By Andrew Hinkle, Director of Consulting

We all love a good story. As humans, it’s the central way that we relate and share our thoughts, feelings and experiences. Stories help to make the complexity of our day to day simple to understand. That is what makes telling a story such a powerful marketing tool.

A good story can take the potential client out of the traditional buying mindset and put them on a path to solving their own problem. It makes them the hero in their own story.

What is The Heavy?

As any good storyteller knows, you have to relate to your audience. Start by thinking like your client. What is the heavy or the problem they most need solved? Once you have defined the problem, take them on a journey as any good movie or book would. Showcase the issue, make the conflict process visible and then highlight the resolution you offer.

The “Client Hero”

As you send your potential clients on this marketing journey you must always remember that they play the lead role. The audience will always relate to a well told story. Once the conflict has been established, our human nature will naturally want a resolution to occur. Within your marketing use your solutions as the supporting cast that help guide the client hero on their path to success.

The Emotional Impact

Every good story uses one central theme to keep the engagement level high. Emotion. As irrational beings, we most often use emotion to rationalize our decisions. This includes what and when we make purchases. Help your client hero reach the buying decision by highlighting the emotional connection they will encounter once they have solved their problem through your services. Think through the journey they will take and how they will feel once it ends. By engraining this emotional connection in your marketing, you will give the audience an understanding of what their success will mean to them.

Marketing in today’s market can be quite complex. Businesses must navigate both online and traditional channels, while having a plan for clients to interact with both. From defining an audience to analyzing the metrics, it can seem like a foreign language to most. But, we all speak the common tongue of storytelling. The simple truth is clients are human, and a good story will instill trust and lead to more sales.