Business plan guru Tim Berry wrote a post last week on his Up and Running blog that really hit home with me. Tim was listening to a number of pitches from companies looking for angel investments, and he realized that by the time many of the presenters were about halfway through their allotted ten minutes, he still didn’t understand what their business was about. Tim wrote, “As a reaction to several of these, I have a plea: Please, start by telling me a story.”
Storytelling is so important in sales and marketing, yet it is frequently overlooked or underutilized. When I work with clients on their brand, one of the first things I do is help them discover what their story is. A story can help you quickly and effectively express why your business is great at what it does and why it is successful at solving the problems its customers face.
Think of the numbers and statistics that support your business model like actors in a movie. Even with amazing actors, if the plot stinks, your movie will stink. Start with your story (plot) first and then let your market research (actors) facilitate the telling of that story.
Numbers, statistics and market research are important and invaluable, but numbers alone won’t translate in your customers’ minds (or an investor’s pocketbook!). So before you go to make your next sale or to pitch a new product, create a story that will help your potential customers visualize why your company is right for them.
Photo by Mira Hartford via Flickr.
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