In Hollywood story is everything. The story in the movie trailer. The story behind how someone makes it, or how a movie get produced, is what audiences remember and talk about.
The Empire Strikes Back had mind-blowing visual and special effects. It was gorgeous, had great acting, and introduced us to lovable characters like Yoda. And what do people still buzz about decades later? One of the most nerve-shattering story twists of the century, “Luke, I am your father.” And of course some great Yoda quotes…
“A good story makes a good film possible, while failure to make the story work virtually guarantees disaster. A reader who can’t grasp this fundamental deserves to be fired.”
Robert McKee, from Story
This may sound like a nice little quote about writing movies from a ‘screenwriter’ but don’t think for a second that this doesn’t apply to you or your business. If your story doesn’t connect with your audience YOU are likely to be fired.
Or maybe they still do business with you but they only buy one thing. Is cross-selling them products working about as well as Icarus flying towards the sun? Sometimes you don’t have to change your offering, but you do need to change the story behind it.
Your story isn’t some tangible thing that’s in front of them all day like a computer monitor, it’s something that rests in their mind. It’s what you believe, how you communicate to them, and how you treat them.
If they don’t FEEL any different when you interact with them or if there’s nothing unique about doing business with you, then why should they? They may as well go to Fivr.com or Walmart and buy whatever’s cheapest.
Don’t let this happen to you. Give them a story that is so compelling they have to share. Send e-mails they like so much they forward to friends. Have Facebook posts that actually entertain and don’t put them to sleep.
Craft great stories to sell everything that you do. Be interesting. And keep cashing them checks.