Selling yourself can be tough. It can be difficult to know how to present your products and services to your target audience effectively. It's tempting to just create a list of features or skills and keep your fingers crossed that the customer will know the value of what you offer. But do they?

There's a better way... And it's one of the oldest human traditions.

STORY

Story is the most powerful way to communicate ideas and connect to your audience. It's not just telling them what you do. It's showing them why they should care. You're leading them on a journey and they are the main character.

Story is used by the best in business and has the power to change the world. Take Apple co-founder Steve Jobs for example. He wouldn't simply give a keynote presentation and list off the technical specs of the iPhone. He'd paint a picture in our minds about what life could look like with one.

Easier said than done, right? Steve Jobs was a marketing master.

But we can start with a couple of basics.

1. BENEFITS BEFORE FEATURES

This is the 'why they should care' part. What does life look like with your product or service? Instead of selling a hammer and nail, show them how beautiful their home will be now they can hang their precious family photos. Rather than selling a tax return, tell them how they could focus on creating a successful business or spend more quality family time now that their accounts are taken care of.

It's a simple and effective way to paint a picture in your customers' minds. Give it a try! List some of the features of your product or service, then next to each one write down what your customers' lives could look like because of that feature. Use these benefits in your website copy, in your product descriptions, in your social media, and in your videos. Start implementing the 'benefits before features' method in your marketing today!

2. CREATE TENSION, THEN RELIEVE IT

We've all experienced a film that keeps us on the edge of our seats or a book that we just can't put down. Any good story will build up tension and then relieve it. Over and over again.

The idea is to empathise with your audience using a relatable problem to build tension. Then relieve the tension with a resolution to their problem. An example of tension might be "It's only a few days left until the self-assessment deadline". The resolution could be "don't worry! We take on last-minute self-assessment accounts".

Take your customer on an emotional journey of ups and downs. Tension, relief. Tension, relief. Repeat this as necessary. Then end with a call to action, "book today" or "get in touch".

START ADDING STORY TO YOUR BUSINESS

There's a lot more to utilising the power story in your business. The two principles above are just a couple of ways to start connecting with your customers and clients in a deeper way. Start telling your story today!

HELLO!

My name is Rob, I'm a character illustrator, designer, and animator at my company Robotoon. I can help tell your business story with engaging graphics, mascots, branding, animation, and much more. Get in touch for a chat! My website is https://robotoon.com and my email is rob@robotoon.com or connect here through GB Share.