Storytelling
613 posts
When Marketing Works
Marketing works best when it’s in service of the customer.
The Bounds Of Possibility
Now that we are no longer bound by the constraints of probability, we must face the fact that we have a responsibility to own what’s possible. Opportunity abounds.
10 Benefits Of Strategic Storytelling
Stories do more than help us to tell and sell. Shared narratives are powerful catalysts for change and the building blocks of our culture.
Planned Progress
If you’re going to build the business you want, then you must be intentional about how you’re going to do it. There is no such thing as accidental progress.
Invest in Second Contact
Both businesses and the customers win when we prioritise affinity over attention.
What’s Your Promise To Your Customers?
There are a thousand ways to stand out with a better story. And you get to pick one.
When Subjectivity Wins
Successful brands craft and tell stories for their ideal customers—the people who are ready to hear and believe them.The more subjective we can be in our sales and marketing, the better.
Get Specific To Get More Customers
The more specific you can be about who your work is for and who it’s not for, the better your chances of gaining traction with more people.
Everything Speaks
The fundamentals don’t garner loyalty. Customers want an experience. People don’t just buy what we serve—they buy how it makes them feel.
Small Acts Matter
How we serve we serve matters. Our smallest acts have the power to make the biggest difference.
What’s The Story The Customer Is Telling Himself?
For a long time, our family’s favourite salt came in either 125g or 250g boxes. Last week I noticed the supermarket now stocks it in a 55g refillable mill. It’s the same product in different packaging—except for the price that is. It costs 37 cents per 10g when you buy the salt boxed, and $1.45…
The Forgotten Purpose Of Marketing
We tend to think of marketing as the way we promote and sell our services. Marketing is partly what we do to take a potential customer on a journey from awareness to a sale. But that isn’t the only thing marketing is for. Great marketing isn’t just the way we communicate our message—it’s also the…
A Word About Value
How much is an avocado worth? The answer is, it depends. It depends on the season, the stock levels, how much the customer wants it and the context in which they are buying or consuming it. Buy an avocado from the market, and it might be as little as $2.50. Mash it up, serve it…
On The Face Of It
Our neighbours are selling their house. The selling agent said if they want to get the best price, they should give it a lick of paint. And so the decorators are outside today painting the railings. There’s no doubt that a fresh coat of paint will brighten the place up ready for auction day. But…
Marketing Advice
We’re on our way to buy that forgotten pint of milk late one weekday evening when we spot a brand new restaurant. So, we stop to take a look at the menu in the window. Inside the place is deserted, apart from two smiling waitresses, stationed behind the double glass doors and one anxious owner…
Message Received
How much time will you spend today trying to persuade the people you hope to serve? How much effort will you devote to understanding how your message was received? Your job is to do more than to ask for feedback—it’s to test for resonance. You must pay attention to both what your customers say and…
Words And Deeds
When we moved to our neighbourhood, the independent organic grocer was a community hub. The sales staff knew locals by name. The fruit and vegetables were plentiful and fresh. And customers were offered food tastings every day. And then bit by bit things started to change. The owner opened a store i
A Word About Product Market Fit
Successful businesses do great work for good customers.
What Stories Are You Forgetting To Tell?
Often our best stories are the ones that seem insignificant to us. We take the things we do well for granted. We forget that what’s simple to us might be insightful for others. We become accustomed to doing the work without celebrating or showing the results. And that’s a problem. If we don’t articu
The Power Of A Shared Narrative
Many shoppers wandering the department store on Saturday are browsing. Some are buying. Most people the menswear assistant offers to help, decline. But one or two ask if a particular shirt or jumper is available in their size. The response depends. It depends on three things—the stock levels, the tr
