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Certainly benefits and features are the fuel of any sales or marketing effort. But I'd argue that the fire -- the emotional wallop that elicits response -- is usually in the story.
Sometimes it's a big story: A young radio enthusiast with Morse code skills is toying with his set late one evening when he hears something unusual -- an urgent distress signal from a ship in the north Atlantic. The ship turns out to be the Titanic; the enthusiast is David Sarnoff, who goes on to found RCA.
Sometimes it's a little story: I recently sent out a self-promotional direct mail letter that led with the following headline -- "The client asked for 500 qualified leads. They got 1,200." The first two paragraphs sketched out the rest of the story, and the letter became one of the must successful business-generators I've ever released.
The scale of the story isn't what's important. What's important is that your product, your service, your business, your organization, your brand -- or just plain you -- has an element of drama, an emotional fire. In short, a story.
What's your story?
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Comments
I agree this works great for businesses. I work in communications for the Canadian governemnt and people just don't want to hear stories about our products or services. Any ideas on how to use stories for governmental agencies?
Posted by: Spamouflage | 03.28.06
Hmm, they really don't want to hear about your services?
What about using some kind of camouflage? Remember the movie "Top Gun"? Ostensibly it was a movie about fly boys with the right stuff. The U.S. military served as "advisors" on the film; in return, they got a 90 minute, flashy, high-tech recruitment ad that successfully attracted many more young men to the armed forces.
Are there "stealth" opportunities like that in Canada?
Posted by: Jonathan Kranz | 03.29.06
Are you saying that they don't want to hear a bunch of boring crap from government agencies? Most likely that is true. Unfortunately, government is so institutionalized, that they often fall short in the creative department.
That word "emotional" is the key. People don't like government. They don't believe that their money is being spent wisely or that those that serve have their best interests at heart. You need to position yourselves from that point of view....as champions of the people.
I agree with Jonathan, the power of the story connects with everyone....and hey....everybody likes a good story right?
Hook up with a great copywriter and you'll probably change your tune.
One other thing. How do you KNOW that people don't want to hear stories about your products and services?
Have you done surveys? Research?
Steve
Posted by: Steve Roberts | 03.29.06
Article très intéressant. Je pense que, aussi petite soit l'histoire, si à l'intérieur se cache un petit peu de rêve et de magie, les consommateurs/clients se chargeront de se l'approprier et d'en faire une légende ;))
Posted by: Christelle | 03.30.06
If stories work, can a very strong, victorious personal story of"survival of self" lead to a very obscure small,"hopelessly lost on the net" website? headsound.com is essentially about a concept, perhaps a unique approach to the 'self-help" market. Obviously, there really is little to be done in the way of marketing. However, I could not dissuade myself from replying, as I have been asking myself the very same question you answered. You see (don't you) how it could all work? We could all win. The health related cd's are really our anchor, and thus my question. Against all odds, could my story, the inspiration behind "Creative Meditations" lead to this healthy body/mind website?
Creative Meditations gives everyone a chance to find that sometimes the only way out, comes from within.I want so much for what happened to me to mean something. I could be a bridge for anyone else who needs to start over.
Pls pardon the mis-use of your blog. The temptation was too innate.
Posted by: Anne Warchol | 04.18.06