B2B Storytelling: How well are you telling your story?
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Brand storytelling offers the best way to connect with your audiences. Want to learn more or invite Arthur Germain to speak at your event? Email: contact-us@gocsg.com
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B2B Storytelling: How well are you telling your story?
- 1. Learn more Arthur Germain Principal & Chief Brandteller Communication Strategy Group a brand storytelling agency www.communicationstrategygroup.com B2B Storytelling How well are you telling your story? Communication Strategy Group © 2017 1
- 2. Learn more Agenda • What is B2B Storytelling? • Two Quick Examples • What Makes a Compelling B2B Story? • New Storytelling Tools (But same values) Communication Strategy Group © 2017 2
- 3. Learn more What is B2B storytelling? Communication Strategy Group © 2017 3 B2B Brand Storytelling -- Brandtelling -- uses a series of brand stories to make your brand relevant to your target market or audience. These can be stories about the company, its products and innovations or its people – and how it is relevant to its customers. Brandtelling is built on the foundation of connecting people through a story that is relevant, real and repeatable.
- 4. Learn more Why storytelling? Communication Strategy Group © 2017 4
- 5. Learn more Storytelling Boosts Perceived Value
- 6. Learn more A Quick Example Communication Strategy Group © 2017 6 Click image to view video
- 7. Learn more Another Quick Example Communication Strategy Group © 2017 7 Click image to view video
- 8. Learn more Let me tell you a story. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 8
- 9. Learn more Storytelling is hard-wired. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 9
- 10. Learn more Corporate storytelling? Communication Strategy Group © 2017 10
- 11. Learn more The story is not about us. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 11
- 12. Learn more The story is about them. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 12
- 13. Learn more What makes a story compelling? Communication Strategy Group © 2017 13
- 14. Learn more What about a plot twist? Communication Strategy Group © 2017 14
- 15. Learn more Make your customer the HERO. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 15
- 16. Learn more Seven brand storytelling traits. 1. Desirable. 2. Clear. 3. Relevant. 4. Real. 5. Memorable. 6. Repeatable. 7. Rewarding. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 16
- 17. Learn more Desirable. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 17
- 18. Learn more Clear. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 18
- 19. Learn more Relevant. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 19
- 20. Learn more Real. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 20
- 21. Learn more Memorable. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 21
- 22. Learn more Repeatable. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 22
- 23. Learn more Rewarding. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 23
- 24. Learn more Storytelling trends. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 24
- 25. Learn more #FakeStory. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 25
- 26. Learn more Summary • Storytelling increases perceived value. • Build a story that matters and is repeatable. • New wave of storytelling tools – but the same storytelling values. • Go capture and share stories. Communication Strategy Group © 2017 26
- 27. Learn more Thank you! Communication Strategy Group © 2017 27
- 28. Learn more Contact Info Arthur Germain agermain@gocsg.com 631-239-6335 x101 communicationstrategygroup.com Cartoons: Mark Anderson / andertoons.com Communication Strategy Group © 2017 28
Editor's Notes
- Hello and thank you for joining me tonight. My name is Arthur Germain and I am the Principal & Chief Brandteller at Communication Strategy Group. I call myself Principal because I run a small brand storytelling agency and CEO sounds too big and standoffish for such a small firm. I call myself Chief Brandteller because that’s what we do – we tell brand stories. And that’s what we’re going to talk about tonight.
- OK, so my agenda is pretty simple – a little definition, some examples, some discussion, some trends and something to go home and think about.
- At our agency, we believe in the Power of Story to convey education, information and emotion. Tonight, we’ll talk about B2B brand storytelling or what we call Brandtelling. Let’s start with a definition: What is B2B Storytelling? Brandtelling uses a series of brand stories to make your brand relevant to your target market or audience. These can be stories about the company, its products and innovations or its people – and how it is relevant to its customers. Brandtelling is built on the foundation of connecting people through a story that is relevant, real and repeatable. Repeatability is key. I am going to say this a lot. Your story needs to be clear, understandable and interesting – sure. But it also needs to be something that can be easily repeated by your customers. Does that make sense? If your customers can’t recall and repeat your story, that’s a problem.
- Sometimes when I start talking about storytelling, I’m asked, “Yeah, but why storytelling? Why not what I’ve always done?” Because, what got you to here today in your marketing is not going to get you to there tomorrow. Consumers and business people are tired of traditional, boring marketing.
- There is some great data that backs the claim that storytelling boosts perceived value. A recent Origin/Hill Holliday study of over 3,000 participants between the ages of 23 and 65 showed some incredible results. Two groups, A and B were shown different ads – a hotel ad, an art ad, a wine ad, and a goofy eBay ad. In every single case, the participants who viewed the basic or plain ad on the left said the perceived value of the product was lower than the participants who viewed the ad on the right. What was the difference? The ad on the right included a story about a person using the product or from the people who made the product. And that difference – a story – resulted in much higher perceived value.
- Let me give you two quick examples of B2B storytelling. These are both videos, but that’s not the only way to share stories. First, see how long it takes you to figure out what this video is really about.
- Now, for a completely different take. People often tell me they think B2B stories are boring, like an old married couple. So, here’s an old married couple.
- These are my favorite six words in the world: Let me tell you a story. We’ve been telling stories for a long time. Before we had words and a written language, we told stories with pictures and gestures. The word history comes from the Greek historia and it means “finding out or narrative” and that’s where the word story comes from.
- In fact, we seem to be hard-wired to share stories. They get us into trouble, out of trouble and make us friends for life.
- Every culture has a basis in storytelling as a way to connect and share deeper meaning. So why not corporate culture? Why not use it in business as a way to establish rapport and trust?
- We tend to package our collateral and call them stories. And we love to talk about ourselves and our products and our patents and our services and our solutions. We love that word - solutions. It’s all about ME!
- Ever walk around a trade show and hear the exhibitors just talking or shouting their information instead of sharing stories with the attendees. Let’s talk about how to change that tonight.
- Every good story shares a few simple elements. There’s a beginning. There’s a challenge. There’s a solution. There’s an ending.
- Some stories have a twist or some unexpected thing that happens. Whatever that is, it better be something relevant to the audience.
- What often makes a story more compelling is when there’s a hero. And that can be you or your brand. Unlike the big Marvel and DC heroes, you don’t need to wear a mask and a cape. In fact, you can be kind of quiet, in the background. You can even make your customer the hero of their own story. Remember the video we started with? Schneider Electric was the hero in Salesforce’s story. In fact, it took a long time before you realized that Salesforce was even part of the Schneider story.
- Here are seven traits that great B2B stories seem to share: Make it Desirable. Make it Clear. Make it Relevant. Make it Real. Make it Memorable. Make it Repeatable. Make it Rewarding.
- Make it Desirable Does your story inspire? Does it make your audience want what you’ve got? People desire things that they perceive will make their lives better. Lots of brand stories sound like they’re about interchangeable commodities. But people don’t want commodities. They want something different, unique. So, you’re not selling a heater, you’re selling a warm room. Your audience has to want your story or it won’t stick. What makes your story desirable?
- Make it Clear Marketing professionals get a bad name for the ridiculous way we describe things. Why do we think it’s such a great idea to use nonsense terms, business jargon and acronyms? Is it an insider thing? “We’ll only sell to you if you can figure out what we’re saying!” A simple, clear statement beats a load of BS every time. Ask yourself this next time you’re making a presentation: “Would my mother understand what I’m saying?” What would make your story clear?
- Make it Relevant Think about the typical person who uses your brand. How do they use it? Why do they use it? Where and when do the use it? Does one of these matter more than the others? A seasonal product is usually used one time a year. The more you can put yourself in the place of the person who ultimately uses your brand, the more relevant you can make your story. And the more relevant your story, the more it will become personal for the prospect or customer you are trying to reach. What would make your story relevant?
- Make it Real Why do you think it’s difficult to remember a single math formula, but easy to understand a practical math example? Because the example is real. You can relate to it. The same must hold true for the stories you tell. What are you promising? What are you delivering? Be as specific as possible. Help people visualize themselves using your brand. Your stories must be authentic. Avoid abstract phrases and buzzwords. Use concrete examples. Use all your senses. Tell your story in full color. And tell stories about how people benefit from your brand. What would make your story real?
- Make it Memorable If I ask you to tell me the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, immediately, all the facts and dialogue comes to mind. You recall the porridge and the chairs and the beds and the bears. And, of course, Goldilocks. We recall the story components because they are so memorable and vivid. Your story can be this memorable too. You just need to find the right elements that are strong enough to remember, yet simple enough to describe. What would make your story memorable?
- Make it Repeatable Complexity is the foe of repeatability. If you’ve got to tell a complex brand story, look for ways to break it down. Make it more digestible. Repeatability is key. Your story needs to be clear, understandable and something that can be easily repeated by your prospects, customers, partners, employees and others. The key to repeatability is simplicity. KISS is an acronym used in every industry for a reason. What would make your story repeatable?
- Make it Rewarding Make telling your story its own reward. Think about how people love sharing stories, jokes and the latest viral video. That’s because the teller is rewarded by the retelling (or sharing) of the story. Look for ways to reward those who will retell or share in your story. This isn’t easy. To start with, it means that your brand story MUST actually be worth sharing. But if your brand is truly making a difference for your customers, look for ways they can share that experience with others. This is why owner clubs and VIP memberships and exclusive offers are so appealing. They make the brand story rewarding to share. What would make your story rewarding?
- Storytelling is always changing. There are new ways to tell stories and these methods can affect the story. For example, remember when we said stories have been around since before there was a written word? Well, writing things down affected the way stories were shared. So did photography. So did movies. And radio. And TV. And the Web.
- And social media.
- Thank you!