The Edge Marketing

If you want your marketing to be effective, you absolutely must connect emotionally with your prospects. And one of the best ways to do that is by telling a story.

A good story disarms your reader or listener. He forgets for a moment that you are trying to sell him something and instead relates with what is happening in your story. He connects emotionally with what is happening, and eventually (at the end) with your product or service.

And he remembers what you’ve told him far longer, because stories stick with us much longer than facts. A good story speaks straight to the heart and forges a lasting emotional connection.

Building a good story is not as hard as you might think. Even if you’re not a writer, you tell stories all the time – about your day, about Aunt Rosie, about the funny things your kids do.

Every good story has three things: characters, conflict, and a climax/resolution. Your characters are simply who your story happens to. They can be people, or things like a car, or a business. There really is no limit other than your imagination. Just remember that the best characters have unique personalities. It’s the characters that make us relate to the story.

The conflict is the problem to be solved. It’s the reason there is a story to tell. What is the need that your product or service fills? A character facing that need is your conflict in a nutshell.

In the climax and resolution, your character’s problem is at it’s worst. Then along comes your product or service and makes it all right again. Your character is happy, and anyone listening will be, too if only they will do business with you.

You can use stories anywhere you use words to market your product or service. They especially make for great radio, television, sales letters and longer print ads. Many companies thrive on a series of radio ads built around one set of characters.

No matter the medium, a little story goes a long way.

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