I run a digital marketing agency. If we are able to track a client’s revenue and connect it to the ads we run (an ecommerce client, for example), we can tell them — to the cent — how much they make in revenue for each dollar they spend on ads. If that sounds like a numbers game … it is. But when I pitch clients, I don’t lead with numbers. When I pitch a client, I don’t tell them we can generate $34.12 for every $1.00 they spend on ads. Surprisingly, that’s not what seals the deal. Don’t get me wrong, the numbers are important, and I share numbers in every pitch I make, but they’re not the most important thing.
What matters more than numbers, or any other detail I could share, is whether or not I can tell a good story. Frankly, numbers bore clients. They’re just a box to be checked. If I start to talk numbers too much, the client’s eyes Japan Phone Number List will glaze over, and I can see that what they want to say to me is, “Yes, yes, the numbers are good enough, I see that, check the box, move on, now tell me a story!” Not that they’re looking for just any story, they want a story they can identify with. They want a story that shows that my agency has worked with someone like them before and that we got great results. But that’s not all they want. Here are three elements your story should include in order to convince your clients they want to work with you: Related.
Harness the Power of Storytelling to Transform Your Business for the Better Storytelling Element #1: A hero In his book, The Hero With a Thousand Faces, author Joseph Campbell laid out what we all now call “The Hero’s Journey.” To simplify, the hero is comfortable at home, when suddenly there’s a call to adventure. He leaves home, faces challenges, overcomes obstacles and comes back home a changed person. This story is told over and over again in books and movies, from The Hobbit to Star Wars to Harry Potter. However, while every story needs a hero, where many entrepreneurs make a mistake is in assuming they or their company is the hero. As Donald Miller explains in his book Building a StoryBrand, "When we position our customer as the hero and ourselves as the guide, we will be recognized as a trusted resource to help them overcome their challenges.