Marketing
by Donald Miller
Why do customers tune you out?
Plenty of good businesses lose customers because of their words. Their websites talk about the company and leave visitors to work out what's on offer. Donald Miller says people won't bother. His fix is to talk to customers in the shape of a story, which the brain follows without effort.
Hear a sample · read by Laura
This is Miller's first rule. In your customer's story, they are the hero and your business is the guide. Brands that cast themselves as the hero, with their history, awards and big ambitions, end up competing with the customer for the spotlight.
Miller splits a customer's problem in three. The external problem is the leaking roof. The internal problem is how it makes them feel, worried or embarrassed. The philosophical problem is why nobody should put up with it. Companies sell fixes for external problems, but people buy fixes for internal ones.
Customers need a simple plan, often three steps, so buying feels safe. Then they need to be asked. Miller wants a direct call to action, like 'Book a call', and a transitional one, like a free guide, for people who aren't ready yet.
A story with nothing to lose is dull. Miller says brands should state plainly what failure looks like if the customer does nothing, then paint the life they'll have afterwards. A little fear gives the story weight. Too much and people switch off.
Clarity
If your message confuses people, they tune out, however good the product is.
The hero
Make the customer the hero of the story. Your brand plays the guide.
The problem
Name the customer's problem, including how it makes them feel inside.
The guide
A good guide shows empathy and proves they know what they're doing.
Call to action
Give people a simple plan and a clear button that tells them what to do next.
A story from the book
Miller points to Star Wars. Luke Skywalker is the hero, unsure of himself. Yoda has been there before and shows him the way. A good guide, Miller says, shows empathy ('I understand how this feels') and authority ('I know how to fix it'). Your brand should play Yoda.
One thing to try
Open your homepage and look only at the top of the screen. Could a stranger grunt back, within seconds, what you offer, how it makes life better and what to do to buy it? If not, rewrite that header this week.
Knotd has the key ideas from 250+ non-fiction books, each in a few minutes, in plain words. Building a StoryBrand comes with a Your Move story to make it stick.
Get the whole book on KnotdOpen in the appWhy do customers tune you out? Plenty of good businesses lose customers because of their words. Their websites talk about the company and leave visitors to work out what's on offer. Donald Miller says people won't bother. His fix is to talk to customers in the shape of a story, which the brain follows without effort.
The customer is the hero; Three layers of problem; Give them a plan and a push; Show what's at stake.
Open your homepage and look only at the top of the screen. Could a stranger grunt back, within seconds, what you offer, how it makes life better and what to do to buy it? If not, rewrite that header this week.
Yes. Knotd has the key ideas from Building a StoryBrand in a few minutes, in plain words, plus a Your Move story to test them. It's one of 250+ non-fiction books in the app.
