# Why Telling Your Story Will Not Grow Your Business (And What to Do Instead)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VidhUB66R4

[00:01] You're listening to the Story Brand.
[00:03] You're listening to the Story Brand podcast based on Donald Miller's best-selling book, Building a Story Brand.
[00:05] podcast based on Donald Miller's best-selling book, Building a Story Brand.
[00:06] The Story Brand Framework is made up of seven key elements, all of them anchored in one powerful idea.
[00:09] up of seven key elements, all of them anchored in one powerful idea.
[00:12] Your customer is the hero and you are their guide.
[00:14] anchored in one powerful idea. Your customer is the hero and you are their guide.
[00:17] Each week on the podcast, you'll get exactly what you need to craft clear messaging that connects with more customers and grows your business.
[00:19] guide. Each week on the podcast, you'll get exactly what you need to craft clear messaging that connects with more customers and grows your business.
[00:21] Now, let's dive in with your hosts, Donald Miller and Kyle Reed.
[00:23] customers and grows your business. Now, let's dive in with your hosts, Donald Miller and Kyle Reed.
[00:25] A big desire that small business owners have, any business owner has, is to tell the story of their business.
[00:27] A big desire that small business owners have, any business owner has, is to tell the story of their business.
[00:34] They want to tell their story.
[00:36] the story of their business. They want to tell their story.
[00:38] And people come to me all the time after a keynote address and say, "Hey, we'd love to talk to you.
[00:40] to tell their story. And people come to me all the time after a keynote address and say, "Hey, we'd love to talk to you.
[00:42] We have got such a great story, we really need help telling it."
[00:44] me all the time after a keynote address and say, "Hey, we'd love to talk to you. We have got such a great story, we really need help telling it."
[00:46] My my subconscious answer, I don't always say it right there uh to them, is you don't need to tell your story.
[00:48] really need help telling it." My my subconscious answer, I don't always say it right there uh to them, is you don't need to tell your story.
[00:51] There's almost never a reason to tell your story.
[00:53] it right there uh to them, is you don't need to tell your story. There's almost never a reason to tell your story.
[00:57] And
[01:00] need to tell your story. There's almost never a reason to tell your story. And
[01:02] never a reason to tell your story.
[01:04] And telling your story will not grow your business.
[01:07] Inviting customers into a story will grow your business.
[01:08] Now, here's what I mean by that.
[01:11] Because I want to caveat this.
[01:12] I am going to teach you to tell your company's story here in a minute.
[01:14] So, obviously, there is a place to tell your story.
[01:16] However, it's not where you want to begin.
[01:18] Telling I I I just met with a company yesterday.
[01:20] They clean airplane engines.
[01:22] So, they can pull up to an airplane.
[01:24] They spray foam into the front of the engine.
[01:27] They run the engine for about an hour and they catch the foam and the liquid on the back side of the engine.
[01:29] They put in a tank and they haul it off.
[01:31] U this increases efficiencies to the engine.
[01:33] This decreases the amount of danger that the engine might have.
[01:34] It increases the length that the engine can stay in the air.
[01:37] increases fuel efficiency.
[01:39] They charge $3,000 per engine and you probably get somewhere around a $30,000 return on that investment in saved maintenance, maintenance and fuel costs.
[01:41] They brought me their pitch deck and the first 10 pages of the pitch deck were all about their company values and they
[02:05] all about their company values and they were wondering why they were having so much trouble closing accounts.
[02:09] And the reason is you're opening with stuff that's about you instead of stuff that's about the customer.
[02:14] And so we completely redesigned their pitch deck and we made a visual grid, a graph, a map if you will, of what the process looks like to clean an engine.
[02:24] And we tried to answer every subconscious question that a buyer, usually a chief financial officer at an airline would have about this company so that the that the pitch deck as it as they went through it was zero cognitive load from beginning to end.
[02:42] And by the end of the pitch deck, it basically the pitch deck that we came up with, they said saved them six months in the selling cycle.
[02:53] Literally like clicking through the pitch deck once answered six months of resistance and questions that that buyer would normally have all in one 30 minute pitch.
[03:03] And here's how much we talked
[03:06] pitch.
[03:06] And here's how much we talked about their company.
[03:06] Not at all.
[03:09] There about their company.
[03:09] Not at all.
[03:11] There was nothing in the pitch deck about their company.
[03:11] It was all about how much money that engine is costing the airline that they're leasing them and so why should they clean an engine that doesn't even belong to them?
[03:22] And the truth is of course it still saves them about 50% of the cost of that engine even if they're not if they don't own the engine.
[03:27] You know, we we answered every single concern and address in a in a format and the format was problem slide, solution slide, problem slide, solution slide.
[03:37] Actually, it was more like problem slide, deeper, deeper, deeper, deeper, deeper, deeper problem slides than solution slide because that's how you want to start a pitch deck.
[03:46] It's got to be negative, negative, negative, negative, negative, negative, negative, negative, negative, negative, negative, and then positive.
[03:49] That's the way you hook the person into the story that you're inviting them into.
[03:52] These are the ways that you actually quote unquote tell your company's story.
[03:57] You don't tell your company's story.
[03:58] What you do is you tell the you invite the customer into a story that is about you and your company solving their problem.
[04:06] That's
[04:09] company solving their problem.
[04:12] That's how you tell a story or invite customers into a story that actually leads to business growth.
[04:16] So when do you actually tell your story?
[04:20] The formula that you want to use for telling your story is what I call the backstory of the guide.
[04:25] In a story, there's a hero, there's a victim, there's a villain, there's a guide.
[04:29] The customer to use this metaphor is the hero of you of the story of your company and you are the guide.
[04:36] You never want to play the hero because the hero is a weak character, illequipped, doesn't know what to do, in desperate need of help.
[04:42] You only want to play the guide, the character that has already been there, already solved the problem, and is capable of helping the hero win.
[04:48] However, it is appropriate for you to tell the story of how you became the guide, especially if you became the guide because you once had a problem that the customer had, but you figured out how to solve it and you developed some competency to solve it and now you're turning around, you're helping other heroes solve the problem because you are now the guide in the story.
[05:07] Hero
[05:10] you are now the guide in the story. Hero Luke Skywalker, guide Yoda or Obi-Wan.
[05:13] Luke Skywalker, guide Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi.
[05:16] So, you're really telling Yoda's backstory
[05:17] and that's giving the customer confidence that you can help them.
[05:22] So, I want to go through a formula that you can use to tell your story when it's appropriate.
[05:26] So, when is it appropriate?
[05:28] Here's when it's appropriate.
[05:30] You've given your pitch deck to the airline.
[05:34] They're very interested. They're going to need to run this up the flag pole.
[05:38] This is going to have to go all the way.
[05:41] you know, if it's the chief financial officer, they're going to have to go to engineering.
[05:44] They're going to have to go to maintenance.
[05:46] They're going to have to get approvals from compliance.
[05:47] They're gonna have to get approval from um from legal.
[05:49] They're also going to call General Electric, Rolls-Royce, and Pratt to say, "This is the technology they want to use inside these engines.
[05:55] Should we allow them to use them?
[05:57] These are your engines. Is this safe?"
[05:58] Also, you want to mitigate all that by showing them case studies and the answer that GE, Pratt, and and Rolls-Royce have already given to that answer to that question.
[06:06] But regardless, you've done
[06:11] question.
[06:11] But regardless, you've done all that.
[06:11] They're very interested.
[06:12] all that.
[06:12] They're very interested.
[06:12] They're on the hook.
[06:14] It's only a matter of time and you're going out for drinks after.
[06:16] of time and you're going out for drinks after.
[06:18] That's when you tell the backstory of the guide.
[06:18] That's it.
[06:21] It's not right away.
[06:21] It's when you've established the relationship and earned trust.
[06:23] not right away.
[06:23] It's when you've established the relationship and earned trust.
[06:25] That's when you begin telling your story.
[06:27] trust.
[06:27] That's when you begin telling your story.
[06:30] And then it's actually really, really effective because it adds a depth to your relationship with this client.
[06:33] really, really effective because it adds a depth to your relationship with this client.
[06:35] a depth to your relationship with this client.
[06:37] client.
[06:37] But the only reason that you're in a relationship with this client is because they've become convinced you can help them out of a hole.
[06:39] in a relationship with this client is because they've become convinced you can help them out of a hole.
[06:40] because they've become convinced you can help them out of a hole.
[06:43] That's it.
[06:43] If they are in a hole, imagine this.
[06:45] This is what every company does and it drives me crazy.
[06:46] You're walking around and you you stumble upon a giant hole in the ground and there's a person in the hole and you look into the hole and you go, "Oh my gosh, you're in a hole."
[06:49] me crazy.
[06:49] You're walking around and you you stumble upon a giant hole in the ground and there's a person in the hole and you look into the hole and you go, "Oh my gosh, you're in a hole."
[06:52] ground and there's a person in the hole and you look into the hole and you go, "Oh my gosh, you're in a hole."
[06:56] and you look into the hole and you go, "Oh my gosh, you're in a hole."
[06:57] "Oh my gosh, you're in a hole."
[06:57] Like, "Yes, yes, please help me.
[06:58] Please help me out of this hole.
[07:00] I'm dying of thirst."
[07:01] Absolutely.
[07:04] You know, I was born in Periland, Texas.
[07:07] [laughter]
[07:09] That is literally the context in which
[07:11] That is literally the context in which you were trying to tell your freaking story.
[07:13] You were trying to tell your freaking story.
[07:14] Then they're like, "What are you talking about?"
[07:16] And the whole audience is is gla their eyes are glazing over.
[07:19] They're ignoring you.
[07:21] They're like, "Can we please fast forward through the first 20 minutes of this pitch deck?"
[07:23] You know, they don't seem to understand.
[07:25] We don't have a lot of time and we're only interested in solutions that get us out of our problem.
[07:27] And they're not leading with that.
[07:29] They're leading with their values and their mission statement.
[07:31] However, now that you're having drinks with them, you've met with them five or six times, they're running it up the flag pole, you're probably going to get this business.
[07:33] Let's make the relationship even deeper by telling the backstory of the guide.
[07:34] In other words, your company's story.
[07:36] Let me give you the formula.
[07:38] The formula is this.
[07:40] You want to write this down.
[07:42] The whole, the calling, the refinement, the dark knight, the miracle, the breakthrough, the better world, and the moral.
[07:43] Those are the elements of the story, and you want to do them in that order, and I'm
[08:12] want to do them in that order, and I'm going to help you do that in just a second.
[08:13] Now, why do I have this formula for you telling your story?
[08:16] The first reason is I don't want you to wing it.
[08:18] If you wing it, you're going to ramble about things that matter to you, but don't matter to the hearer.
[08:21] The second reason is the best advice I've ever been given as a writer.
[08:22] Again, the two best pieces of advice.
[08:24] One was no editor will ever care as much as you do.
[08:27] Edit your own book.
[08:30] I've taken that to heart.
[08:32] I've edited every one of my own books.
[08:35] I do have editors look at them, but I edit the heck out of them before I ever send it to an editor.
[08:37] Uh, and the next piece of advice, which I've used every day, every day as a writer since I got it, which was 30 years ago, when all else fails, entertain.
[08:39] I don't care what kind of book you're writing, entertain.
[08:41] Uh, make it interesting.
[08:42] Make it a page turner.
[08:44] If it's a non-fiction book, make people salivate to start the next chapter.
[08:46] This formula that I just gave you, the whole, the calling, the refinement, the dark knight, the miracle, the breakthrough, the better world, and the
[09:13] breakthrough, the better world, and the moral is designed to entertain.
[09:16] moral is designed to entertain.
[09:19] When you are sitting back having some drinks after you've met with their team, having dinner, and somebody says, "How'd you get started in this business?"
[09:24] That's your cue.
[09:25] I want you to tell a ridiculously memorable and entertaining story that they can never forget about how you became the guide, how the business became the guide.
[09:36] That's what I want you to do.
[09:39] And let me give you the formula for doing that.
[09:40] All right.
[09:43] Phase one or section one of the story is the whole.
[09:44] What do I mean by the whole?
[09:46] Our story started when we were facing blank and it looked like blank.
[09:48] So, how'd you get into this business?
[09:51] Uh, Don, you know, you have a you have a company called Story Brand.
[09:55] You help people clarify your message.
[09:56] How did you get into this?
[09:57] It's a great story.
[09:58] I um I was on an airplane once and a guy was sitting next to me.
[10:00] He was reading my book.
[10:01] He didn't know that it was my book.
[10:03] And so, I said to him, "What do you think of that book?"
[10:06] He said, "I love this book.
[10:07] I'm flying to Indianapolis tonight to hear this guy speak.
[10:07] He's speaking at a conference."
[10:08] I'm like, "Well, so am I."
[10:10] You know?
[10:11] Uh,
[10:14] I'm like, "Well, so am I."
[10:14] You know?
[10:14] Uh, and I decided not to tell him who I was.
[10:16] And I decided not to tell him who I was cuz I wanted to hear what he thought about my book, an honest pers perspective of it.
[10:18] He loved the book.
[10:21] Third time he'd read the book, but he couldn't tell me why the book was good.
[10:24] He didn't I I literally said, "Do you think I should buy this book?"
[10:26] And he said, "Uh, oh, you you'd have to read it to understand."
[10:30] The more he talked about the book, the less I wanted to read my book.
[10:31] And I realized right then, I'm great at writing 300 pages.
[10:34] I'm not great at writing the sentence on the back that makes you want to read the 300 pages.
[10:38] I'm not great at clarifying my offer.
[10:40] I'm great at writing the book.
[10:41] I'm not great at selling the book.
[10:43] I need to figure out how to message my books in such a way that people want to buy them.
[10:46] And that's when I created the story brand framework.
[10:48] Okay.
[10:50] So, what did I just do?
[10:53] I started with a story of me in the same hole that the person I'm talking to is in now.
[10:55] Then I said I got out of the hole with this
[11:14] I got out of the hole with this framework. It's the tool I use to get
[11:16] framework. It's the tool I use to get out of the hole. So now I've positioned
[11:17] out of the hole. So now I've positioned myself as an expert of getting out of a
[11:20] myself as an expert of getting out of a hole and it happens to be the same hole
[11:22] hole and it happens to be the same hole that you're in. So even though I'm
[11:24] that you're in. So even though I'm telling my story, I'm telling the back
[11:27] telling my story, I'm telling the back the aspects of my backstory that apply
[11:29] the aspects of my backstory that apply to you. I'm still inviting you into a
[11:32] to you. I'm still inviting you into a story while I'm telling my story.
[11:34] story while I'm telling my story. Second, after you define the hole, now
[11:37] Second, after you define the hole, now it doesn't have to be you that was in
[11:38] it doesn't have to be you that was in that hole. It can't be the first
[11:39] that hole. It can't be the first customer you encountered. It started way
[11:41] customer you encountered. It started way back years ago. We met a man named John
[11:43] back years ago. We met a man named John and he was a unable to uh to plow his
[11:47] and he was a unable to uh to plow his field in time for the harvest. And so we
[11:49] field in time for the harvest. And so we invented a tractor that does X, you
[11:52] invented a tractor that does X, you know, but it's got to be a hole. Every
[11:54] know, but it's got to be a hole. Every story's got to start in a hole with a
[11:55] story's got to start in a hole with a hero in a hole. Doesn't have to be you.
[11:57] hero in a hole. Doesn't have to be you. It's best if it's you, but if it's not
[11:59] It's best if it's you, but if it's not you, it's a customer. Then that story of
[12:02] you, it's a customer. Then that story of you getting out of the hole becomes your
[12:05] you getting out of the hole becomes your calling. And that's the second part of
[12:07] calling. And that's the second part of telling your story.
[12:09] telling your story. It was very difficult to develop the
[12:11] It was very difficult to develop the framework, but I tested it on a couple
[12:14] framework, but I tested it on a couple small businesses and watched those small businesses and watched those business double in revenue when they clarified their message.
[12:17] And I knew then my framework worked.
[12:19] So I kept going because I saw customers struggling with this and we believed they deserved to be out of that.
[12:24] Let me give you the formula.
[12:28] We kept going because we saw customers struggling with X and we believe they deserved Y.
[12:32] We saw mo we saw so many people unable to clarify their message and they were losing revenue every day and we deserve we believe they deserve to be heard with a clear message.
[12:47] So the calling is second.
[12:52] I used to be in a hole.
[12:53] I got out of the hole and it became my calling to get you out of the hole.
[12:55] Got it?
[12:58] Calling um mission.
[13:02] God assigned objective.
[13:06] Uh, every hero has a calling to do something amazing.
[13:09] And then I like adding a refinement.
[13:12] So, we kept improving because customers needed X and we refused to give them
[13:15] needed X and we refused to give them anything less.
[13:19] I refined that framework 25 times and tested it with businesses.
[13:22] This is kind of that like the heroes challenge and they're getting stronger.
[13:28] And think about Tom Cruz in every movie he's ever been having to get stronger and learn some sort of skill and learn how to use some tool in order to accomplish the objective.
[13:37] This is kind of exciting.
[13:37] We're building momentum.
[13:40] Then now remember we're trying to entertain here with the story.
[13:44] The dark knight.
[13:47] This is when things take a step back.
[13:49] Now we started in a hole.
[13:49] We got out of the hole.
[13:52] Started negative.
[13:52] Got out of the hole.
[13:54] That becomes positive.
[13:55] That becomes our calling.
[13:55] That's positive.
[13:58] The refinement is kind of a negative because we're having to work hard to make it great and then we're going to go really negative.
[14:05] Negative dark knight of the soul.
[14:07] Incredible hardship.
[14:10] We almost lost everything.
[14:12] By the way, in screenplay, the dark knight is actually called the all is lost moment.
[14:15] It usually happens toward the
[14:17] moment.
[14:17] It usually happens toward the end of the movie.
[14:19] The whole movie, end of the movie.
[14:19] The whole movie, they're getting better, they're getting they're getting better, they're getting better, they're getting better.
[14:22] better, they're getting better, they're getting better, they're getting better.
[14:23] getting better, they're getting better, they're almost there, they're almost they're almost there, they're almost there, they're almost there.
[14:25] Then they there, they're almost there.
[14:25] Then they lose everything and they're all the way back at the beginning.
[14:29] In fact, often they're worse off than they were at the very beginning.
[14:33] That's a formula for a movie and you're going to see it now.
[14:36] Every time you watch a movie, you're going to be like, "Oh my word, this is the all is lost moment that Don was talking about.
[14:41] Everything is everything's terrible.
[14:43] She decided not to marry him.
[14:43] The cancer is back.
[14:47] Uh they are down by 20 at halftime and there's no way they're gonna beat this team.
[14:50] The all is lo Oh, their star player just broke his arm.
[14:56] It's over.
[14:56] The all is lost moment.
[14:58] This is this is an entertainment plot point that grabs people's attention and you can include it in the story of your business.
[15:05] Was it in the story of your business.
[15:05] Was there ever a dark night?
[15:08] You know, when I think about the dark knight story in the business, the the the story of story brand, it would be co we were 85% reliant on people getting on airplanes coming to Nashville for our live
[15:18] coming to Nashville for our live workshops. 85% of our business was about
[15:21] workshops. 85% of our business was about to go away. But
[15:24] to go away. But we switched to live stream. We created a
[15:28] we switched to live stream. We created a few more products. And because we were
[15:30] few more products. And because we were great at messaging, we were able to use
[15:33] great at messaging, we were able to use everything we ever learned to clarify
[15:36] everything we ever learned to clarify our message. And we ended up having our
[15:38] our message. And we ended up having our biggest revenue year yet and our biggest
[15:40] biggest revenue year yet and our biggest profit year yet. But you want to get
[15:42] profit year yet. But you want to get that dark knight story in there. And
[15:44] that dark knight story in there. And just just think about in your mind like
[15:46] just just think about in your mind like what was our dark night? And you're
[15:48] what was our dark night? And you're going to go, I don't know if we had a
[15:49] going to go, I don't know if we had a Dark Knight or we had the Dark Knight.
[15:51] Dark Knight or we had the Dark Knight. You didn't have one, but you had
[15:52] You didn't have one, but you had something that you can put there. Some
[15:55] something that you can put there. Some major setback where everything fall
[15:57] major setback where everything fall apart. Um, you know, the government
[16:00] apart. Um, you know, the government wouldn't allow us to have the trademark.
[16:03] wouldn't allow us to have the trademark. There you go. You can use that. Uh, my
[16:06] There you go. You can use that. Uh, my partner ran off with the secret formula.
[16:10] partner ran off with the secret formula. You know, whatever it is, there's some
[16:12] You know, whatever it is, there's some interesting tidbit that can be framed as
[16:15] interesting tidbit that can be framed as the all is lost moment in the story.
[16:17] the all is lost moment in the story. That, by the way, over drinks, sitting
[16:19] That, by the way, over drinks, sitting around, over dinner, everybody's going around, over dinner, everybody's going to lean in right there.
[16:23] You wouldn't believe it, but X happened.
[16:27] All right, then you want to go to the miracle.
[16:32] So, after the all is lost moment in a screenplay, you usually have something called deos x machina.
[16:38] It's a plot point in the film.
[16:40] And what this means is deexmaka is Latin for God in in the machine or God enters the machine.
[16:47] And and I just call this in terms of your formula the miracle.
[16:49] So after the dark night there was the miracle and ours was co hit.
[16:57] We were 85% reliant on people coming to town.
[16:59] I knew I was going to have to lay everybody off and we decided we're going to try to stay alive.
[17:04] We launched the live stream.
[17:07] We clarified our message to get people to sign up and you won't believe it.
[17:10] It was a miracle.
[17:15] 800 people signed up at the same price they would have paid to come to Nashville, which is actually not true.
[17:18] They'd sign up at oneird that price.
[17:21] They'd sign up at oneird that price.
[17:23] But this allowed us to stay alive and have our greatest year ever.
[17:26] That's the miracle.
[17:29] Uh so stories like contrast.
[17:31] They like negative then positive then negative then positive then negative.
[17:32] negative then positive then negative then positive.
[17:34] And really what you want to start, how you want to start a story is negative and then get more negative, even worse, even worse, even worse, then positive, then negative, then positive, then awful dark night of the soul, then way up high with miracle happened.
[17:47] And then the breakthrough and the breakthrough is what we learned from the miracle.
[17:53] And now repeat as process.
[17:56] When we focused on blank, customers finally got blank and everything changed.
[18:02] So, we realized that as long as we help customers clarify their message, we were going to be in business for life.
[18:10] Uh, or something like that.
[18:11] That's the breakthrough realization.
[18:14] Then the better world, and by the way, it's not your better world, is the customer's better world.
[18:19] Today, customers experience blank because they no longer
[18:21] experience blank because they no longer have to deal with blank, right?
[18:25] Uh today our customers know how to clarify their message and they use sound bites that grow their business and they no longer have to deal with customer confusion, right?
[18:37] The better world that happens because you have become the guide.
[18:39] And then the moral of the story today customers experience blank because they no longer have to deal with blank.
[18:46] The moral of the story is the bottom line is this.
[18:48] When you clarify your message, customers engage.
[18:54] It's worked for every business we've ever worked with.
[18:56] It's going to work for you guys.
[18:57] Thanks for asking about how we got started as a company.
[18:59] I mean, you're gonna get a standing ovation right there at the table because it's riveting.
[19:05] It's interesting.
[19:07] It feels personal, but it's still all about the customer.
[19:10] So, let me go through this real quickly and I'll summarize it.
[19:11] The whole our story started when we were facing blank and it looked like blank.
[19:17] The calling.
[19:19] We kept going because we saw customers struggling with blank repetition and we
[19:21] struggling with blank repetition and we believed they deserved blank the
[19:23] believed they deserved blank the refinement. We kept improving because
[19:25] refinement. We kept improving because customers needed blank and we refuse to
[19:27] customers needed blank and we refuse to give them anything else. Notice we've
[19:29] give them anything else. Notice we've already repeated ourselves three times
[19:30] already repeated ourselves three times in the story. The dark knight but just
[19:32] in the story. The dark knight but just when things seem to be working, blank
[19:34] when things seem to be working, blank happened and we almost lost blank. The
[19:37] happened and we almost lost blank. The miracle. Then something unexpected
[19:39] miracle. Then something unexpected happened. Blank. And it gave us a second
[19:41] happened. Blank. And it gave us a second chance. The breakthrough. When we
[19:43] chance. The breakthrough. When we focused on blank, customers finally got
[19:45] focused on blank, customers finally got blank and everything changed. The better
[19:48] blank and everything changed. The better world. Today, customers experience blank
[19:49] world. Today, customers experience blank because they no longer have to deal with
[19:51] because they no longer have to deal with blank. And the moral today, customers
[19:53] blank. And the moral today, customers experience blank because they no longer
[19:56] experience blank because they no longer have to deal with blank. That is a
[19:59] have to deal with blank. That is a formula that you can use to tell the
[20:02] formula that you can use to tell the backstory of your company and how you
[20:05] backstory of your company and how you became the guide for so many struggling
[20:08] became the guide for so many struggling heroes. That's how you want to tell your
[20:10] heroes. That's how you want to tell your story. It's interesting. You also can
[20:13] story. It's interesting. You also can use this in so many places. One, you can
[20:16] use this in so many places. One, you can actually write this out and you can just
[20:18] actually write this out and you can just enter. You can actually drop this
[20:20] enter. You can actually drop this podcast into chat GPT. Ask it to a ask
[20:25] podcast into chat GPT. Ask it to a ask you questions based on this formula
[20:30] you questions based on this formula about your business so that you can
[20:32] about your business so that you can script your company's story. Remind chat
[20:36] script your company's story. Remind chat GPT to never position you as the hero
[20:38] GPT to never position you as the hero and always position you as the guide and
[20:40] and always position you as the guide and make sure that it knows this is the
[20:42] make sure that it knows this is the guide's backstory. Then it will ask you
[20:44] guide's backstory. Then it will ask you questions. It will say, "What are you
[20:45] questions. It will say, "What are you trying to do?" Uh, "Was there ever a
[20:48] trying to do?" Uh, "Was there ever a dark night of the soul? What was the
[20:49] dark night of the soul? What was the hardest thing you ever went through as a
[20:50] hardest thing you ever went through as a business?" Blah blah blah blah. It's
[20:51] business?" Blah blah blah blah. It's going to ask you the right questions.
[20:53] going to ask you the right questions. And then it's going to say, "Okay, I'm
[20:54] And then it's going to say, "Okay, I'm ready." And it will print out your
[20:56] ready." And it will print out your story. What are you going to do with
[20:58] story. What are you going to do with your story? record it as a voice over
[21:00] your story? record it as a voice over and then use B-roll that you can find
[21:02] and then use B-roll that you can find anywhere that you've taken B-roll of
[21:04] anywhere that you've taken B-roll of your business. Find that B-roll, use
[21:07] your business. Find that B-roll, use that B-roll, uh, and use that as a sort
[21:10] that B-roll, uh, and use that as a sort of sizzle reel or a an about us, put it
[21:13] of sizzle reel or a an about us, put it on the about us page of your website.
[21:16] on the about us page of your website. You can create a short brand video using
[21:19] You can create a short brand video using your story. You can send that video in
[21:21] your story. You can send that video in the third or fourth email to every new
[21:23] the third or fourth email to every new customer explaining who you are. feature
[21:26] customer explaining who you are. feature that video on your website and of course
[21:28] that video on your website and of course use it in all sorts of public
[21:30] use it in all sorts of public experiences and customer or p public
[21:33] experiences and customer or p public appearances, customer on-ramping, all
[21:35] appearances, customer on-ramping, all that kind of stuff. You want to get this
[21:36] that kind of stuff. You want to get this story out. It's a really really great
[21:39] story out. It's a really really great piece of marketing collateral. But I
[21:41] piece of marketing collateral. But I will say it's not the story that you
[21:43] will say it's not the story that you open with if you're delivering a pitch
[21:44] open with if you're delivering a pitch deck. If you're just meeting with a
[21:45] deck. If you're just meeting with a customer, do not open with your story.
[21:48] customer, do not open with your story. Don't open with this stuff. This is a
[21:50] Don't open with this stuff. This is a how to convert an interested customer or
[21:53] how to convert an interested customer or a customer who's bought into a brand
[21:56] a customer who's bought into a brand evangelist who is crazy about you and
[21:58] evangelist who is crazy about you and feels connected to you personally or to
[22:01] feels connected to you personally or to your brand personally. That's the use
[22:03] your brand personally. That's the use case for this formula. Uh but it's going
[22:07] case for this formula. Uh but it's going to it's going to be incredibly effective
[22:08] to it's going to be incredibly effective for you. I use it all the time when
[22:10] for you. I use it all the time when people say, "Don, you went from writing
[22:11] people say, "Don, you went from writing memoirs to story brand. How'd that go?"
[22:13] memoirs to story brand. How'd that go?" I say, "Well, I was getting on a plane."
[22:15] I say, "Well, I was getting on a plane." I I don't even know how many times I've
[22:16] I I don't even know how many times I've told that story. I've sold that story h
[22:18] told that story. I've sold that story h 100 times. Uh and it's always made
[22:20] 100 times. Uh and it's always made people feel closer and they feel like
[22:21] people feel closer and they feel like they know a little bit something about
[22:23] they know a little bit something about story brand. They have a deeper
[22:24] story brand. They have a deeper understanding of the brand and they have
[22:25] understanding of the brand and they have a deeper understanding of my mission to
[22:28] a deeper understanding of my mission to help people clarify their message. Your
[22:30] help people clarify their message. Your company story is important. It is just
[22:33] company story is important. It is just not as important as inviting the
[22:35] not as important as inviting the customer into a story. However, you
[22:37] customer into a story. However, you should still do some work to create it.
[22:38] should still do some work to create it. And plus, I know you everybody wants to
[22:41] And plus, I know you everybody wants to tell their story. Everybody loves their
[22:42] tell their story. Everybody loves their business. Everybody loves the the
[22:44] business. Everybody loves the the backstory of how they got started. Why
[22:46] backstory of how they got started. Why not use a formula to make it even more
[22:48] not use a formula to make it even more riveting and interesting and effective
[22:50] riveting and interesting and effective for you in growing your business? I hope
[22:52] for you in growing your business? I hope this episode was helpful. Use this
[22:53] this episode was helpful. Use this formula and it's going to work. Thank
[22:55] formula and it's going to work. Thank you so much for listening to another
[22:57] you so much for listening to another episode of the Story Brand Podcast.
[22:59] episode of the Story Brand Podcast. We'll see you again next week.
[23:01] We'll see you again next week. Thanks for listening to the StoryBrand
[23:03] Thanks for listening to the StoryBrand podcast. No matter where you are in your
[23:05] podcast. No matter where you are in your marketing and messaging journey, get the
[23:07] marketing and messaging journey, get the tools, the training, and the support you
[23:09] tools, the training, and the support you need to start clarifying that message
[23:11] need to start clarifying that message [music] at storybrand.com. And don't
[23:13] [music] at storybrand.com. And don't forget to follow and subscribe to the
[23:15] forget to follow and subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcast so
[23:16] show wherever you get your podcast so you never miss an episode. And if you're
[23:18] you never miss an episode. And if you're watching on YouTube, [music] hit that
[23:19] watching on YouTube, [music] hit that subscribe button and then leave a
[23:21] subscribe button and then leave a comment letting us know what resonated
[23:22] comment letting us know what resonated with you and what we can unpack to help
[23:24] with you and what we can unpack to help your business grow in a future episode.
[23:26] your business grow in a future episode. Thanks again for listening and we'll see
[23:28] Thanks again for listening and we'll see you next week.