Business Storytelling for Entrepreneurs

strategy+branding+marketing+technology
BUSINESS STORYTELLING
FOR ENTREPRENEURS

A little tidbit about Shannon
• Content Director at Red Caffeine
• Caffeine of Choice: Starbucks Cold Brew
• I graduated from UIC / bachelor’s degree in Communication
• 8+ years of experience in marketing, copywriting and blogging
• Runner and a dedicated yogi
• Been writing since I was really little

Agenda
WHAT MAKES A GOOD [BUSINESS] STORY
9• The common pattern of a good story
20
• How to communicate the who, what and how of your business
PUBLISHING YOUR BRAND STORY 29
• Using your brand story to develop a great website, plus other content
WHY TELL STORIES?
4
• Inspirational video: Ira Glass on Storytelling
CREATING A CORPORATE SNAPSHOT 33
• Your brand story’s “cliff notes.”
DEVELOPING A BRAND STORY
CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORIES 35
• Your chance to be the hero!

The importance of storytelling in business.
Why Tell Stories?

Why Tell Stories?
• To persuade
• To find a common ground
• To make connections
• To spread great ideas
• To empathize
• To create great relationships
• To build trust
• To make sense of something challenging
• To understand history
• To better understand each other
• To understand the world we live in

Why Tell Stories?

Why Tell Stories?
“You will get a lot more out of your content if you
think of yourself as a storyteller first and a
marketer second.”
—Keith Ecker, Chicago Writer

v
The common pattern found in every great story.
What Makes a Good
[Business] Story?

What Makes a Good [Business] Story?
“IT’S KNOWING YOUR PUNCH LINES …”
… your ending; knowing that everything you’re
saying from the first line to the last is leading to a
singular goal, and ideally confirming some truth
that deepens our understanding of who we are
as human beings.”
—Andrew Stanton, Disney Writer

Basic Story Structure
The Hero’s Journey
• Founded by American Scholar Joseph Campbell
• Identifies the common pattern of how stories are told
• Appears regularly in films, books, religious rituals and psychology
• You can use it to structure a business story too!

YOU ARE NOT THE HERO
YOUR CUSTOMER IS THE HERO
YOU ARE THE MENTOR

THE HERO LIVES IN
A KNOWN WORLD
THE KNOWN WORLD
HAS PAIN POINTS

TO SOLVE THESE PAIN POINTS,
THE HERO TURNS TO YOU…
… FOR GUIDANCE, RESOURCES
OR/AND EXPERTISE

DURING YOUR JOURNEY TOGETHER …
… THE HERO WILL GO THROUGH A SERIES
OF OBSTACLES AND SUCCESSES

YOUR SERVICE OR PRODUCT LEADS THE
HERO TO AN UNKNOWN WORLD
THE HERO WILL RECEIVE AN AWARD

THE HERO RETURNS
TO THE KNOWN WORLD
STRONGER AND BETTER

v
What is a brand story, what does it include, and how to use it.
Developing a Brand Story

What is a brand story?
DEFINED
A BRAND STORY identifies your passion for what you and what makes you unique,
and creates a solid foundation for your business.
• Not meant to be a “selling” tool. It’s a “connection” tool
• It’s a communication strategy:
– To attract and delight the right customers
– Build loyalty
– The starting conversation for long-term relationships
“The best brands are built on great stories.“
—Ian Rowden, Chief Marketing Officer, Virgin Group

A WELL-DEVELOPED BRAND STORY SHOULD ALWAYS INCLUDE:
BUT IT CAN ALSO INCLUDE:
– Who you do it for
Why you do what you do
Where you do it
Tagline, positioning statement, and/or brand essence
And whatever else that makes your story unique
Who you are
What you do
How you do it
Why you do it better

ADVANTAGES OF USING A BRAND STORY
• Clear, concise and consistent
messaging across channels.
• Elevator pitch (networking events).
• A complete and powerful story that
delights and attracts customers.
• Great onboarding tool.
• No confusion.
• Builds confidence.

STEP 1: STAY FOCUSED, RESEARCH, ORGANIZE.
“My biggest influence on my creative process is
something my English teacher told me when I was about
13 or 14. He just said, ‘write about what you know’.”
- Ricky Gervais
• Understand your competitors
• Industry issues and pain points - Interview customers
• Gaps in the industry
• Avoid fluff by simplifying

STEP 2: DO A BRAND AUDIT

STEP 3: IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE
“We collaborate with engineering teams to solve
complex design challenges from the early, ‘what if’
stage through full-scale manufacturing.”

STEP 4: THINK THROUGH YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH
• Be sure to have all the pieces before you begin
• Focus, Focus, Focus
• You can always add layers later
(EXAMPLE)
To CHOOSE (1) TARGET AUDIENCE that CHOOSE (1) PAIN POINT, YOUR
COMPANY NAME is the COMPETITIVE SET that UNIQUE POINT OF DIFFERENCE
because it REASON 1, REASON 2, REASON 3.

To AGENTS that NEED HELP SELLING
PROPERTIES FASTER, VHT STUDIOS is the
REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY COMPANY that
DELIVERS PHOTOS QUICKLY AND DONE
RIGHT because of its TOP-NOTCH
PHOTOGRAPHERS, LEADING EDGE
TECHNOLOGY, and RENOWNED CLIENT
SERVICES TEAM.
VHT STUDIOS - PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY

v
Using your brand story to develop a kickass website
Publishing Your
Brand Story

Publishing Your Brand Story
THE WHO, WHAT AND HOW
“I want to know WHO you are, WHAT you do, and HOW you do it.
I don’t care about the rest!”
–VP of Marketing, Large B2C Company

CARRMACHINE.COM

SHARE YOUR STORY WITH THE WORLD.

v
Your brand story’s “cliff notes”
Developing a
Corporate Snapshot

Creating a Corporate Snapshot
COMMUNICATE YOUR STORY ON-THE-FLY!

v
Your chance to be the hero!
Customer
Success Stories

Customer Success Stories
YOUR CHANCE TO BE A HERO!
Customer Success Story Example
Company: Bi-Link is a global contract manufacturer that helps
product engineers solve complex design challenges.
Topic: Advanced 3D Printing Technology
Challenge
• A customer was facing strict time constraints on a project
• Bi-Link needed to find a way to deliver prototypes fast
Solution
• Invested in advanced 3D printing technology
• Combined the technology with advanced expertise
Result
• The ability to deliver precision parts to the customer
• New process/technology is fast and cost effective
• Provides more value to customers

Resources
—The Hero’s Journey
—About Joseph Campbell
—The Hero’s Journey, by Content Marketing Institute
Videos/Interviews on Storytelling
—Ricky Gervais Interview on Fast Company
—Andrew Stanton on the Clues of a Great Story
—Joe Sabia on the Technology of Storytelling
—Ira Glass on Storytelling
Commercials with Great Narratives
—Mindy Kaling Inspiring Story (American Express)
—Eminem and Detroit (Chrysler)
RC Client Examples
—CARR (READ ONLY) Brand Story
Follow Shannon on LinkedIn and Twitter

Thank You!!!
Questions? Thoughts?
Want to get together for coffee?
Want to take our mascot on a walk?
Give us a call! We’re always here to help.
Shannon Callarman – Content Director
shannon@redcaffeine.com | 630-785-6903
RedCaffeine.com

Business Storytelling for Entrepreneurs

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