You know that spidey-sense that sends shudders down your spine when a brand uses slimy sales and marketing messages? It gives you the “ick” immediately. Every alarm bell goes off in your brain alerting you to run as fast as you can to avoid such flagrant coercion.
You close the browser tab. You hang up the phone. You delete the email.
The funny thing about slimy sales spidey-sense (say that three times fast!) is that we all have it. I mean everybody. It exists on a spectrum, so the trigger varies from person to person—some people may have a high tolerance for it, while others will spook like a skittish cat at the first scent of anything too “salesy.”
The thing about this spidey-sense is that it can cause such slimy-sales-tactic-aversions that small businesses fall into milquetoast messaging. You become so afraid of being slimy that your message is weak, vague, and totally ineffective.
Businesses are so afraid of spooking potential customers that you opt for vague, ambiguous sales lines and marketing messages. You don’t have a proven messaging framework to scaffold your brand’s marketing and sales messages on, so you fail to attract, delight, and engage your ideal customers.
The upshot is wasted marketing money, empty sales pipelines, and sagging revenue.
When it comes to crafting the story around your brand, there's a secret ingredient that can set your business apart from the competition’s murky messaging. It's called StoryBrand. It’s the brainchild of Donald Miller, and it has the power to transform the way you communicate with your customers. By leveraging the principles of storytelling, positioning the customer as the hero, and calling them to action, StoryBrand helps businesses sell more by captivating your audience and creating a connection that drives sales.
Here at Sauce, we call these the Stories That Sell.
The first step in implementing this messaging framework is to create a StoryBrand BrandScript. A BrandScript allows you to clarify your message and clearly communicate what your business does and why it matters. Crafting a concise and compelling narrative around your customer lets you demonstrate how you solve your customer’s problems and why they should buy from you.
With your BrandScript in hand, it's time to develop a StoryBrand strategy that aligns with your business goals. This involves creating a website wireframe that guides your customers through a seamless and intuitive user experience. By telling your brand's story with your customers as the hero, you can make them feel understood and empowered, increasing their likelihood of making a purchase.
Clarity is at the root of an effective StoryBrand messaging strategy. One of the hallmark traits of good storytelling is simplicity, so don’t overthink it with cute, catchy lines—convert with clarity.
Your customers should easily understand what problem you solve, why your solution is the best, and how they can take action. By mapping out the buyer's journey and removing any confusion, you can guide your customers toward a purchase decision with confidence.
Selling is not a one-time transaction; it's about building lasting relationships with your customers. With that in mind, don’t view your BrandScript as collateral for just sales and marketing material. It’s the source of truth throughout your customer’s entire buyer’s journey.
By consistently delivering value and engaging with your audience, you can cultivate brand loyalty and turn customers into advocates. Even after the sale, keep positioning your buyer as the hero and keep solving their problems.
Your BrandScript can give your sales team the language they need to ask for referrals, reviews, and even to upsell existing customers.
Companies tend to sell solutions to external problems, but people buy solutions to internal problems.
Understanding this fundamental truth is crucial for crafting effective marketing messages. By tapping into the philosophical problems of your customers, you can create a message that resonates deeply and compels them to take action. Focus on the transformation your product brings and the positive impact it can have on their lives.
By following these steps—creating a BrandScript, developing a StoryBrand strategy, and building a relationship—you can sell more without activating your customers' (and your own) slimy sales spidey sense. Remember, your product has the potential to change lives, and with StoryBrand, you can make sure it reaches the right people who need it the most.
On paper, a BrandScript sounds easy. That’s part of the point—to show how easy your company is to work with and to make your brand message easy to understand. But like all good storytelling, it takes a skilled wordsmith with a penetrating understanding of the industry, audience, and communication channels to make the narrative compelling.
StoryBrand is not just another marketing strategy. It's a dynamic force of narrative that empowers businesses to sell more by telling your story in a way that captivates and connects with your audience. At Sauce, we’re experts at cultivating and delivering compelling StoryBrands that help you #GrowSmarter (I mean, you read this far, didn’t you?). Schedule a call with one of our StoryBrand Certified Growth Guides to start telling your story today!