Think about the story your business tells your customers. Does it draw them in – or does it make them want to avoid you?
by David Lykken
People love stories. Collectively, we spend billions of dollars a year going to the movies. We spend thousands of hours a year getting wrapped up in new TV dramas. We'll spend an entire day every now and then getting lost in a good novel. Stories entertain us, move us, teach us, and inspire us. Often, it's hard for us to learn and get excited about facts and figures. And, even if we do, we quickly forget them when we no longer need them. But stories are different; they draw us in from the very beginning and, if they're good enough, we're never able to forget them.
Stories don't just come in the form of movies, TV, and books. Businesses have stories too. Perhaps it's most obvious in advertising. Commercials sometimes tell stories in which the company's product or service is the “hero” that somehow saves the day. But it goes beyond television commercials. A business's story is the unique proposition its brand offers to its customers. And, just like movies, stories can be good ... or they can be bad. A good story is one that people can't get enough; a bad story is one that people find it difficult to finish.
Think about the story that your business tells your customers. Is it engaging? Does it draw them in? Does it make them want to interact with you ... or does it make them want to avoid you? Even when seeking out mortgages, people are looking for a good story. What kind of story will your company be able offer them?
