Sary

Transitional call: 2. Create reciprocity. I've never worried about giving away too much free information. In fact, the more generous a brand is, the more reciprocity they create. All relationships are give-and-take, and the more you give to your customers, the more likely they will be to give something back in the future. Give freely.

Transitional call: 1. Stake a claim to your territory. If you want to be known as the leader in a certain territory, stake a claim to that territory before the competition beats you to it. Creating a PDF, a video series, or anything else that positions you as the expert is a great way to establish authority.

Us: Will you marry me? Customer: No. Us: Will you go out with me again? Customer: Yes. Us: Will you marry me now? Customer: No. Us: Will you go out with me again? Customer: Sure, you're interesting and the information you provide is helpful. Us: Will you marry me? Customer: Okay, I'll marry you now.

At StoryBrand we recommend two kinds of calls to action: direct calls to action and transitional calls to action. Direct calls to action include requests like "buy now," "schedule an appointment," or "call today." A direct call to action is sornething that leads to a sale, or at least is the firat step down a path that leads to a sale. Transitional calls to action, however, contain leus riak und usually offer a customer something for free. Transitional calls to action can be used to "on ramp" potential customers to to an eventual purchase. Inviting people to watch a webinar or download a PDF are good examples of transitional calls to action.

There should be a "Buy Now" button in the top right corner of your website, and it shouldn't be cluttered with a bunch of other buttons. The same call to action should be repeated above the fold and in the center of your website, and again and again as people scroll down the page.

Empathetic statements start with words like, "We understand how it feels to ..." or "Nobody should have to experi-ence..." or "Like you, we are frustrated by..." or, in the case of one Toyota commercial inviting Toyota owners to engage their local Toyota service center, simply, "We care about your Toyota."

A pet-store owner who came to us hung a sign in her window that said, "Pets deserve to eat healthy food too." A fun-loving travel agent came to us and adopted the seasonal line "Because this summer should be remembered forever." Before music went digital, Tower Records promoted their chain of record stores using the tagline "No music, no life." Not only did the tagline help them sell more than a billion dollars in records each year, but they sold thousands of bumper stickers and T-shirts featuring the tagline to fans who wanted to associate with the philosophical belief that music mattered.

The philosophical problem in a story is about something even larger than the story itself. It's about the question why. Why does this story matter in the overall epic of humanity? What's the Deeper Meaning? People want to be involved in a story that is larger than themselves. Brands that give customers a voice in a larger narrative add value to their products by giving their customers a deeper sense of meaning.

Knowing their customers don't want to haggle over prices or risk buying a lemon, CarMax's business strategy is aimed at you not having to feel lied to, cheated, or worked over in your car-buying experience. To do this, they have an agreement plan with their customers that ensures the price on the car is the price you'll pay and lets you know their salespeople aren't compensated on commission. They also highlight their quality certification and inspection process that ensures every car they sell is reliable.? The external problem CarMax resolves is the need for a car, of course, but they hardly advertise about cars at all. They focus on their customers' internal problems and, in doing so, entered one of the least-trusted industries in America and created a $15 billion franchise.

After their near collapse, Apple didn't find their footing until Steve Jobs understood that people felt intimidated (inter-nal problem by computers and wanted a simpler interface with technology. In one of the most powerful advertising campaigns in history, Apple showed a simple, hip, fun character who just wanted to take photos and listen to music and write books next to a not-so-hip tech nerd who wanted to talk about the inner workings of his operating aystem. The campaign positioned Apple Computers an the company to go to if you wanted to enjoy life and express yourself but felt intimidated by all the tech talk. What was the internal problem Apple identified? It was the sense of intimidation.

In stories, the external problem is often a physical, tangible problem the hero must overcome in order to save the day. The problem might manifest itself as a ticking time bomb or a runaway bus, or maybe even a combination of the two: a bomb on a bus that will go off if Keanu Reeves doesn't keep the speed above fifty miles per hour!

The three levels of problems heroes (and customers) face are: External Problems Internal Problems Philosophical Problems In a story, a villain initiates an external problem that causes the character to experience an internal frustration that is, quite simply, philosophically wrong.

Is there a villain in your customers' story? Of course there is. What is the chief source of conflict that your products and services defeat? Talk about this villain. The more you talk about the villain, the more people will want a tool to help them defeat the villain.

1. The villain should be a root source. Frustration, for example, is not a villain; frustration is what a villain makes us feel. High taxes, rather, are a good example of a villain. 2. The villain should be relatable. When people hear us talk about the villain, they should immediately recognize it as something they disdain. 3. The villain should be singular. One villain is enough. A story with too many villains falls apart for lack of clarity. 4. The villain should be real. Never go down the path of being a fearmonger. There are plenty of actual villains out there to fight. Let's go after them on behalf of our customers.

Start talking about the problems your customers face. Identifying our customers problems deepens their interest in the story we are telling. Every story is about somebody who is trying to solve a problem, so when we identify our customers' probleme, they recognize us as a brand that understands them.

The goal for our branding should be that every potential customer knows exactly where we want to take them: a luxury resort where they can get some rest, to become the leader everybody loves, or to save money and live better. If you randomly asked a potential customer where your brand wants to take them, would they be able to answer? Would they be able to repeat back to you exactly what your brand offers? If not, your brand is suffering the cost of confusion. You can fix this. Define a desire for your customer, and the story you're inviting customers into will have a powerful hook.

Imagine your customer is a hitchhiker. You pull over to give him a ride, and the one burning question on his mind is simply Where are you going? But as he approaches, you roll down the window and start talking about your mission statement, or how your grandfather built this car with his bare hands, or how your roadtrip playlist is all 1980s alternative. This person doesn't care. All he wants to do is get to San Francisco with a flower in his hair!

Instead of saying, "Inhale knowledge, exhale success," simply say, "Helping you become everyone's favorite leader." Becoming everyone's favorite leader means the customer would be more respected and better connected to a tribe, they'd have greater social and career opportunities, and much more. Exhaling success sounded nice, but thriving as the leader of a tribe is directly connected to survival. People will always choose a story that helps them survive and thrive.

When we identify something our customer wants and communicate it simply, the story we are inviting them into is given definition and direction. Here are some more examples from companies we've worked with: Financial Advisor: "A Plan for Your Retirement" College Alumni Association: "Leave a Meaningful Legacy" Fine-Dining Restaurant: "A Meal Everybody Will Remember" Real Estate Agent: "The Home You've Dreamed About" Bookstore: "A Story to Get Lost In" Breakfast Bars: "A Healthy Start to Your Day"

A story doesn't really pick up until the hero needs to disarm a bomb, win someone's heart, defeat a villain, or fight for their emotional or physical survival. A story starts with a hero who wants something And then the question becomes: Will the hero get what she wants? Before knowing what the hero wants, the audience has little interest in her fate. This is why screenwriters have to define the character's ambition within the first nine or so minutes of a film getting started. Will the underdog get the promotion? Will the runner finish the marathon? Will the team win the championship? These are the questions that keep an audience engaged for wants, we posit a story question in the mind of the customer: Can this brand really help me get what I want?

We must tell our customers how great their life can look if they buy our products and services. Ronald Reagan painted a picture of "a shining city on a hill." Bill Clinton offered to help us "build a bridge to the twenty-first century." During the dark and dreary Depression, Franklin Roosevelt used the song "Happy Days Are Here Again" as his official campaign song.* Likewise, Apple provides tools that allow us to express ourselves and be heard, Weight Watchers helps us lose weight and feel great, and Men's Wearhouse guarantees we will like the way we look.