There are many good techniques to market a product or service: social proof, creating a sense of mystery, providing value to your audience free of charge, etc. But one of the most powerful is storytelling. It’s powerful because it goes for your target audience’s emotions.
And when your audience is made to feel happy, angry, inspired, etc., then something special happens. Your offer becomes filled with meaning.
And meaningful offers sell BIG.
An example. Seiko, the Japanese watchmaker, has been in business for 130 years! Of course, making quality products has played a huge role in their long-term success. But we’d also argue that the stories that make up Seiko’s history are why their products are still popular worldwide.
There’s the story of how they invented the world’s first quartz or battery-powered watch. Or the stories of how they succeeded in becoming the official timers of multiple Olympic games.
When someone buys a Seiko, they do so because they want to take part in their story.
To tell good stories, there are three basic concepts you’ll need to know: The definition, purpose, and structure of a story. Many of the ideas in this article are inspired by the books and talks given by master storyteller Brian Mcdonald alongside our own observations.
So let’s get into it!
What Is A Story?
If you ask a hundred people what the definition of a story is, you’ll get a hundred different answers. Answers range from an act meant to relieve us from the burden of our conscious to self-expression through telling a compelling series of events dealing with myriad themes.
The issue with these kinds of definitions is that they’re hard to understand and, therefore, not very useful. Remember Einstein supposedly said, “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”
So we like Brian Mcdonald’s definition. It goes, “A story is the telling or retelling of a series of events [leading to a conclusion].” By conclusion, he doesn’t mean the ending of a narrative. He means a statement or proposition. In other words, your story should illustrate a point. A point that can be stated in a sentence.
When Brian speaks, he often uses the example of The Tortoise and The Hare and how its narrative illustrates the point that “Slow and steady wins the race”. What about The Three Little Pigs? It illustrates that if the solutions people around you are using keep failing, then do something different.
The Purpose Of A Story
It goes without saying, you need to understand the why behind a thing to master it. So, to achieve mastery of storytelling, you need to understand the purpose of stories. We believe the purpose of stories is to pass on wisdom or knowledge. We’ll prove it!
The oldest piece of fictional storytelling is the Epic of Gilgamesh, written in the 12th century BC. The main character goes on an epic journey, trying to find immortality, only to learn that everyone has to die (the point).
Also, if you begin to pay close attention to your or others’ conversations, you’ll notice something. People always tell stories to prove a point. Someone will say, I had a hard day today (their point), then proceed to tell a story about how their boss was mean to them. Or they’ll say I had a great vacation (the point), then illustrate it by talking about their beautiful weather and the awesome food they ate.
By the way, the stories with a point are the ones people remember. The reason is that the mind appreciates things that enable it to survive and thrive.
How To Tell A Story
Writing or telling a story that illustrates or proves a point is just one part of the equation. You also need structure. Structure is the art of arranging the elements of a story so that your point is made clearly without boring or confusing your audience.
We think the 7-Step Structure is the most simple and effective. It goes like this:
Act I
- Once upon a time…
- And every day…
- Until one day…
Act II
- And because of this…
- And because of this…
Act III
- Until finally…
- Ever since that day…
That’s it. Easy. Combine this structure with a point, and you’ll win over your audience’s hearts.
A good marketing team knows a story’s definition, purpose, and structure. They also know the best contexts to tell a story to ensure their client’s product or service reaches their audience.
If you’re a business owner looking for a team like that, look to Big Deal Marketing. To contact us, click here.
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