Module
Make a BrandScript Decision
1. Wha is he EXTERNAL problem you solve?
2. Wha is he INTERNAL problem you solve?
3. Wha is he PHILOSOPHICAL problem you solve?
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Watch Module 3: Meets a Guide
MODULE 3 MEETS A GUIDE As we’ve we’ve menioned, he hero is no he sronges sronges characer in a sory. sory. The sronges sronges characer is he guide. The guide is he characer who has “been here and done ha. ha.”” They are usually older, more experienced and wiser. Think o Yoda in Sar Wars, in Lord of he Rings, Wars, Gandal in Lord Rings, Albus Dumbledor in Harr in Harryy Poter, Poter, Robin Williams in Good Will Huning, and Huning, and so on.
Wee wan you o posiion your W your brand as a guide because i you’ve you’ve go enough experience o sar a business in a given field, you’re likely an exper a somehing. You You may no eel like you’re you’re he bes, bu he ruh is you’ve you’ve hough abou he service you provide or housands o hours. You’ve go more experience, more wisdom, beter ideas, and more soluions regarding your field han mos anybody ouside your field, which makes you a fiting guide.
There are three questions a brand must answer in order for the hero to recognize they’ve found the right guide:
1. Empathy: Wha empaheic saemen can your brand make make ha would help help your cusomers cusomers eel undersood and lisened o? 2. Authority: Wha esimonials, saisics or brand associaions can you make ha would help cusomers rus you because you’re you’re an auhoriy in your field o experise?
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BRANDSCRIPT: MEETS A GUIDE Brainstorm the Module
Make a BrandScript Decision
1. Empahy: Wha empaheic saemen saemen can you make?
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2. Auhoriy: Wha endorsemens, saisics, recognizable associaions or anyhing else would help you esablish auhoriy and rus wih your cusomer?
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Watch Module 4: Who Gives Them a Plan
MODULE 4 WHO GIVES THEM A PLAN In sories, he guide ofen gives he hero a philosophy or echnique o boos heir confidence and help hem undersand hey have wha i akes. The “plan” can be as simple as “bring her flowers, all girls like flowers” or as complicaed as “rus he orce, Luke” bu regardless, he hero suddenly realizes here’s a pah hey can ake oward resoluion.
The purpose o a plan p lan is o creae a clear menal pah your cusomers can ake rom where hey were when you ound hem o he poin o purchase which should provide a resoluion o heir conflic. Imagine a hiker sanding on he edge o a shallow creek, looking or sones o sep on or an easy crossing. Your Your plan will serve as hose sones. By now, you’ve you’ve esablished rus wih he hero and you are guiding hem on a journey. Sill, hey’re scared. I may be a well-worn well-worn pah or you, bu o hem i’s new erriory. By offering hem a plan, you’re poining ou he sones in he creek bed ha will help hem cross saely.
Here are a couple examples of the effective plan:
• The “Process Plan”: a simple process you ake cusomers hrough ha clarifies a pah • An “Agreemen Plan”: an agreemen you make wih your cusomers o deliver value
I’s rue you can creae a BrandScrip or your company and hen creae separae BrandScrips or each o your producs. One o your producs may use he “process “ process plan” while your overall overall company may use he “Same bu Differen” plan. I hardly maters, bu each BrandScrip should ocus on only one or wo plans.
Le’s break down he wo kinds o plans we recommend.
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THE PROCESS PLAN Imagine waning o have he carpe in your home seam cleaned. You’re You’re looking online or a local vendor, reading reviews, checking prices, and so on. Then you sumble across he websie or a well-reviewed well-reviewed carpe cleaner in your area and righ here on heir homepage, in large ex, you read abou heir “Four “Four-Sep -Sep Ulra Clean Checklis.” I sounds ineresing so you read he descripion. They 1. pre-rake pre-rake he carpe, 2. sain-rea roubled areas, 3. vacuum wih heir dirlifing power scrubber, hen 4. pos-rake he enire house so he carpe dries aser and says clean longer. I sounds grea. You You wonder why oher companies don’ go hrough he same rouble o care or heir cusomers. And hese guys aren’ even ha much more expensive. So you call and schedule a cleaning.
The realiy is, hough, he oher companies are doing he same hing. I’s called cleaning a carpe. Wha he company did ha go your atenion, hough, is hey urned heir normal service ino a sep-by-sep process, clarified i or heir cusomers and gave i a name. Wha his does in he cusomer’s mind is ake he vague, oggy world o seam cleaning carpe and rame i wih some definiion. Because people are drawn o clariy, hey end up geting more business.
A SoryBrand, we have a seven-sep seven-sep ramework ramework o help you filer your brand communicaion. Wee call i The SoryBrand Process, W Process, and i works. The reason we call i a seven-sep process is or exernal communicaion. The realiy is we guide you hrough a broad series o paradigm shifs abou how o do branding b randing and even how o hink abou your business. We We use he phrase “sevensep process” o lay sones in he creek bed so our cliens can ideniy a clear pah o he oher shore. This pah esablishes confidence. When hey ge o a workshop, hen, we can unpack each sep wih more nuanced hinking. The poin is his: on one side o he creek, a business leader is uzzy in heir hinking, bu on he oher side here’s clariy. clariy. How do hey cross? They They use he seven seps.
Wha seps are you you already aking your cusomers cusomers hrough in order order or hem o engage your produc? Could you define each o hose seps and give he process a name? I so, his is your Process Plan.
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THE AGREEMENT PLAN An agreemen plan is all abou creaing a conrac conrac wih your cusomers. This isn’ a lieral conrac; i’s jus a promise ha i i hey do business wih you, you will deliver a specific, saed value. Agreemen plans can range widely and encompass everyhing rom Litle Caesars Pizza Caesars Pizza Pizza plan (hey sell wo pizzas a a ime) o New Gingrich’s Conrac wih America. Pizza plan America. The idea behind an agreemen plan is “i you give us his, we we promise you will ge his in reurn.”
Human beings ear change and offering an agreemen lessens ha ear. Ofen called a riskremoval clause, an agreemen plan ensures a cusomer isn’ aking a financial risk by doing business wih you. you.
There are oher ypes o agreemens, hough. Le’s say you’re selling houses and recognize an inernal ear some buyers have abou eeling alone afer such a large purchase. Agreeing o visi he home owner a monh or six monhs afer heir purchase o walk hrough he house and agree o fix problems lessens heir ear.
Anoher agreemen plan is ha a brand would be accessible o cusomers i hey hey needed hem. Is here a number hey can call o ask quesions? I so, his is anoher example o an agreemen plan.
An agreemen plan is as simple as a promise. I you sell a service, consider lising he en or fifeen hings you deliver and package ha lis as a value promise. I you like, you can use your brand name in naming he promise, (ie.. The SoryBrand Value Agreemen) Agreemen).
CarMax’s 25-poin inspecion is an agreemen plan. A local radio promising a weaher updae every fifeen minues is an agreemen plan. A pain relie promise rom a medicine company is an agreemen plan. And on and on i goes.
The Agreemen Plan is one ool we recommend or every SoryBrand clien. Your Your Agreemen Plan
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doesn’ have o be a money-back guaranee, bu i should remove a leas some o he cusomer’s risk, especially i i removes an inernal problem he cusomer experiences wihin your field o experise. A denis offering a pain-ree checkup is an example o an agreemen plan.
Is here an agreemen you can make wih your cusomers ha will lessen heir ears? Are you already offering somehing ha alleviaes heir ears bu you haven’ named i ye? Wha kind o agreemen can you make wih your cusomers o help hem have confidence in your producs p roducs and services?
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BRANDSCRIPT: WHO GIVES THEM A PLAN Brainstorm the Module
Make a BrandScript Decision
Having a plan is an imporan par o guiding your cusomer hrough heir heroic journey. journey. There are, o course, many kinds o plans. Tha said, i will be imporan or you o choose one or purposes o simpliciy si mpliciy and clariy (exceping The Agreemen Plan, which we recommend as an addiion). I you ocus on more han one plan, your cusomers will delay longer a he side o he creek because here are muliple rock pahs ha cross. I would be beter i you gave hem a single, obvious and sae pah.
Use he workshee below o brainsorm hese wo quesions. Firs, wha process can your cusomers use o engage your produc? Second, wha agreemens can you make wih your cusomer? Once you’re finished, choose he plan ha seems he cleares and mos easy o undersand and eaure i in your SoryBrand sraegy.
THE PROCESS PLAN 1. Wha seps do your cusomers already use o engage your produc / service? Could his process have a name ha helps your cusomers undersand is value? Be careul no o give oo many opions. The magic number is hree, bu ry o name no more han five.
Sep 1. Sep 2. Sep 3. Sep 4. Sep 5. Process Name:
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THE AGREEMENT PLAN The Agreemen Plan is an inormal conrac wih poenial cusomers. I works like his: i hey will engage your ideas, producs or services, you will provide a specific value. An agreemen plan can be as simple as a buy one ge one ree offer, or as complicaed as an agreemen o ollow up wih cusomers o make sure hey have received qualiy services.
Check he ollowing kinds o agreemen plans you could incorporae i ncorporae ino your overall brand sraegy or apply o a specific produc or service.
The idea is o have an agreemen plan ha will ensure value and esablish rus wih your cusomers. In addiion, your Agreemen Plan should have a name or a slogan, somehing ha helps cusomers undersand wha i means upon firs hearing i. You You can call i a money-back guaranee, a value promise, or he “( Inser Inser Brand Brand Name Name) Follow Follow-Up Up Consulaion. Consulaion.””
Regardless, once you give your plan a name, cusomers will be more comorable engaging you because you’ve you’ve lessened heir perceived risk. risk.
Which o he examples above above do you eel would be he sronges choice choice or an Agreemen Agreemen Plan or your brand? Creae a ile or his plan and describe i:
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Tile: Our agreemen wih our cusomers is:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Watch Module 5: And Calls Them to Action
MODULE 5 AND CALLS THEM TO ACTION In sories, characers rarely ake acion on heir own. I a screenwrier wries a sory abou an ou-o-shape characer who suddenly wans o ge ino shape, he audience won’ buy in. Moviegoers won’ know why he sory doesn’ work bu he reason is simple: human
beings don’t don’t change unless unless they’re challenged challenged to do so. I a characer sars o posiively evolve wihou wihou ouside orces acing on hem, he sory no longer resonaes wih our human experience and an audience will lose ineres.
The ool screenwriers use o propel characers ino he sory is called he “inciing inciden.” inciden.” An inciing inciden is an even ha acs upon he he characer and moivaes hem o ake acion. I our hero is ou o shape, she mus all in love wih a man who is a finess insrucor or have a healh scare or lose a be and be obligaed o run a marahon.
In he movie Good Will Huning , Will is orced ino herapy when he’s issued a mandae by he cour. In Saving Privae Ryan, Ryan, Tom Hanks is hrown ino acion when he’s charged o find he lone living son o a amily ha has already los our sons. In Sleepless in Seatle, Seatle, Meg Ryan is challenged o ake acion by riends who promp her o seek ou a caller she heard on a radio show.
Without an inciting incident, incident, characters will not take take action, and and without without a call to action potential customers will not engage our ideas, products or services.
Now ha we’ve we’ve idenified he heroic journey our cusomers are on, esablished empahy wih
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heir inernal and exernal problems, posiioned ourselves as heir guide and eased heir concerns wih our plan, i’s ime o call hem o acion.
The StoryBrand strategy utilizes two kinds of calls to action:
1. Direc Calls o Acion 2. Transiional Calls o Acion
Boh calls o acion should be eaured in your branding maerial.
A ransiional Call o Acion does no necessarily lead o a purchase, bu serves o engage poenial cusomers wih your brand by offering o educae hem abou an issue relaed o your producs, deliver more inormaion abou your specific produc, or give hem a ree sample. We call hese calls o acion ransiional because hey help ransiion a disineresed d isineresed cusomer ino a buyer. Transiional calls are bes used o qualiy cusomers. I a cusomer downloads a brochure, hey’ve shown ineres and an e-mail markeing sraegy can be employed ha laer calls hem o a direc acion. I cusomers sign up o search real-esae lisings in a cerain price poin, hey would hen be qualified as a poenial home buyer or or specific homes or properies in your lisings.
Transiional calls o acion can vary rom “call us or a ree quoe” o “download our inormaive brochure.” Offering ree samples or an in-home in-home demonsraion are examples o ransiional calls o acion. Domino’s Pizza’s “creae “creae a pizza profile” eaure on heir websie is a ransiional call o acion. Abou once each monh, hey can email you a special offer and acually eaure your avorie pizza in he digial coupon.
A Direct Call to Action is a sraigh-orward reques or your cusomer o make a purchase. Remember he rule o sory: characers do no ac unless hey are challenged o ac. No unlike he hero in a sory, your cusomers will no purchase your producs or services unless you ask hem o.
Remember, hose who ask, receive.
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Years Y ears ago, I was preparing preparing a keynoe presenaion presenaion or a global shampoo brand and my my graphic designer was oo busy wih oher projecs o help. No waning o wai, I decided o ousource he presenaion o a design house. I wen looking online or a shop ha deal specifically wih presenaions and Google showed me wo local houses ha could help. The firs websie I visied was beauiully designed. Images moved across he page as ex floaed around revealing he design shops core values. Afer abou weny seconds admiring he visual elemens o heir sie, hough, I sared looking or inormaion abou heir services. Bu I couldn’ find much o anyhing. They eaured eaured samples o previous projecs, a ew esimonials and a phone number I could call. Bu, he ruh is, I almos called hem and scheduled an appoinmen bu hey los me when I looked a heir compeior’s sie.
The oher company’s sie wasn’ wasn’ nearly as beauiul, bu i i dared o be clear. “I you’ve go an imporan presenaion coming up, we can help you hi a grand slam.” slam.” Tha sounded good. Then hey had a PDF I could download explaining hree design elemens every keynoe slide should include. No only his, bu hey asked me o email hem o schedule an appoinmen and promised o ge back o me wihin he hour. Wihin a ew seconds, I knew exacly wha hey offered and no only his, hey old me he resul I would experience i I bough heir produc: I’d hi a home run. They even wen wen so ar as o ask or he sale. So I purchased heir services. I emailed hem, hey go back o me, and wihin a week my keynoe looked grea.
Many SoryBrand SoryBrand cliens are araid o ask oo srongly or he sale, and we undersand his. Posiioning your brand as he lae-nigh pichman cuting matresses in hal wih a chainsaw doesn’ do much o esablish credibiliy. Bu in an age where people are consanly pressured o make a purchase, an “order now” buton is hardly a bullhorn. Mos o he ime we eel like we are screaming, ye our cusomers can only hear a whisper.
Your Y our cusomers have have no sumbled upon your your brand maerials by acciden. acciden. They’re They’re looking or somehing. Wheher i’s a swimming pool or a replacemen batery or heir camera, hey wan wha you have. However, However, i hey don’, hey aren’ a qualified cusomer in he firs place. The bes way o qualiy a cusomer is o ask hem o make a purchase.
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When you visi Domino’s Pizza’s Pizza’s websie, websie, here are our “order now” now” butons and none o hem seem obrusive. Allsae insurance has one clear buton ha reads “ge a quoe. quoe.”” The brighes buton on any Amazon page is he “Add “Add o Car” buton. And he same should be rue in your your branding maerials.
Direct Calls to Action should: 1. Be clear. 2. Ask or a purchase, schedule an appoinmen or do somehing ha leads o a sale.
Wheher you’re you’re selling cars, pizza or landscaping services, your cusomers should should never wonder how o place an order. I your call o acion isn’ clear and idenifiable you are missing ou on sales.
Transitional calls to action work best when they have one or more of the following four criteria:
• They qualiy a cusomer as a poenial buyer. • They educae or inorm a poenial buyer. • They capure inormaion allowing you o ollow up wih urher calls o acion. • They offer somehing o value or ree.
I here’s a way or or a call o acion o cover all our o hese crieria, you’ll have errific success.
When our SoryBrand SoryBrand eam analyzes a websie, websie, one o he more common suggesions suggesions we make make is ha our cliens do a beter job capuring email addresses. On heir websies, many o our cliens simply ask heir cusomers o “sign up or he newsleter” or “say in he loop.” And ye mos people aren’ ineresed in a newsleter because i doesn’ answer a specific quesion or offer o saisy a specific need. As you migh expec, he resuls o hese effors are dismal, bu here is hope. When our cliens ocus on specific needs in heir ransiional calls o acion, resuls increase dramaically. d ramaically.
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As an exper in your field, you have have valuable inormaion your cusomers need or wan. A local nursery migh offer a ree PDF explaining wha ypes o plans grow bes in he local climae. They could hen ollow up wih a series o auomaed emails including reminders abou differen planing seasons. Those reminders migh include direc calls o acion o swing by and purchase new plans and supplies. An invesmen firm migh offer a ree online course eaching poenial cusomers five common financial misakes people make in heir fifies. Whoever signs up or ha course would be flagged as a qualified buyer who would would be sen urher inormaion abou producs producs specifically creaed wih hem in mind. A local ashion bouique migh offer a ree in-sore ashion show eauring en bold new looks or spring. A naional grocery sore chain could offer a ree subscripion o a weekly recipe and online cooking demonsraion. There is no shorage o ideas i deas bu he poin is o offer your cusomers somehing specific ha mees a specific desire or need.
As much hough should be pu ino wha you offer offer your cusomers hrough a ransiional ransiional call o acion as is pu ino he creaion o a produc. This, afer all, is i s your uure cusomers ree ase o how your brand will make heir lives beter.
BRANDSCRIPT: AND CALLS THEM TO ACTION Brainstorm the Module
Make a BrandScript Decision
Relaionships aren’ saic, hey’re always evolving. evolving. The same is rue in our brands relaionship wih our cusomers. Hopeully, hose relaionships are progressing oward sales and recurring sales. Bu relaionships don’ progress wihou a clear direcion and a call o acion. I you ruly have a good produc or service, one ha benefis he lives o your cusomers, you should never eel bad abou asking or a ransiional call o acion or a direc sale o ake he relaionship o he nex level. Do we have somehing good or our cusomers? Are we offering offering value? I so, we should call people o acion.
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Use the following worksheet worksheet to explore both direct and transitional calls to action.
DIRECT CALLS TO ACTION: Direc calls o acion are, as saed, inviaions o engage your brand in a way ha leads o a sale. Direc calls o acion should be made clear and should be on every page o your websie. Direc calls o acion should be on your brochures, in your auomaed emails, on every page o your caalog, and so on. Cusomers will no place an order unless you ask hem o. Use he ollowing checkliss o make sure you are calling your cusomers o direc acion by asking hem o make a purchase.
WHAT DIRECT CALLS TO ACTION WILL YOU USE? Order Now Buton Call Now o Place Your Order Apply Now Regiserr Now Regise
Oher Oher Oher
TRANSITIONAL CALLS TO ACTION: Transiional calls o acion help us ener ino relaionships wih poenial cusomers. They are ofen ree offers or inormaion or bonus maerial you can use o qualiy a cusomer and ollow up wih hem in he uure.
Do you have inormaion your cusomers cusomers need ha you can offer o qualiy hem as poenial buyers? How How could you you package his inormaion? Could Could i be a PDF? A subscripion o a weekly weekly recipe? A video course educaing cusomers abou your field fi eld o experise? exp erise? A webinar?
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TRANSITIONAL CALLS TO ACTION I CAN IMPLEMENT ARE: •
•
•
•
•
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THAT RESULTS IN
All sories hinge on wheher or no somehing posiive or or negaive is going o happen o he characer. I we don’ know he building will explode i he hero doesn’ desroy he bomb, he sory isn’ ineresing. I we don’ know he couple will live happily ever afer i he hero can rescue her, here’s no suspense or reason o keep waching.
In sories, somehing mus be gained or los depending on wheher he hero akes acion. The clearer ha somehing is, he more ineresed people will be in he sory.
Likewise, i you’re elling your cusomers abou a produc wihou spelling ou how i migh give hem a happy ending or save hem rom a ragic ending, hey will lose ineres. In he SoryBrand sraegy, his means we ell our cusomers wha resuls hey will eiher experience exp erience or avoid by using our producs and services.
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Watch Module 6: That Results in Failure
MODULE 6 THAT RESULTS IN FAILURE Bad hings happen o people in lie and i you’re a good brand wih good producs and services, you’re sopping some o hose bad hings rom happening. Wheher i’s raising somebody’s seleseem, helping o relieve somebody’s somebody’s physical pain, keeping somebody’s dream rom crashing, or providing ligh in an oherwise dark circumsance, your brand mus posiion isel as a orce working o deea your cusomers’ ears. I we haven haven’ ’ idenified a muual enemy our brand and our cusomers have in common, we shouldn’ expec cusomers o hink o us as relevan. They are, afer all, in a batle.
Add o his, he human brain is only compelled by he power power o a sory i all he elemens are are spelled ou, including he elemen o poenial ailure. How ineresing ineresing would he Sar Wars Wars series be wihou Darh Vader? Or i Luke Skywalker Skywalker didn’ didn’ have a Deah Sar o desroy? Or a biological aher o conron? Conflic is wha makes he hero he hero, afer all. Wihou i, he sory suffers and audiences loses ineres.
The reason mos brands neglec he ragic elemen o he SoryBrand sraegy is or ear o coming off as manipulaive. We We undersand. A SoryBrand, we are no ans o brands, personal or corporae, who exaggerae he ragic sory elemen in an effor o manipulae. I you’re demonizing your opposiion in an effor o pain yoursel as he hero, hen you’re alling ino he villain rap yoursel. Villains are exaggeraors and deceivers. No decepion should be overlooked or he good o he cause. A liar is a liar. We We don’ suppor liars, even i heir cause is seemingly noble.
Sory is a powerul ool, and i’s bes used o convey he ruh raher han o manipulae. When we use he elemens o sory o pain a ficional narraive, ime finds us ou. I we’ve we’ve learned
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one hing rom Hiler, Salin, Chairman Mao and he res, i’s ha hisory doesn’ look ondly on a manipulaor. Each were incredible soryellers, bu ulimaely i a sory is used o deceive, he ruh will be ound ou and he soryeller will be judged accordingly. Over dramaizing he poenial ragic elemen o a sory is nohing shor o decepion, bu leaving he ragic elemen ou all ogeher isn’ any more noble. Neglecing he ragic elemen o realiy is also a orm o decepion. Bad hings really do happen o people. The key is o ell he ruh abou wha your producs and services can help people avoid. Err on he side o undersaemen, no on he side o silence.
Think o he ragic elemen in he SoryBrand sraegy like sal in a recipe or bread. I he comic elemen is flour and he guide elemen is eggs, he ragic elemen is sal. I will only ake a pinch. I i’s here, cusomers won’ noice anyhing oher han he bread ases good, bu i i’s missing, hey’ll only know somehing doesn’ ase righ. Wihou leting poenial cusomers know he negaive consequences hey’re avoiding, he sory loses a cerain ineres acor, bu pour on oo much sal and you’ll lose a discerning audience ha can smell ou a manipulaor.
So, wha does his look like? Well, i can look anyhing like iling a blog “Five Ways Your Roses will Survive he Winer Freeze” o “Our New Energy Drink is Guaraneed o Keep You rom Bonking on Your Run.” See wha we did here? We menioned a negaive consequence bu i didn’ sound he leas bi manipulaive. Why? Why? Because i was all rue. Roses really can ge damaged in a reeze and someimes runners bonk in he middle o a run.
In your BrandScrip, we’ve creaed a workshee o help you ideniy negaive consequences your producs and services are helping your cusomers avoid. Use he workshee o clariy how you will incorporae his elemen ino your communicaion sraegy.
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BRANDSCRIPT: FAILURE Brainstorm the Module
Make a BrandScript Decision
To ideniy negaive resuls your cusomers migh experience i hey don’ engage your producs or services, lis five producs p roducs or revenue sreams your your brand offers and wha hose producs help your cusomers avoid. I you have more han five producs or revenue sreams, you’ll wan o use ouside space o lis li s hem. You You can also break your producs ino caegories and define d efine negaive experiences your cusomers will avoid wihin hose caegories o producs. p roducs. For now, now, hough, le’s keep i simple. Choose five producs or services and define he negaive resuls your cusomers will avoid by using your producs.
Examples:
PRODUCT OR BRAND
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NEGATIVE RESULT THE CUSTOMER AVOIDS
Financial Trust Home Loans
You Y ou won’t won’t feel like a number with us
The 40-Day Detox Diet
In three days you’ll lose that blah feeling
CarMax
Our 25-point checklist ensures you aren’t buying a lemon
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What failure failure is your your brand helping helping your customers customers avoid? avoid?
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Watch Module 7: That Results in Success
MODULE 7 THAT RESULTS IN SUCCESS Auhor Frank Herber Herber said “There’s “There’s no real ending, jus a place where where you sop sop he sory.” The sory you are inviing poenial cusomers ino, hen, is no a sory abou all o lie and i’s no a sory abou your cusomer’s enire lie; i’s jus a sory abou whaever inernal and exernal problem your producs and services provide soluions or. And moreover, i’s abou posiive resuls hey will experience i hey engage he soluions you offer.
A simple menion or nod nod o a happy ending may be he mos flammable componen o he SoryBrand sraegy. I a cusomer canno envision how your producs and services will ake hem somewhere good, hey will likely wonder why why your producs or services serv ices mater.
The leas legal-sounding line in he Declaraion he Declaraion of Independence is he mos quoed, and i’s all Independence is abou a happy ending. I Thomas Jefferson wouldn’ wouldn’ have menioned, in paragraph wo, ha all men are endowed by heir creaor wih cerain unalienable righs, among which are life, libery and he pursui of happiness i happiness i is doubul he documen would have accumulaed such social orce. Bu really? In a naion-defining documen, a bi abou happiness? Absoluely. People buy resuls. Wha’s he poin o declaring our independence i i isn’ going o produce produce an opporuniy or happiness? The documen’s wide-spread accepance speaks or isel.
The mos flammable o he SoryBrand elemens is ofen he mos negleced, bu i doesn’ have o be. Figuring ou wha resuls your cusomers will experience i hey engage your producs and services isn’ ha complicaed.
The process you’ll wan wan o use o eaure happy endings in your brand communicaion is hreeold: firs, you’ll wan o ideniy a specific produc you sell, hen you wan o answer wha
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exernal problem ha produc solves, hen define wha posiive emoional resuls a cusomer may experience i hey use he produc.
The breakdown might look like this:
PRODUCT
EXTERNAL PROBLEM SOLVED
EMOTIONAL RESULT
Cleaner Floors
Clean house, peaceful mind
Landscaping service
Time gained
More time to enjoy the yard, less time wrestling with it
Online checking account
Real-time personal financial info
No more cashregister fear. Money is in the account.
New Vacuum
When we’re we’re alking abou comedic resuls, resuls, we’re we’re alking abou happy endings. Can you boil down a posiive emoional resul you’re you’re selling wih each produc you offer? There will likely be many, o course, bu remember he rule o clariy: ocus on one resul, per produc. Cusomers ge conused when you bombard hem wih oo much inormaion. Pick he sronges, posiive emoional resul and run wih i.
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Use your BrandScript to clarify what positive positive results your clients can expect if they engage your products and services:
BRANDSCRIPT: SUCCESS Brainstorm the Module
Make a BrandScript Decision
What will our customer’s customer’s life life look like if they use use your product product or service? •
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Execution
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Introduction Undersanding how sory works akes a litle ime. Soon, hough, you’ll be waching a movie and hinking, “Hey “ Hey,, his mus be he guide” and “She jus called he hero o acion.” acion.” You’ll You’ll begin o see he paterns p aterns soon enough, and every ime you do, you’ll beter realize how much we are hardwired o engage sories.
The same is rue in your branding. Soon, you’ll begin o analyze your communicaion pieces hrough he SoryBrand filer, and he clearer you make hem, he more you’ll ap ino he draw sory has on he human brain.
Sill, sories only atrac people i hey’re old. I wha we learned hrough he SoryBrand ramework doesn’ doesn’ ge applied in our brand sraegy, we won’ won’ see any changes in our botom line. As William Zinnser says, says, “Wriers love love o have writen. writen.”” None o us us like o do he acual work.
Bu we mus.
Wha you’ll you’ll likely experience as you begin o execue execue your brand sraegy is conusion. You won’ be sure you’re doing i righ. Bu don’ worry. All wriers eel his way when hey’re wriing heir sories, and you’ll eel he same as you execue your BrandScrip. Execue i anyway anyway.. Keep making changes o your websie, your keynoe, your sales pich, and any o your oher brand maerials. Once you sar moving, you can edi as you go. The poin is his: keep making he sory o your brand more and more clear. A clear and compelling sory will always win.
To find clariy, sep ouside your business and preend you know nohing, hen ake a look a your maerials. Are hey easy o undersand? Would somebody ouside your indusry be ineresed in knowing more? Are you using oo much inside language? Are you alking abou emoional resuls people will experience i hey engage your producs? Are you bragging o your compeiors or are you endearing cusomers? Are all seven elemens o he SoryBrand sraegy represened in your maerials?
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I’s only when you you begin o pracically apply he SoryBrand sraegy ha i becomes clear. The more you work work a i, he beter o an edior edi or you will become. Soon, you’ll be able o look a anybody’s websie websie and know where where hey’re conusing people and you won’ make ha same misake yoursel.
In Par Four o he SoryBrand ramework, we’ve we’ve included a long checklis o hings you can do o execue your sraegy. I I will no be possible o check off everyhing on his lis and honesly, i you do, i will be overkill and you will conuse your cusomers. This This checklis is mean o help you analyze your curren maerials and creae new maerials ha ge resuls.
Wee recommend reviewing W reviewing your BrandScrip a leas once each monh and wice each year wih your enire eam. We We also recommend reading hrough his checklis each quarer o see i here is anyhing you can do o clariy your message.
The checklis is broken ino caegories so he urher you go, he urher you’ve execued execued he SoryBrand sraegy. The The early secions o he checklis are oundaional while he laer ones will ake more ime and knowledge o execue. Sill, he laer iems will prove incredibly profiable or you, so keep moving unil you’ve execued hem all.
You’ll Y ou’ll find as you execue more and more more o he iems on his checklis ha more more and more cusomers will begin o respond. Your Your revenue should increase exponenially as he sory your brand is elling becomes more clear.
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Watch Execution, Video 1: Filling Out a BrandScript
Filling Out a BrandScript The way he SoryBrand SoryBrand course works is you learn he core conceps hen wach each o he SB7 module videos o clariy your own message. Once you’ve brainsormed each o he 7 p oins in he SB7 ramework, you ranser your bes answers o a one-page BrandScrip. This BrandScrip will be he hear o your message moving orward. Your Your message will be clear and compelling and you’ll ge a greaer response rom any audience.
Once you learn o fill our a BrandScrip you’ll be able o use i or all kinds o projecs. Wheher you’re re-designing your websie, websie, giving an imporan keynoe or launching a new produc, creaing a BrandScrip will insure you communicae clearly. In his video Don fills ou a BrandScrip and walks you hrough he process.
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Watch Execution, Video 2: Implementing the Framework
The StoryBrand Checklist EXECUTING YOUR BRANDSCRIPT
HERO Have you defined a general de sire your cusomers share? Is your cusomer’s general desire refleced in your brand maerials? I so, where? I no, where can you include i ? Images? Tex? Tesimonials? Tesimonials? Have you defined why your cusomer’s desire is good or noble? Have you rid your BrandScrip o language ha makes your brand seem like he hero? Does your company slogan reflec a “resul” your cusomer will experience i hey use your producs or services?
HAS A PROBLEM Is your cusomer’s inernal problem refleced in your brand maerials? Are you using oo much “inside language” o define your cusomer’s problem? Can your cusomers undersand you? Are you eauring cusomer esimonials ha alk abou he problems hey were experiencing ha you helped hem resolve?
MEETS A GUIDE Does your brand maerial include esimonials ha demonsrae your abiliy o help cusomers resolve heir inernal and exernal problems? Have you used saisics o communicae how much experience you have? Are you overusing saisics and esimonials so you look more like he hero han he guide? I so, should you cu back a litle? Do your brand maerials reflec a “we’ve been where you are and made i ou successully” menaliy o your cusomers? Are you expressing empahy or your cusomer’s problem in your brand maerials? I so, where? Are you you doing i enough?
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AND GIVES THEM A PLAN Have you idenified how your brand is “he same bu differen”? Does i immediaely help people undersand wha you do? Are you implemening a Process Plan? Wha’s i called? Does i offer exreme value? Have you made a value agreemen wih your cusomers? Is i clear and does i esablish confidence? Have you named i? Is here a paradigm shif you ake your cusomers hrough? Is ha shif simple and undersandable? Do you have a loss leader you can offer your cusomers? A ree PDF in exchange or an email address?
AND CALLS THEM TO ACTION Have you idenified specific cal ls o acion aci on you can eaure in your BrandScrip? How are hey worded? Are hey clear? Have you decided upon ransiional calls o acion? Wha are hey? Wha do people ge when hey engage hem?
THAT RESULTS RESULTS IN A SUCCESS Does your BrandScrip sae how a cusomer will eel afer engaging your producs and services? Is i clear how your cusomers will eel afer heir inernal problem is solved by your producs or services? Is your language clear enough ha your enire sales eam can use a line rom he BrandScrip o say how people will eel afer hey engage your producs and services? Are you sure you’ve lised resuls as well as eaures and benefis in your BrandScrip? Can you include a lis o each o your producs and revenue sreams along wih a resul cusomers will experience i hey engage hem? Would his help your sales e am communicae why your cusomers should buy?
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THAT RESULTS IN A FAILURE Have you defined a general consequence ha migh happen o your cusomers i hey don’ engage your producs or services? Are you overusing negaive imagery or ex? Remember, he ragic elemen is sal in a recipe. Don’ leave i ou, bu don’ use oo much.
GENERAL EDITS Is here anyhing in your brand maerials ha won’ fi ino one o he seven SoryBrand elemens? I so, can you remove i? Is here “inside language” in your BrandScrip? Can you ge rid o i? Is each elemen o your BrandScrip shor and concise? Can you go back hrough and cu words ou o i? Can you creae a cusomer survey ha will help you edi and refine porions o your BrandScrip? Do you need o change your company agline so ha i reflecs a resul your cusomer will experience?
EXECUTING YOUR BRANDSCRIPT Have you compleed your BrandScrip? Have you me wih principle eam members o discuss and edi your BrandScrip? Have you had a designer lay ou your BrandScrip so i’s visually appealing and undersandable? Have you creaed a Keynoe presenaion o announce your BrandScrip? Have you disribued your BrandScrip o your enire eam? Have you delivered your BrandScrip keynoe o your enire eam? Have you creaed a game o help your eam undersand your BrandScrip? Wheel o Forune? Jeopardy? Have un! Have you included your BrandScrip in “new employee” packes? Have you eaured your BrandScrip online so hose you do business wih can read i? Have you delivered your BrandScrip o ouside vendors and conracors so hey beter know who you are? Have you augh your eam o ideniy brand co mmunicaion ha is “off scrip” and encourage your eam o use he erm “off scrip” o keep brand communicaion clear and compelling?
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Editing Your Brand Materia Materials ls YOUR WEB WEBSIT SITE E Is here a direc call o acion above he old o your websie? Are here direc calls o acion on every page o your websie? Are hey clear? Is here one clear idea communicaed on your websie ha is obvious and communicaes a resul? Is here a ransiional call o acion ha offers somehing o value or ree? Is your ransiional call o acion hooked o an auomaed ollow-up email sysem ha eaures direc calls o acion? Can every word, buton and image on your websie fi ino one o he seven SoryBrand caegories? I no, can you ge rid o i? Are here images on your websie ha display how a cusomer will eel once heir inernal problem has been resolved by your producs or services? Is here oo much inormaion on your websie? Is i clutered? Are here oo many links? I so, can you rim i down? Have you sared a blog eauring aricles and inormaion your cusomers migh find valuable? On he side o your blog, are you eauring ads or your producs and services? On your blog, are you capuring email addresses in exchange or ree inormaion? Is your company agline eaured consisenly on your websie?
YOUR EMA EMAIL IL CAMPAI C AMPAIGNS GNS Are you capuring email addresses in exchange or ree inormaion or your cusomers? Are you emailing your cliens ree, valuable inormaion wih an ad or your producs wihin he email? Are you emailing your cusomers abou specials? Are you emailing cusomers when “ime is running ou” on specials? Are you emailing cusomers on imporan holidays ha can be associaed wih your producs and services? Are your email blass shor, o he poin, clear and compelling?
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YOUR PL PLACE ACE OF BUSI B USINES NESS S Is here signage in your reail space ha eaures resuls people will experience i hey use your producs or services? Is here signage in your reail space ha eaures he plan you offer your cusomers? Is here a physical demonsraion o he ailure you help cusomers avoid wih your producs and services? Have you changed over your “on hold” music o eaure aspecs o your BrandScrip? Can you eaure decals on your ron window wih a message rom your BrandScrip?
YOUR KEY KEYNOTE NOTE Does your keynoe explain wha your c usomer wans? Does your keynoe explain why your cusomer has good inenions? Does your keynoe explain wha your cusomer’s inernal and exernal problem is? Does your keynoe help people undersand your brand is a rused guide? Do you express empahy or your cusomer in he keynoe? Do you presen yoursel as an auhoriy in your field o exers? Do you presen a plan o break hrough he cusomer’s conusion? Do you call your cusomer o acion? Do you alk abou he consequences you help your cusomer avoid? Do you demonsrae he happy ending you will help your cusomer creae using your producs and services? Can you give your keynoe in he orm o a sory abou one o your cusomers? Are he images in your keynoe a visual reflecion o he hemes? Have you had your keynoe laid ou proessionally? Is your company agline eaured in your keynoe? Can you ell a sory o demonsrae some o he seven sory elemens? I so, please do.
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PROMOTIONAL VIDEO Have you made a video you can pos online abou your brand? Does your video ideniy your cusomer’s inernal and exernal problem? Does your video express empahy and undersanding or your cusomer? Does your video explain why you’re an auhoriy in your field o experise? Do you alk abou your plan in your video? Does your video call your cusomer o acion? Does your video alk abou he negaive consequences you help your cusomers avoid or no using your producs and services? Does your video demonsrae he happy ending you can help your cusomers experience? Is your company agline eaured in your keynoe? Can you eaure a brie, concise cusomer esimonial in your video?
YOUR STAFF Is your saff amiliar wih he BrandScrip? Does your saff have a line hey can say ha helps cusomers undersand how you are “he same bu differen”? Can your saff explain he plan you offer your cusomers? Does your saff know he appropriae imes o ask or a purchase, and are hey ollowing hrough? Is your saff inroducing cusomers o ransiional calls o acion? Is your saff geting cusomers email addresses and enering hem ino your daabase? Do you have uniorms? Can your corporae slogan be eaured on hem? Can each member o your saff ell a sory abou a ormer cusomer ha ends wih a posiive inernal and exernal resul?
YOUR PRO PRODUC DUCTT PACKAGI PACK AGING NG Does your produc packaging include your company agline? Can you eaure a resul your cusomer will experience on your produc packaging? Can you eaure an endorsemen (wih a resul) on your produc packaging? Can your plan be eaured on your produc packaging?
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StoryBrand.com
[email protected] © 2015 Donald Miller Words, LLC
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Terms and Conditions The StoryBrand Online Marketing Course is designed to help each participant, as an individual, clarify their brand’s identity, making their marketing simple, clear and actionable. During the StoryBrand Online Marketing Course you will be instructed in the seven tenants of the StoryBrand StoryBra nd 7-Part Framework, based on the proven power of story formulas to help you engage customers. The StoryBrand 7-Part Framework, the supporting StoryBrand Online Marketing Course materials along with follow up resources available exclusively to StoryBrand Alumni (together the “StoryBrand Portfolio”), including but not limited to “The Perfect Sales Letter,” “Use Your BrandScript to Turn A Profit,” “5 Things Your Website Should Include,” “Clarify Your Corporate Narrative,” “How to Tell a Story,” “Make Sense of Your Company’s Financial Story,” “What Big Business Can Teach You About Marketing,” “Creating Brand Evangelists,” “Your Brand is Not the Hero,” “How to Turn A Blog into A Profitable Business,” and “Your Customer Profiles May be Wrong” Wro ng” are the proprietary p roprietary intellectual property of Donald Miller Wor Words, ds, LLC. By participating in the StoryBrand Online Marketing Course, you have the opportunity to apply what you learn from the StoryBrand Portfolio to any entity with which you are currently associated or later join. After taking the StoryBrand Online Marketing Course, you may lead group discussions within your own place of employment, emp loyment, drawing upon your own work within the StoryBrand StoryBra nd Online Marketing Course. A participant may not reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies, perform, display, record, scan, post or distribute the materials associated with the StoryBrand Portfolio. The rights and opportunity to train, teach or present the StoryBrand Workshop Workshop and the associated StoryBrand Portfolio Portfolio reside exclusively with Donald Miller Words, Words, LLC and certified StoryBrand StoryBra nd Trainers. StoryBrand Online Marketing Course alumni may not modify or distribute the exclusive StoryBrand Portfolio to unaffiliated workshops, businesses or individuals. Additionally, StoryBrand StoryBrand Alumni may not sell, or offer to consult on, materials related to the StoryBrand Portfolio.
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