Unleash the StoryBrand Revolution: Master Story Secrets That Sell!

7 steps to grab your customers' attention

Good afternoon, friends! Welcome to the ReadVault Club. I'm Tom Niklas, a seasoned writer and book reviewer. Please subscribe to me and join us in reading 52 books a year together.

Today, we'll discuss the book "Building a Story Brand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen." Many people hope to learn storytelling, and there are similar books out there. But what struck me about this book is how it opened with a concept that sets it apart from the rest.

Traditionally, when we think about customers needing a compelling story or a company needing its own brand story, we tend to envision the product brand's founder as the main character. For instance, how Hermès might use a royal narrative to package its products. However, this book tells us that customers won't buy from a company that brags about itself. The customer should be the story's protagonist.

In other words, we should create a narrative that draws customers in, so that when they see your ads, website, or app, their first reaction is, "This relates to me."

This realization hit me hard – the story you craft shouldn't revolve around the founder, company building, attractive logo, or brand history. Instead, it should position the customer as the hero embarking on an adventure, making them more likely to be captivated and willing to buy from you.

The author states that a business person's biggest enemy is noise

all the irrelevant information that distracts from the core selling point. When people visit your website or see your promotional materials, they're bombarded with messages you assume they want, but their brains can't process everything.

The human brain has a unique trait, it needs to conserve tremendous energy. Despite weighing less than 2% of the body, the brain consumes around 20% of your energy. So, from our cave-dwelling ancestors, the brain learned to construct meaning, forming interpretations of the world. Never assume your intended message will be received as you envision it.

The brain's primary task is constantly scanning the environment and identifying what's crucial for survival and growth. Anything related to happiness, safety, or sustenance will capture its attention.

In this process, the critical mistake businesses make is failing to focus on aspects that aid human survival and growth.

Visiting many companies’ official websites, you'll find images of their impressive buildings, unflattering CEO headshots, and rambling mission statements. How does that relate to consumers? Why should they care about your office? These elements are irrelevant – the number one error.

The number two error is making customers expend excessive mental energy in understanding your product. The brain isn't designed to pursue the truth but survival, taking the path of least resistance. Many people avoid mental strain, preferring simplicity in their choices.

If customers struggle to grasp your product's functionality and get lost in convoluted pathways, they'll quickly give up.

Amidst our bustling cities, what can hold our undivided attention for hours, making us forget everything else?

Stories are the only thing with that power

whether watching a TV drama, a superhero movie, or any narrative.

Why are stories so compelling? As Alfred Hitchcock said,

"A story is life with the dull bits left out."

Take "The Bourne Identity" as an example. If the director included every mundane detail of Jason Bourne's upbringing and relationships, no one would have the patience to watch it. Movies should remove the dull and uninteresting parts, getting rid of anything that might bore the viewers and drain their energy.

Instead, it plunges straight into intense action, mystery, and suspense, captivating the audience.

When marketing our brands, we must heed Hitchcock's advice – remove the dull parts, and distill our message into a relevant, engaging story for customers. That's the most important objective.

Let's start with an example before delving into the structure of storytelling – the story of Steve Jobs.

Steve Jobs had a major turning point in his life when he was ousted from Apple. During his years at Pixar, he underwent a profound transformation. When Steve returned to Apple, his philosophy had undergone a drastic change from what it was before.

Apple's biggest failure before his departure was the Lisa computer, named after his daughter. The instruction manual alone spanned a daunting 9 pages. In the past, only dedicated technology enthusiasts were willing to spend the time to read through those 9 pages. Steve couldn't understand why no one wanted their brilliant computer, leading to a market flop since true geeks were few and far between.

After his exile, Steve absorbed the storytelling techniques of Hollywood during his time at Pixar. Upon his return, he identified three pillars:

• First, recognize what customers want.

• Second, understand the challenges they currently face.

• Third, provide tools for self-expression to solve those challenges.

Steve realized that young people's biggest desire was individuality and self-expression, but mainstream computers offered little differentiation. So Apple's new slogan became "Think Different" – a call to embrace originality.

For his second Apple stint, Steve invested heavily in advertising with an iconic "Think Different" campaign. Even today, this ad is referenced in innovation classes as a prime example of shifting from a 9-page manual to a simple yet powerful concept.

Steve Jobs finally grasped that customers just wanted to be the heroes of their own stories – to change and find paths for expression, which Apple could facilitate.

That realization transformed Apple. Now their devices are intuitive and out-of-the-box, fostering that seamless sense of immersion. But their messaging always casts you, the customer, as the star – someone who can reinvent themselves.

To truly grasp storytelling structure, the author, whose company StoryBrand has helped thousands of businesses large and small revamp their marketing, websites, and apps, provides a powerful template.

By utilizing this framework, your brand story can be distilled to its core message, free of excess noise.

Let's start with this SB7 Framework.

The author claims any story comprises these 7 essential elements:

A character encounters a problem. They meet a guide who presents a plan of action, calling them to take action before it's too late. The guide helps them avoid failure, ultimately leading to success.

Once you grasp these 7 elements, you'll realize every movie follows this narrative structure - whether it's a Marvel flick or Star Wars. The hero faces an issue, meets a mentor providing a solution, and is guided to triumph.

In business, the customer is the hero and we, as vendors, are the guide.

The customer has a problem they can't solve alone. Then, they encounter a guide, which is us, offering a plan to fix it. We compel them to act now before things get worse, and if they do, they succeed!

Say your home has mosquitoes, it can be a terrible and frustrating situation that can lead to failure. You meet a "guide" selling repellent spray, promising it'll transform you into a capable homemaker with dignity and self-respect. Their solution? Buy it and start spraying. If not, imagine your kids covered in bites! After spraying, your perfect, warm family life is restored.

Mastering the seven parts of the structure, you'll be a master storyteller. But if 7 is too many, focus on 3 core questions:

• First, what does the hero want?

• Second, who/what prevents them from getting it?

• Third, what will life look like if they get/don't get what they want?

Those are the three pillars Steve Jobs identified in Apple.