1. Who is the Hero?

  • It is NOT Your product or Service; they are minor characters

  • The Victor is ALWAYS the customer

  • He or she triumphs over the issue with your (company’s) help

  1. What emotions are influencing your hero?  Is he:

  • Amused, angered, apathetic

  • Ashamed, challenged, delighted

  • Disappointed, distrusting, embarrassed

  • Endangered, envious, fearful, friendly

  • Frustrated, hostile, outgoing, pleased

  • Proud, safe, shy, trusting

  1. Is the heroine in some kind of jeopardy?

  • What questions might your customer/hero have?

    • Will it work?

    • Could I encounter an obstacle?

    • Is it affordable?

    • Who else is using it?

  1. Who’s the Audience for the story?

  • Who needs this story?

  • What do they know/need to know?

  • What are their biases/blind spots?

  • What are their strengths/ limitations?

  1. What’s the Trigger for the customer needing/wanting your product/service?

  • Accident?

  • Discovery?

  • Financial crisis?

  • Growth? (fast/slow)

  • Disruptive tech?

  • New competitors?

  1. Why Should Your Audience Care?

  • Answer the question, So what?

  • What’s in it for me?

  • What’s the implication if I buy?

  • What if I don’t buy?

  1. What’s its purpose?

  • Why is this story important for you to tell?

  • What do you want your audience to do afterward?

  1. How should it end:

As Steven Covey said “Begin with the end in mind.” (Author of the Seven Habits of Highly Successful People)

  • Problem solved?

  • Lesson learned?

  • Disaster averted?

  • Certainty decreased?

Want more information on Storytelling for YOUR Business?  Contact me:

Alan Siege, Principal

Small Business Management Consulting

Phone/Fax – 718-768-1672

Email: Alan.siege@sbmc.biz

Web site:  www.sbmc.biz

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Building Your Business Through Story