Story Brand

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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© 2015 Donald Miller Words, LLC

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 websie? websie? 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 keynoe presenaion?

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 wih heir producs

BRAND�DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK IN WHICH WE USE THE POWER OF STORY TO MAKE IDEAS CLEAR.

and services ha hey hink cusomers know as much as hey do. However, hey don’, and his is a aal misake.

Customers don’t tend to buy the best products and services—they buy the products and services that are easiest to understand. Seve Jobs didn’ sell he bes compuer, phone or musiclisening device; bu he did build he cleares, simples and mos easy o undersand echnology brand.

A SoryBrand, we use he power power o sory o make make ideas clear. We We do his because we believe believe sory compels a human brain aser and sronger han any oher orce. When you filer your markeing maerial hrough he seven-sep SoryBrand ramework, ramework, your cusomers will immediaely undersand wha you offer and why your producs mater wihin he sory hey are ryi ng o live. When cusomers undersand how how you you can help hem live a beter sory, sory, hey will will respond.

Sincerely,

Donald Miller, Presiden o SoryBrand

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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. Essenially, a sory is a series o quesions. I hose quesions are relevan, asked well, well, and asked in he righ order, hey will keep a person ineresed. There are a housand differen ormulas or sories and some work beter han ohers. 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 sysem 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 SoryBrand go sared and how sory helps us undersand how people hink. The main example he uses is ha sory works like music in he sense i has rules. I we break he rules o music, sounds descend ino noise. The warning or us as communicaors is o undersand he rules o sory so our cusomers won’ look a our maerial and see i as noise.

Takee a sep back rom your markeing markeing collaeral? Is i noise or music? Assignment: Tak

Assignment: Open your websie or an acquainance and give hem 5 seconds o look a i. Afer 5 seconds, can hey answer hese 3 quesions?

1. Wha do we offer? 2. How could wha we offer make your lie 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 absolue enemy o a sory is cluter. I a scene makes i ino a movie ha doesn’ serve he plo, ha scene has o go, no mater how good i is. A disciplined soryeller soryell er knows wha o ake ou and wha o leave in. This will mean a grea deal more once we creae your BrandScrip, bu or now, know ha hese are he essenial elemens o a sory and i we add o or subrac rom hem, we risk losing our audience. Le’s look a each elemen in greaer deph:

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A CHARACTER A person who will ake ake he journey. The main characer in a sory is ofen called he hero or he proagonis. Some sories have many characers bu he SoryBrand ramework ocuses on he simples sory srucure and is a single-proagonis model. To To really compel an audience, he hero is usually called o a ask ha is ouside heir comor zone bu is necessary or heir survival and he benefi o ohers. Ineresingly, Ineresingly, he hero is no he sronges sronges or mos reliable characer in he he sory. Usually,, he srong characer is he guide. Ye, Usually Ye, he hero is he cener o he sory because hey are he one who mus ake acion. They are are also he one who experiences a characer arc—a change in heir characer or perspecive brough abou by he advenure o he sory.

Skywalker (Sar 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 sory works works unless he hero encouners a problem. The reason a characer has o encouner a problem early in he sory is because he problem posis a sory quesion. Will he characer ge ou o he problem? How bad will he damage be i hey don’? Will Will hey ge heir happy ending? Will hey deea heir enemy? This is why sories are so compelling o he human brain—hey posi a series o quesions ha make he audience sick 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 sory, here are hree levels o problems, p roblems, and hey are inerwined. Those levels are inernal, exernal and philosophical.

Examples of External Problems: Frodo (mus save Middle-Earh), Luke Skywalker (mus deea 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 aher righ abou him?) Bridge Jones (Is she worhy o love?)

Examples of Philosophical Problems: Frodo (Will good win ou over evil? Will group ineress win ou over sel ineres?), Luke Skywalker (Will good win ou over evil? Will group ineres win ou over sel ineres? Will benevolence win ou over greed? Will reedom win ou over yranny?) Bridge Jones (Is lie air? Can love win ou over lus? Can sel-love and sel-accepance be enough?)

MEETS A GUIDE WHO UNDERSTANDS THEM In sories, characers do no solve heir own problems. I hey could solve heir own problems, hey’d likely likely have never goten ino rouble in he firs place. p lace. Wha normally happens, is he characer mees somebody, reads somehing, remembers somehing or experiences somehing ha helps hem grow. In he SoryBrand ramework, ha somebody or somehing is he guide. A good guide has “been here here and done ha” in he sense hey undersand he journey he characer is on and can see clearly where hey need o go. In ac, he firs job o he guide is o lisen, undersand and empahize wih 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 sronges, mos seady characer in he sory. This is why he SoryBrand sraegy calls on you o posiion your brand as he guide raher han he hero.

Examples of Guides: Frodo (Gandal and many ohers), 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 mees he guide, guide, hey are conused. The job o he guide, hen, is o break hrough hrough he hero’s conusion and give hem confidence heir lie 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 anoher anoher way way - or as complex as a muli level sraegy ha will help he hero win a complicaed batle. Regardless, afer he hero hears he plan, p lan, hey mus decide wheher o ake acion 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 acion in a sory is he poin a which he he hero mus decide wheher wheher o ac on he plan. Will hey atack he he Deah Sar or will hey run? In a sory, sory, he call o acion is a poin o crisis. I’s ofen a dark nigh o he soul or he hero. They mus choose wheher o say in heir comor zone or embrace he plan given o hem by he guide. A good guide empahizes wih he hero’ hero’ss problem, gives hem a plan, and calls hem o acion.

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 desroy he Deah Sar.), Bridge Jones (Makes he Call.)

THAT RESULTS IN A SUCCESS In sory srucure, a happy ending is called a success while a sad ending is called a ailure. Wheher or no a sory 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 eiher 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 sory, anoher characer, ofen he guide, will sae he happy ending well beore i happens. “I you do his, Middle-Earh will be saved” and so orh…

Examples of Success: Frodo (saves Middle-Earh and many more), Luke Skywalker (desroys he Deah Sar), Bridge Jones (Finds love or hersel and finds love in a parner.) p arner.)

OR A FAILURE Good screenwriers and noveliss help us imagine dire consequences wheher or no hey acually happen in order o build suspense. Laer we’ll alk abou how successul 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 beall he hero, audiences zone ou and lose ineres.

i s aken over), Luke Skywalker Skywalker (he Evil Empire rules Examples of Failure: Frodo (Middle-Earh is he galaxy), Bridge Jones (remains lonely)

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A Story Must Be Clear The SoryBrand ramework ramework is jus one way o ell a sory, bu here is one universal ruh abou elling sories ha canno be broken:

A STORY MUST BE CLEAR. I every scene in a sory canno be placed ono a simple char, he sory runs he risk o boring he audience. There are excepions, o course, bu here aren’ many. Being a good soryeller 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 compee wih he proessionals.

A SoryBrand, his is our our philosophy abou abou branding oo. Once somebody undersands undersands he SoryBrand ramework, ramework, heir branding mehodology will be given orm, and once ha orm is pereced, hey can begin o play ouside o ha orm. Bu he orm comes firs.

Again, clariy 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 sories laid ou on he SoryBrand char so you can see how simple and clear hey are a heir bones.

In he Hunger he Hunger Games movies, Kaniss is rying o survive he Games and needs he help o Games movies, Haymich. Haymich gives her confidence and a plan so she can win he Games and survive.

Every sory is abou a characer ha wans somehing and has o overcome conflic o ge i. Luke wans wans o rebel agains he Evil Empire, bu he also wans 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 deea d eea he enemy. The The comedic or happy ending happens when Luke desroys he Deah Sar.

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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 sudying sory or un. The goal is o help you creae a BrandScrip you can use o communicae clearly. In he nex secion, you’ll begin o see how brands use he power o sory o engage heir cusomers. And soon, you’ll be doing he same wih your brand.

In Part Two, you’ll see how successful brands:

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Ideniy heir cusomer’s heroic journey and encourage hem in heir pursuis.

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Empahize wih heir cusomer’s inernal and exernal problems.

3.

Esablish hemselves as a rused guide (wihin heir field o experise.)

4.

Offer heir cusomers a plan ha breaks hrough heir conusion and gives gives hem sel confidence.

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Call heir cusomers o acion acion by by asking hem hem o engage heir heir producs or services.

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Do everyhing hey can o help heir cusomers define heir successul ending.

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Make sure heir cusomers know o he poenial negaive consequences o no engaging wih heir brand.

This well-worn well-worn narraive pah is subconsciously amiliar o people because hey’ve seen i a million imes in movies, elevision and lieraure. Once you begin using SoryBrand ramework ramework in your brand sraegy, your cusomers 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 SoryBrand sraegy is o use he mos proven o sory ormulas o guide our brand communicaion. 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 screenwriers screenwriers wrie a screenplay, screenplay, hey map ou scene by by scene wha wha is going o happen, hen plug in he dialogue laer. The grid hey creae, hen, serves as a filer. No a single scene, characer or word can be added o he sory unless i fis wihin he grid. As we’ve we’ve said, i a wrier adds anyhing ha isn’ in heir disciplined grid, hey risk conusing he audience.

The problem wih mos companies is hey keep rying differen di fferen markeing acics ha work or a while bu soon end up wih a brand narraive ha is inconsisen and conusing. When we don’ have a igh, disciplined BrandScrip, cusomers have rouble figuring ou wha we offer and why why i maters o hem.

Our goal in secion hree is o help you undersand he many ways ways successul brands use his ramework o clearly communicae 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 undersand how a sory works, le’s look closely a how major brands use sory srucure o filer heir brand communicaion. In visual orm, here is how Allsae Insurance covers he seven SoryBrand elemens.

You’ll Y ou’ll noice each o he SoryBrand SoryBrand elemens are included in heir overall overall sraegy. While ew o heir brand maerials conain all he elemens a once, heir overall campaign is disciplined and on scrip. Here’s a breakdown o how hey covered each o he elemens:

1. A HEROIC CHARACTER Allsae acknowledges heir cusomers cusomers are winsome, un un and successul.

2. WITH A PROBLEM Allsae humorously shows “mayhem” “mayhem” o be he problem heir cusomers cusomers ace. Anyhing Anyhing bad can happen a any ime. I’s as hough hey’re asking heir cusomers i hey’re ready. ready.

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3. MEETS A GUIDE WHO UNDERSTANDS THEIR FEAR Allsae’s rusworhy rusworhy pichman esablishes confidence, calmness calmness and auhoriy when when i comes o dealing wih mayhem. Tha said, he’s no he hero, he’s he guide.

4. AND GIVES THEM A PLAN Allsae’s “Value “Value Plan” gives heir cusomers somehing somehing ha breaks hrough heir conusion. Now Now buying insurance and proecing hemselves hemselves rom mayhem mayhem seems easy. The name o he plan also insinuaes i’s no expensive and i’s well worh he price.

5. AND CALLS THEM TO ACTION On Allsae’s websie, here is a single call o acion, and ha is o get a quote. There’s one box o fill ou wih your email address. The call o acion is i s simple, clear and obvious .

RESULTING IN

6. SUCCESS Allsae released a commercial showing showing how good lie lie can be when you’re no worried. I’s a beauiully sho commercial commercial abou people enjoying lie. This This is he “successul ending” cusomers cusomers can experience i hey buy Allsae insurance.

7. FAILURE Allsae’s mayhem mayhem characer serves as boh he he problem and he ailure. They cover cover he ragic ending aspec o he campaign by showing heir cusomers 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 acic ha would cerainly 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 Beore we creae your BrandScrip, review he ollowing graphic o remind yoursel why each o he seven sory elemens are so imporan.

IN CLOSING As you can see, successul brands brands use a sory ramework ramework o creae clear and compelling compelling brand messages. Now ha you undersand how sory works and how brands can use he elemens o sory o compel cusomers, le’s work on applying hese powerul elemens o your own brand. Wheher you’re you’re a wrier, a poliician, a plumber or he markeing markeing direcor or or a billion-dollar brand, here’s here’s pleny you can do o clariy your your messaging and reach a wider audience.

In Par Three o he SoryBrand ramework, we’ll we’ll look a each o he seven elemens and come up wih concree messages you can apply in all levels o your markeing. Le’s creae 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

Cusomers are drawn o clariy, clari y, which means we have o de-cluter our messaging. Wach Core Conceps Video 5 and ge a eel or how and why o de-cluter your brand. Remember, your websie 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 moivaion and inspiraion o simpliy your messaging o i’s absolue cleares.

you ake off your your websie websie 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 undersand? I so, consider making hose changes as you go hrough he 7 modules o creae your BrandScrip.

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Modules

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Introduction Now ha you undersand he SoryBrand ramework, i’s ime o creae your BrandScrip. Your BrandScrip will be a summary o each o he seven elemens as i relaes o your brand. You You will hen use your BrandScrip o filer all brand communicaion. Once your BrandScrip is done, everyhing on your websie, in your adverising maerials, and even he way your eam alks abou your brand will be unified and on scrip. s crip. Your Your markeing will make sense o poenial cusomers and your business will grow.

Once your BrandScript is complete, you will use it in three ways: 1.

To change your curren brand maerials

2. To filer uure brand communicaion 3. To uniy your eam around around a common, narraive 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 SoryBrand SoryBrand cliens make a philosophical misake in heir brand sraegy: hey assume heir brand maerials should be abou hemselves. They shouldn’. shouldn’. Your brand maerials should be abou your cusomers. Wha do hey wan? Wha problems are hey acing? How can we educae hem abou our field o experise? Wha producs do we sell ha hey can use as weapons in heir figh or a happy ending?

Engaging wih poenial cusomers is a lo like daing. On a firs dae, he more you alk abou yoursel, he less likely you are o ge a second dae. Insead o alking abou ourselves, we should be doing a lo o lisening and acively demonsrae an ineres in he person who’ who’ss decided o risk an evening on us. Mos people are subconsciously scanning he world or people who undersand hem. Those are he people we find mos impressive. And i’s no differen wih brands.

The firs sep in creaing a SoryBrand BrandScrip is o define wha i is ha our cusomers wan. A sory is abou a characer ha wans wans somehing and has o overcome overcome conflic o ge i. The The reason people resonae wih sories is because hey serve as a meaphor 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 somehing hey can do or use o figh fi gh or a happy ending. And ha somebody or somehing needs o be your brand.

A common misconcepion misconcepion abou heroes, is hey are are perec. They They aren’. aren’. In almos every sory, sory, he hero has flaws. They are are someimes selfish, ofen scared, unskilled and undisciplined. undiscip lined. I akes he guide o help hem become he kind o characer ha can desroy he Deah Sar.

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. Wheher i’s o help a cusomer buy a home or heir amily, fix a car so hey can ake heir kids o soccer pracice, bake a cake or heir daugher’s birhday pary, or allow hem o find res in enerainmen, your brand exiss o serve he desires o your cusomers.

Use his secion o ideniy wha your cusomer wans. Firs, brainsorm. Then, ranser a summary o your answers o your one-page BrandScrip.

BRANDSCRIPT: A CHARACTER Brainstorm the Module

Make a BrandScript Decision

1. Wha does your cusomer wan as i relaes o your brand?

2. Who does your cusomer wan o become?

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Watch Module 2: With a Problem

MODULE 2 WITH A PROBLEM A sory doesn’ doesn’ ge ineresing unil he main characer characer encouners a problem. Wihou rouble, sories are boring, and i’s he same wih creaing a brand sraegy. 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 undersands hem.

A story happens when a gap is created between the hero and the successful ending. This sory gap is all abou conflic. When a hero’s lie is urned upside down, hey’re hrown ino a sory crisis which moivaes he journey. The The second your cusomer experiences somehing negaive regarding your field o experise, hey’ll sar floundering around oward a happy ending. Nobody hinks abou a mechanic unil heir car breaks down. Nobody hinks abou ennis shoes unil heir old pair becomes uncomorable. The beginning of the hero’s journey starts at the

point they experience conflict. I you can clearly communicae wha ha crisis eels like, your cusomers will ideniy wih you and rus you o help hem find a resoluion o heir inernal and exernal problem.

And le’s remember, here here really are are hree kinds o problems in sories, INTERNAL, INTERNAL, EXTERNAL and PHILOSOPHICAL. You You are likely in he business o solving cusomer’s exernal problems. Eiher you’re you’re fixing heir plumbing, selling hem elevisions, or consuling o expand heir business. Tha’s Tha’s fine. I you didn’ didn’ solve a cusomer’s cusomer’s exernal problems, you’d you’d no have have a business o begin wih. However, the reason customers go looking for solutions to their

external problems is because those problems are creating internal stress, confusion or fear. Inernal problems are wha exernal problems are causing your cusomers o eel. In oher words,

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companies ofen sell soluions o exernal problems, bu he moivaion o purchase hose soluions come rom a cusomers’ inernal problems. In your BrandScrip, you’ll ideniy an inernal, exernal and philosophical problem your brand helps your cusomer solve.

In addiion, we can ideniy a single “Deah Sar” our cusomers ace ha we wan o help hem desroy.. For example, he “Deah Sar” we’ve idenified or our SoryBrand cliens is salled growh desroy in heir business. We wan o equip hem o leave our workshops and desroy he conusing brand communicaion ha is salling heir growh.

In his secion, we will define some o he INTERNAL, EXTERNAL and PHILOSOPHICAL problems our cusomers ace, as well as a single “Deah Sar” your brand can help your cusomers desroy.

For review:

EXTERNAL PROBLEMS: physical problems, financial problems, relaional problems INTERNAL PROBLEMS: doubs, ears and insecuriies he exernal problem manies PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS: good vs. evil. Lives in he world o should and ough

Use his secion o ideniy he kinds o problems your cusomers experience regarding your field o experise. Summarize your answers on your one-page BrandScrip.

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BRANDSCRIPT: WITH A PROBLEM Brainstorm the Module


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 menioned, he hero is no he sronges sronges characer in a sory. sory. The sronges sronges characer is he guide. The guide is he characer who has “been here and done ha. ha.”” They are usually older, more experienced and wiser. Think o Yoda in Sar Wars, in Lord of he Rings, Wars, Gandal in Lord Rings, Albus Dumbledor in Harr in Harryy Poter, Poter, Robin Williams in Good Will Huning, and Huning, and so on.

Wee wan you o posiion your W your brand as a guide because i you’ve you’ve go enough experience o sar a business in a given field, you’re likely an exper a somehing. You You may no eel like you’re you’re he bes, bu he ruh 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 soluions regarding your field han mos anybody ouside 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 empaheic saemen can your brand make make ha would help help your cusomers cusomers eel undersood and lisened o? 2. Authority: Wha esimonials, saisics or brand associaions can you make ha would help cusomers rus you because you’re you’re an auhoriy in your field o experise?

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BRANDSCRIPT: MEETS A GUIDE Brainstorm the Module


1. Empahy: Wha empaheic saemen saemen can you make?

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2. Auhoriy: Wha endorsemens, saisics, recognizable associaions or anyhing else would help you esablish auhoriy and rus wih your cusomer?

•

•

•

•

•

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Watch Module 4: Who Gives Them a Plan

MODULE 4 WHO GIVES THEM A PLAN In sories, he guide ofen gives he hero a philosophy or echnique o boos heir confidence and help hem undersand hey have wha i akes. The “plan” can be as simple as “bring her flowers, all girls like flowers” or as complicaed as “rus he orce, Luke” bu regardless, he hero suddenly realizes here’s a pah hey can ake oward resoluion.

The purpose o a plan p lan is o creae a clear menal pah your cusomers can ake rom where hey were when you ound hem o he poin o purchase which should provide a resoluion o heir conflic. Imagine a hiker sanding on he edge o a shallow creek, looking or sones o sep on or an easy crossing. Your Your plan will serve as hose sones. By now, you’ve you’ve esablished rus wih he hero and you are guiding hem on a journey. Sill, hey’re scared. I may be a well-worn well-worn pah or you, bu o hem i’s new erriory. By offering hem a plan, you’re poining ou he sones in he creek bed ha will help hem cross saely.

Here are a couple examples of the effective plan:

• The “Process Plan”: a simple process you ake cusomers hrough ha clarifies a pah • An “Agreemen Plan”: an agreemen you make wih your cusomers o deliver value

I’s rue you can creae a BrandScrip or your company and hen creae separae BrandScrips or each o your producs. One o your producs 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 waning o have he carpe in your home seam cleaned. You’re You’re looking online or a local vendor, reading reviews, checking prices, and so on. Then you sumble across he websie 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-Sep -Sep Ulra Clean Checklis.” I sounds ineresing so you read he descripion. They 1. pre-rake pre-rake he carpe, 2. sain-rea roubled areas, 3. vacuum wih heir dirlifing power scrubber, hen 4. pos-rake he enire house so he carpe dries aser and says clean longer. I sounds grea. You You wonder why oher companies don’ go hrough he same rouble o care or heir cusomers. And hese guys aren’ even ha much more expensive. So you call and schedule a cleaning.

The realiy is, hough, he oher companies are doing he same hing. I’s called cleaning a carpe. Wha he company did ha go your atenion, hough, is hey urned heir normal service ino a sep-by-sep process, clarified i or heir cusomers and gave i a name. Wha his does in he cusomer’s mind is ake he vague, oggy world o seam cleaning carpe and rame i wih some definiion. Because people are drawn o clariy, hey end up geting more business.

A SoryBrand, we have a seven-sep seven-sep ramework ramework o help you filer your brand communicaion. Wee call i The SoryBrand Process, W Process, and i works. The reason we call i a seven-sep process is or exernal communicaion. The realiy 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 “sevensep process” o lay sones in he creek bed so our cliens can ideniy a clear pah o he oher shore. This pah esablishes confidence. When hey ge o a workshop, hen, we can unpack each sep wih more nuanced hinking. The poin is his: on one side o he creek, a business leader is uzzy in heir hinking, bu on he oher side here’s clariy. clariy. How do hey cross? They They use he seven seps.

Wha seps are you you already aking your cusomers cusomers hrough in order order or hem o engage your produc? Could you define each o hose seps 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 creaing a conrac conrac wih your cusomers. This isn’ a lieral conrac; i’s jus a promise ha i i  hey do business wih you, you will deliver a specific, saed value. Agreemen plans can range widely and encompass everyhing rom Litle Caesars Pizza Caesars Pizza Pizza plan (hey sell wo pizzas a a ime) o New Gingrich’s Conrac wih America. Pizza plan America. The idea behind an agreemen plan is “i you give us his, we we promise you will ge his in reurn.”

Human beings ear change and offering an agreemen lessens ha ear. Ofen called a riskremoval clause, an agreemen plan ensures a cusomer isn’ aking a financial risk by doing business wih you. you.

There are oher ypes o agreemens, hough. Le’s say you’re selling houses and recognize an inernal ear some buyers have abou eeling alone afer such a large purchase. Agreeing o visi he home owner a monh or six monhs afer heir purchase o walk hrough he house and agree o fix problems lessens heir ear.

Anoher agreemen plan is ha a brand would be accessible o cusomers i hey hey needed hem. Is here a number hey can call o ask quesions? I so, his is anoher example o an agreemen plan.

An agreemen plan is as simple as a promise. I you sell a service, consider lising 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 SoryBrand Value Agreemen) Agreemen).

CarMax’s 25-poin inspecion is an agreemen plan. A local radio promising a weaher updae every fifeen minues 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 SoryBrand clien. Your Your Agreemen Plan

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doesn’ have o be a money-back guaranee, bu i should remove a leas some o he cusomer’s risk, especially i i removes an inernal problem he cusomer experiences wihin your field o experise. A denis offering a pain-ree checkup is an example o an agreemen plan.

Is here an agreemen you can make wih your cusomers ha will lessen heir ears? Are you already offering somehing ha alleviaes heir ears bu you haven’ named i ye? Wha kind o agreemen can you make wih your cusomers o help hem have confidence in your producs p roducs and services?

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BRANDSCRIPT: WHO GIVES THEM A PLAN Brainstorm the Module


Having a plan is an imporan par o guiding your cusomer hrough heir heroic journey. journey. There are, o course, many kinds o plans. Tha said, i will be imporan or you o choose one or purposes o simpliciy si mpliciy and clariy (exceping The Agreemen Plan, which we recommend as an addiion). I you ocus on more han one plan, your cusomers will delay longer a he side o he creek because here are muliple rock pahs ha cross. I would be beter i you gave hem a single, obvious and sae pah.

Use he workshee below o brainsorm hese wo quesions. Firs, wha process can your cusomers use o engage your produc? Second, wha agreemens can you make wih your cusomer? Once you’re finished, choose he plan ha seems he cleares and mos easy o undersand and eaure i in your SoryBrand sraegy.

THE PROCESS PLAN 1. Wha seps do your cusomers already use o engage your produc / service? Could his process have a name ha helps your cusomers undersand is value? Be careul no o give oo many opions. The magic number is hree, bu ry o name no more han five.

Sep 1. Sep 2. Sep 3. Sep 4. Sep 5. Process Name:

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THE AGREEMENT PLAN The Agreemen Plan is an inormal conrac wih poenial cusomers. I works like his: i hey will engage your ideas, producs 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 complicaed as an agreemen o ollow up wih cusomers o make sure hey have received qualiy services.

Check he ollowing kinds o agreemen plans you could incorporae i ncorporae ino your overall brand sraegy or apply o a specific produc or service.

The idea is o have an agreemen plan ha will ensure value and esablish rus wih your cusomers. In addiion, your Agreemen Plan should have a name or a slogan, somehing ha helps cusomers undersand wha i means upon firs hearing i. You You can call i a money-back guaranee, a value promise, or he “( Inser Inser Brand Brand Name Name) Follow Follow-Up Up Consulaion. Consulaion.””

Regardless, once you give your plan a name, cusomers will be more comorable engaging you because you’ve you’ve lessened heir perceived risk. risk.

Which o he examples above above do you eel would be he sronges choice choice or an Agreemen Agreemen Plan or your brand? Creae a ile or his plan and describe i:

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Tile: Our agreemen wih our cusomers is:

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

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Watch Module 5: And Calls Them to Action

MODULE 5 AND CALLS THEM TO ACTION In sories, characers rarely ake acion on heir own. I a screenwrier wries a sory abou an ou-o-shape characer who suddenly wans o ge ino shape, he audience won’ buy in. Moviegoers won’ know why he sory 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 characer sars o posiively evolve wihou wihou ouside orces acing on hem, he sory no longer resonaes wih our human experience and an audience will lose ineres.

The ool screenwriers use o propel characers ino he sory is called he “inciing inciden.” inciden.” An inciing inciden is an even ha acs upon he he characer and moivaes hem o ake acion. I our hero is ou o shape, she mus all in love wih a man who is a finess insrucor or have a healh scare or lose a be and be obligaed o run a marahon.

In he movie Good Will Huning , Will is orced ino herapy when he’s issued a mandae by he cour. In Saving Privae Ryan, Ryan, Tom Hanks is hrown ino acion 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 acion 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 idenified he heroic journey our cusomers are on, esablished empahy wih

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heir inernal and exernal problems, posiioned ourselves as heir guide and eased heir concerns wih our plan, i’s ime o call hem o acion.

The StoryBrand strategy utilizes two kinds of calls to action:

1. Direc Calls o Acion 2. Transiional Calls o Acion

Boh calls o acion should be eaured in your branding maerial.

A ransiional Call o Acion does no necessarily lead o a purchase, bu serves o engage poenial cusomers wih your brand by offering o educae hem abou an issue relaed o your producs, deliver more inormaion abou your specific produc, or give hem a ree sample. We call hese calls o acion ransiional because hey help ransiion a disineresed d isineresed cusomer ino a buyer. Transiional calls are bes used o qualiy cusomers. I a cusomer downloads a brochure, hey’ve shown ineres and an e-mail markeing sraegy can be employed ha laer calls hem o a direc acion. I cusomers sign up o search real-esae lisings in a cerain price poin, hey would hen be qualified as a poenial home buyer or or specific homes or properies in your lisings.

Transiional calls o acion can vary rom “call us or a ree quoe” o “download our inormaive brochure.” Offering ree samples or an in-home in-home demonsraion are examples o ransiional calls o acion. Domino’s Pizza’s “creae “creae a pizza profile” eaure on heir websie is a ransiional call o acion. Abou once each monh, hey can email you a special offer and acually eaure your avorie pizza in he digial coupon.

A Direct Call to Action is a sraigh-orward reques or your cusomer o make a purchase. Remember he rule o sory: characers do no ac unless hey are challenged o ac. No unlike he hero in a sory, your cusomers will no purchase your producs 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 keynoe presenaion presenaion or a global shampoo brand and my my graphic designer was oo busy wih oher projecs o help. No waning o wai, I decided o ousource he presenaion o a design house. I wen looking online or a shop ha deal specifically wih presenaions and Google showed me wo local houses ha could help. The firs websie I visied was beauiully designed. Images moved across he page as ex floaed around revealing he design shops core values. Afer abou weny seconds admiring he visual elemens o heir sie, hough, I sared looking or inormaion abou heir services. Bu I couldn’ find much o anyhing. They eaured eaured samples o previous projecs, a ew esimonials and a phone number I could call. Bu, he ruh is, I almos called hem and scheduled an appoinmen bu hey los me when I looked a heir compeior’s sie.

The oher company’s sie wasn’ wasn’ nearly as beauiul, bu i i  dared o be clear. “I you’ve go an imporan presenaion 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 elemens every keynoe slide should include. No only his, bu hey asked me o email hem o schedule an appoinmen and promised o ge back o me wihin he hour. Wihin a ew seconds, I knew exacly 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 wihin a week my keynoe looked grea.

Many SoryBrand SoryBrand cliens are araid o ask oo srongly or he sale, and we undersand his. Posiioning your brand as he lae-nigh pichman cuting matresses in hal wih a chainsaw doesn’ do much o esablish credibiliy. Bu in an age where people are consanly 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 cusomers can only hear a whisper.

Your Y our cusomers have have no sumbled upon your your brand maerials by acciden. acciden. They’re They’re looking or somehing. Wheher 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 cusomer in he firs place. The bes way o qualiy a cusomer is o ask hem o make a purchase.

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When you visi Domino’s Pizza’s Pizza’s websie, websie, here are our “order now” now” butons and none o hem seem obrusive. Allsae insurance has one clear buton ha reads “ge a quoe. quoe.”” The brighes buton on any Amazon page is he “Add “Add o Car” buton. And he same should be rue in your your branding maerials.

Direct Calls to Action should: 1. Be clear. 2. Ask or a purchase, schedule an appoinmen or do somehing ha leads o a sale.

Wheher you’re you’re selling cars, pizza or landscaping services, your cusomers should should never wonder how o place an order. I your call o acion isn’ clear and idenifiable you are missing ou on sales.

Transitional calls to action work best when they have one or more of the following four criteria:

• They qualiy a cusomer as a poenial buyer. • They educae or inorm a poenial buyer. • They capure inormaion allowing you o ollow up wih urher calls o acion. • They offer somehing o value or ree.

I here’s a way or or a call o acion o cover all our o hese crieria, you’ll have errific success.

When our SoryBrand SoryBrand eam analyzes a websie, websie, one o he more common suggesions suggesions we make make is ha our cliens do a beter job capuring email addresses. On heir websies, many o our cliens simply ask heir cusomers o “sign up or he newsleter” or “say in he loop.” And ye mos people aren’ ineresed in a newsleter because i doesn’ answer a specific quesion or offer o saisy a specific need. As you migh expec, he resuls o hese effors are dismal, bu here is hope. When our cliens ocus on specific needs in heir ransiional calls o acion, resuls increase dramaically. d ramaically.

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As an exper in your field, you have have valuable inormaion your cusomers need or wan. A local nursery migh offer a ree PDF explaining wha ypes o plans grow bes in he local climae. They could hen ollow up wih a series o auomaed emails including reminders abou differen planing seasons. Those reminders migh include direc calls o acion o swing by and purchase new plans and supplies. An invesmen firm migh offer a ree online course eaching poenial cusomers five common financial misakes people make in heir fifies. Whoever signs up or ha course would be flagged as a qualified buyer who would would be sen urher inormaion abou producs producs specifically creaed wih hem in mind. A local ashion bouique migh offer a ree in-sore ashion show eauring en bold new looks or spring. A naional grocery sore chain could offer a ree subscripion o a weekly recipe and online cooking demonsraion. There is no shorage o ideas i deas bu he poin is o offer your cusomers somehing specific ha mees a specific desire or need.

As much hough should be pu ino wha you offer offer your cusomers hrough a ransiional ransiional call o acion as is pu ino he creaion o a produc. This, afer all, is i s your uure cusomers ree ase o how your brand will make heir lives beter.

BRANDSCRIPT: AND CALLS THEM TO ACTION Brainstorm the Module


Relaionships aren’ saic, hey’re always evolving. evolving. The same is rue in our brands relaionship wih our cusomers. Hopeully, hose relaionships are progressing oward sales and recurring sales. Bu relaionships don’ progress wihou a clear direcion and a call o acion. I you ruly have a good produc or service, one ha benefis he lives o your cusomers, you should never eel bad abou asking or a ransiional call o acion or a direc sale o ake he relaionship o he nex level. Do we have somehing good or our cusomers? Are we offering offering value? I so, we should call people o acion.

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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 acion are, as saed, inviaions o engage your brand in a way ha leads o a sale. Direc calls o acion should be made clear and should be on every page o your websie. Direc calls o acion should be on your brochures, in your auomaed emails, on every page o your caalog, and so on. Cusomers will no place an order unless you ask hem o. Use he ollowing checkliss o make sure you are calling your cusomers o direc acion 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 Regiserr Now Regise

Oher Oher Oher

TRANSITIONAL CALLS TO ACTION: Transiional calls o acion help us ener ino relaionships wih poenial cusomers. They are ofen ree offers or inormaion or bonus maerial you can use o qualiy a cusomer and ollow up wih hem in he uure.

Do you have inormaion your cusomers cusomers need ha you can offer o qualiy hem as poenial buyers? How How could you you package his inormaion? Could Could i be a PDF? A subscripion o a weekly weekly recipe? A video course educaing cusomers abou your field fi eld o experise? exp erise? A webinar?

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TRANSITIONAL CALLS TO ACTION I CAN IMPLEMENT ARE: •

•

•

•

•

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THAT RESULTS IN

All sories hinge on wheher or no somehing posiive or or negaive is going o happen o he characer. I we don’ know he building will explode i he hero doesn’ desroy he bomb, he sory isn’ ineresing. 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 waching.

In sories, somehing mus be gained or los depending on wheher he hero akes acion. The clearer ha somehing is, he more ineresed people will be in he sory.

Likewise, i you’re elling your cusomers abou a produc wihou spelling ou how i migh give hem a happy ending or save hem rom a ragic ending, hey will lose ineres. In he SoryBrand sraegy, his means we ell our cusomers wha resuls hey will eiher experience exp erience or avoid by using our producs 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 lie and i you’re a good brand wih good producs and services, you’re sopping some o hose bad hings rom happening. Wheher i’s raising somebody’s seleseem, helping o relieve somebody’s somebody’s physical pain, keeping somebody’s dream rom crashing, or providing ligh in an oherwise dark circumsance, your brand mus posiion isel as a orce working o deea your cusomers’ ears. I we haven haven’ ’ idenified a muual enemy our brand and our cusomers have in common, we shouldn’ expec cusomers 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 sory i all he elemens are are spelled ou, including he elemen o poenial ailure. How ineresing ineresing would he Sar Wars Wars series be wihou Darh Vader? Or i Luke Skywalker Skywalker didn’ didn’ have a Deah Sar o desroy? Or a biological aher o conron? Conflic is wha makes he hero he hero, afer all. Wihou i, he sory suffers and audiences loses ineres.

The reason mos brands neglec he ragic elemen o he SoryBrand sraegy is or ear o coming off as manipulaive. We We undersand. A SoryBrand, we are no ans o brands, personal or corporae, who exaggerae he ragic sory elemen in an effor o manipulae. I you’re demonizing your opposiion in an effor o pain yoursel as he hero, hen you’re alling ino he villain rap yoursel. Villains are exaggeraors and deceivers. No decepion 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.

Sory is a powerul ool, and i’s bes used o convey he ruh raher han o manipulae. When we use he elemens o sory o pain a ficional narraive, ime finds us ou. I we’ve we’ve learned

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one hing rom Hiler, Salin, Chairman Mao and he res, i’s ha hisory doesn’ look ondly on a manipulaor. Each were incredible soryellers, bu ulimaely i a sory is used o deceive, he ruh will be ound ou and he soryeller will be judged accordingly. Over dramaizing he poenial ragic elemen o a sory is nohing shor o decepion, bu leaving he ragic elemen ou all ogeher isn’ any more noble. Neglecing he ragic elemen o realiy is also a orm o decepion. Bad hings really do happen o people. The key is o ell he ruh abou wha your producs and services can help people avoid. Err on he side o undersaemen, no on he side o silence.

Think o he ragic elemen in he SoryBrand sraegy 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, cusomers won’ noice anyhing oher han he bread ases good, bu i i’s missing, hey’ll only know somehing doesn’ ase righ. Wihou leting poenial cusomers know he negaive consequences hey’re avoiding, he sory loses a cerain ineres acor, bu pour on oo much sal and you’ll lose a discerning audience ha can smell ou a manipulaor.

So, wha does his look like? Well, i can look anyhing like iling a blog “Five Ways Your Roses will Survive he Winer Freeze” o “Our New Energy Drink is Guaraneed o Keep You rom Bonking on Your Run.” See wha we did here? We menioned a negaive consequence bu i didn’ sound he leas bi manipulaive. Why? Why? Because i was all rue. Roses really can ge damaged in a reeze and someimes runners bonk in he middle o a run.

In your BrandScrip, we’ve creaed a workshee o help you ideniy negaive consequences your producs and services are helping your cusomers avoid. Use he workshee o clariy how you will incorporae his elemen ino your communicaion sraegy.

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BRANDSCRIPT: FAILURE Brainstorm the Module


To ideniy negaive resuls your cusomers migh experience i hey don’ engage your producs or services, lis five producs p roducs or revenue sreams your your brand offers and wha hose producs help your cusomers avoid. I you have more han five producs or revenue sreams, you’ll wan o use ouside space o lis li s hem. You You can also break your producs ino caegories and define d efine negaive experiences your cusomers will avoid wihin hose caegories o producs. p roducs. For now, now, hough, le’s keep i simple. Choose five producs or services and define he negaive resuls your cusomers will avoid by using your producs.

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


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 Auhor Frank Herber Herber said “There’s “There’s no real ending, jus a place where where you sop sop he sory.” The sory you are inviing poenial cusomers ino, hen, is no a sory abou all o lie and i’s no a sory abou your cusomer’s enire lie; i’s jus a sory abou whaever inernal and exernal problem your producs and services provide soluions or. And moreover, i’s abou posiive resuls hey will experience i hey engage he soluions you offer.

A simple menion or nod nod o a happy ending may be he mos flammable componen o he SoryBrand sraegy. I a cusomer canno envision how your producs and services will ake hem somewhere good, hey will likely wonder why why your producs or services serv ices mater.

The leas legal-sounding line in he Declaraion he Declaraion of Independence is he mos quoed, and i’s all Independence is abou a happy ending. I Thomas Jefferson wouldn’ wouldn’ have menioned, in paragraph wo, ha all men are endowed by heir creaor wih cerain unalienable righs, among which are life, libery and he pursui of happiness i happiness i is doubul he documen would have accumulaed such social orce. Bu really? In a naion-defining documen, a bi abou happiness? Absoluely. People buy resuls. Wha’s he poin o declaring our independence i i isn’ going o produce produce an opporuniy or happiness? The documen’s wide-spread accepance speaks or isel.

The mos flammable o he SoryBrand elemens is ofen he mos negleced, bu i doesn’ have o be. Figuring ou wha resuls your cusomers will experience i hey engage your producs and services isn’ ha complicaed.

The process you’ll wan wan o use o eaure happy endings in your brand communicaion is hreeold: firs, you’ll wan o ideniy a specific produc you sell, hen you wan o answer wha

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exernal problem ha produc solves, hen define wha posiive emoional resuls a cusomer 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 resuls, resuls, we’re we’re alking abou happy endings. Can you boil down a posiive emoional resul you’re you’re selling wih each produc you offer? There will likely be many, o course, bu remember he rule o clariy: ocus on one resul, per produc. Cusomers ge conused when you bombard hem wih oo much inormaion. Pick he sronges, posiive emoional resul and run wih 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


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 Undersanding how sory works akes a litle ime. Soon, hough, you’ll be waching a movie and hinking, “Hey “ Hey,, his mus be he guide” and “She jus called he hero o acion.” acion.” 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 sories.

The same is rue in your branding. Soon, you’ll begin o analyze your communicaion pieces hrough he SoryBrand filer, and he clearer you make hem, he more you’ll ap ino he draw sory has on he human brain.

Sill, sories only atrac people i hey’re old. I wha we learned hrough he SoryBrand ramework doesn’ doesn’ ge applied in our brand sraegy, we won’ won’ see any changes in our botom line. As William Zinnser says, says, “Wriers love love o have writen. writen.”” None o us us like o do he acual work.

Bu we mus.

Wha you’ll you’ll likely experience as you begin o execue execue your brand sraegy is conusion. You won’ be sure you’re doing i righ. Bu don’ worry. All wriers eel his way when hey’re wriing heir sories, and you’ll eel he same as you execue your BrandScrip. Execue i anyway anyway.. Keep making changes o your websie, your keynoe, your sales pich, and any o your oher brand maerials. Once you sar moving, you can edi as you go. The poin is his: keep making he sory o your brand more and more clear. A clear and compelling sory will always win.

To find clariy, sep ouside your business and preend you know nohing, hen ake a look a your maerials. Are hey easy o undersand? Would somebody ouside your indusry be ineresed in knowing more? Are you using oo much inside language? Are you alking abou emoional resuls people will experience i hey engage your producs? Are you bragging o your compeiors or are you endearing cusomers? Are all seven elemens o he SoryBrand sraegy represened in your maerials?

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I’s only when you you begin o pracically apply he SoryBrand sraegy ha i becomes clear. The more you work work a i, he beter o an edior edi or you will become. Soon, you’ll be able o look a anybody’s websie websie and know where where hey’re conusing people and you won’ make ha same misake yoursel.

In Par Four o he SoryBrand ramework, we’ve we’ve included a long checklis o hings you can do o execue your sraegy. I I will no be possible o check off everyhing on his lis and honesly, i you do, i will be overkill and you will conuse your cusomers. This This checklis is mean o help you analyze your curren maerials and creae new maerials ha ge resuls.

Wee recommend reviewing W reviewing your BrandScrip a leas once each monh and wice each year wih your enire eam. We We also recommend reading hrough his checklis each quarer o see i here is anyhing you can do o clariy your message.

The checklis is broken ino caegories so he urher you go, he urher you’ve execued execued he SoryBrand sraegy. The The early secions o he checklis are oundaional while he laer ones will ake more ime and knowledge o execue. Sill, he laer iems will prove incredibly profiable or you, so keep moving unil you’ve execued hem all.

You’ll Y ou’ll find as you execue more and more more o he iems on his checklis ha more more and more cusomers will begin o respond. Your Your revenue should increase exponenially as he sory 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 SoryBrand SoryBrand course works is you learn he core conceps hen wach each o he SB7 module videos o clariy your own message. Once you’ve brainsormed each o he 7 p oins in he SB7 ramework, you ranser 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 greaer response rom any audience.

Once you learn o fill our a BrandScrip you’ll be able o use i or all kinds o projecs. Wheher you’re re-designing your websie, websie, giving an imporan keynoe or launching a new produc, creaing a BrandScrip will insure you communicae 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 cusomers share? Is your cusomer’s general desire refleced in your brand maerials? I so, where? I no, where can you include i ? Images? Tex? Tesimonials? Tesimonials? Have you defined why your cusomer’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 cusomer will experience i hey use your producs or services?

HAS A PROBLEM Is your cusomer’s inernal problem refleced in your brand maerials? Are you using oo much “inside language” o define your cusomer’s problem? Can your cusomers undersand you? Are you eauring cusomer esimonials ha alk abou he problems hey were experiencing ha you helped hem resolve?

MEETS A GUIDE Does your brand maerial include esimonials ha demonsrae your abiliy o help cusomers resolve heir inernal and exernal problems? Have you used saisics o communicae how much experience you have? Are you overusing saisics and esimonials so you look more like he hero han he guide? I so, should you cu back a litle? Do your brand maerials reflec a “we’ve been where you are and made i ou successully” menaliy o your cusomers? Are you expressing empahy or your cusomer’s problem in your brand maerials? I so, where? Are you you doing i enough?

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AND GIVES THEM A PLAN Have you idenified how your brand is “he same bu differen”? Does i immediaely help people undersand wha you do? Are you implemening a Process Plan? Wha’s i called? Does i offer exreme value? Have you made a value agreemen wih your cusomers? Is i clear and does i esablish confidence? Have you named i? Is here a paradigm shif you ake your cusomers hrough? Is ha shif simple and undersandable? Do you have a loss leader you can offer your cusomers? A ree PDF in exchange or an email address?

AND CALLS THEM TO ACTION Have you idenified specific cal ls o acion aci on you can eaure in your BrandScrip? How are hey worded? Are hey clear? Have you decided upon ransiional calls o acion? Wha are hey? Wha do people ge when hey engage hem?

THAT RESULTS RESULTS IN A SUCCESS Does your BrandScrip sae how a cusomer will eel afer engaging your producs and services? Is i clear how your cusomers will eel afer heir inernal problem is solved by your producs or services? Is your language clear enough ha your enire sales eam can use a line rom he BrandScrip o say how people will eel afer hey engage your producs and services? Are you sure you’ve lised resuls as well as eaures and benefis in your BrandScrip? Can you include a lis o each o your producs and revenue sreams along wih a resul cusomers will experience i hey engage hem? Would his help your sales e am communicae why your cusomers should buy?

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THAT RESULTS IN A FAILURE Have you defined a general consequence ha migh happen o your cusomers i hey don’ engage your producs or services? Are you overusing negaive 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 anyhing in your brand maerials ha won’ fi ino one o he seven SoryBrand elemens? 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 creae a cusomer survey ha will help you edi and refine porions o your BrandScrip? Do you need o change your company agline so ha i reflecs a resul your cusomer will experience?

EXECUTING YOUR BRANDSCRIPT Have you compleed your BrandScrip? Have you me wih principle eam members o discuss and edi your BrandScrip? Have you had a designer lay ou your BrandScrip so i’s visually appealing and undersandable? Have you creaed a Keynoe presenaion o announce your BrandScrip? Have you disribued your BrandScrip o your enire eam? Have you delivered your BrandScrip keynoe o your enire eam? Have you creaed a game o help your eam undersand your BrandScrip? Wheel o Forune? Jeopardy? Have un! Have you included your BrandScrip in “new employee” packes? Have you eaured your BrandScrip online so hose you do business wih can read i? Have you delivered your BrandScrip o ouside vendors and conracors so hey beter know who you are? Have you augh your eam o ideniy brand co mmunicaion ha is “off scrip” and encourage your eam o use he erm “off scrip” o keep brand communicaion clear and compelling?

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Editing Your Brand Materia Materials ls YOUR WEB WEBSIT SITE E Is here a direc call o acion above he old o your websie? Are here direc calls o acion on every page o your websie? Are hey clear? Is here one clear idea communicaed on your websie ha is obvious and communicaes a resul? Is here a ransiional call o acion ha offers somehing o value or ree? Is your ransiional call o acion hooked o an auomaed ollow-up email sysem ha eaures direc calls o acion? Can every word, buton and image on your websie fi ino one o he seven SoryBrand caegories? I no, can you ge rid o i? Are here images on your websie ha display how a cusomer will eel once heir inernal problem has been resolved by your producs or services? Is here oo much inormaion on your websie? Is i clutered? Are here oo many links? I so, can you rim i down? Have you sared a blog eauring aricles and inormaion your cusomers migh find valuable? On he side o your blog, are you eauring ads or your producs and services? On your blog, are you capuring email addresses in exchange or ree inormaion? Is your company agline eaured consisenly on your websie?

YOUR EMA EMAIL IL CAMPAI C AMPAIGNS GNS Are you capuring email addresses in exchange or ree inormaion or your cusomers? Are you emailing your cliens ree, valuable inormaion wih an ad or your producs wihin he email? Are you emailing your cusomers abou specials? Are you emailing cusomers when “ime is running ou” on specials? Are you emailing cusomers on imporan holidays ha can be associaed wih your producs and services? Are your email blass 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 reail space ha eaures resuls people will experience i hey use your producs or services? Is here signage in your reail space ha eaures he plan you offer your cusomers? Is here a physical demonsraion o he ailure you help cusomers avoid wih your producs and services? Have you changed over your “on hold” music o eaure aspecs o  your BrandScrip? Can you eaure decals on your ron window wih a message rom your BrandScrip?

YOUR KEY KEYNOTE NOTE Does your keynoe explain wha your c usomer wans? Does your keynoe explain why your cusomer has good inenions? Does your keynoe explain wha your cusomer’s inernal and exernal problem is? Does your keynoe help people undersand your brand is a rused guide? Do you express empahy or your cusomer in he keynoe? Do you presen yoursel as an auhoriy in your field o exers? Do you presen a plan o break hrough he cusomer’s conusion? Do you call your cusomer o acion? Do you alk abou he consequences you help your cusomer avoid? Do you demonsrae he happy ending you will help your cusomer creae using your producs and services? Can you give your keynoe in he orm o a sory abou one o your cusomers? Are he images in your keynoe a visual reflecion o he hemes? Have you had your keynoe laid ou proessionally? Is your company agline eaured in your keynoe? Can you ell a sory o demonsrae some o he seven sory elemens? 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 ideniy your cusomer’s inernal and exernal problem? Does your video express empahy and undersanding or your cusomer? Does your video explain why you’re an auhoriy in your field o experise? Do you alk abou your plan in your video? Does your video call your cusomer o acion? Does your video alk abou he negaive consequences you help your cusomers avoid or no using your producs and services? Does your video demonsrae he happy ending you can help your cusomers experience? Is your company agline eaured in your keynoe? Can you eaure a brie, concise cusomer esimonial in your video?

YOUR STAFF Is your saff amiliar wih he BrandScrip? Does your saff have a line hey can say ha helps cusomers undersand how you are “he same bu differen”? Can your saff explain he plan you offer your cusomers? Does your saff know he appropriae imes o ask or a purchase, and are hey ollowing hrough? Is your saff inroducing cusomers o ransiional calls o acion? Is your saff geting cusomers email addresses and enering hem ino your daabase? Do you have uniorms? Can your corporae slogan be eaured on hem? Can each member o your saff ell a sory abou a ormer cusomer ha ends wih a posiive inernal and exernal resul?

YOUR PRO PRODUC DUCTT PACKAGI PACK AGING NG Does your produc packaging include your company agline? Can you eaure a resul your cusomer will experience on your produc packaging? Can you eaure an endorsemen (wih a resul) on your produc packaging? Can your plan be eaured 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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Story Brand

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