It’s time to scrutinize whether you rely on composite business stories to catalyze clients to take action.
Storytelling is useful in moving clients forward in decision-making about your programs, products and services. However, so-so business stories often receive neutral responses from clients. And when that happens, they take no action to move forward at all.
In my keynote speaking programs, workshops and consulting, I peel your fingers off the ledge of relying on telling composite stories. Because composite stories are derived from standardized business- and use- cases. Often your company relies on these stories to drive new customer acquisition and client retention. Equally often, these stories are not convincing to clients.
Consider that when you take a little bit of one story and combine it with a little bit of another story, your story falls short of being purposeful and compelling. Here’s why.
First, composite business stories are comfortable and safe stories.
Your story resources are selected by someone else and provided as a library in some company-wide platform. As a result, comfortably picking and choosing pre-selected, safe options end up sounding generic. From your perspective you want to show clients you solve similar problems to theirs. However, what client likes to think their own unique story is the same as some all-purpose story you tell everyone?
Next, composite business stories are complacent choices.
Because you use someone else’s story rather than your own stories about how you treat your own real live clients. Consider that your own stories are the stories current and prospective clients really want to hear. By choosing to tell comfortable, safe and complacent stories, you fit clients into a one-size-fits-all box. And they know it, too.
Then, relying on composite business stories is risk-free.
You figure the majority of current and prospective clients fall into the middle-of-the-bell-curve of all clients. Chances are these middle-of-the-road clients will find “something” relevant in your story selection. And, as you are habituated to do, you already have a middle-of-the-road solution to offer them. One that will neither disappoint nor delight. Yet something tried and true. So you can make your numbers and fulfill your KPIs.
So you opt for no risk. Rather than taking the chance to determine the solutions clients really need. And, in turn, running the risk of proposing strategic choices with long-term benefits. The choices which are remarkable and enduring for clients, first. Rather than sticking to tactical choices that serve your own purpose, first, instead of theirs.
Do you have storytelling skin in your own game?
There’s a huge difference between continuing to tell the same-old business- and use- cases which make you sound like everyone else. And instead, winning more lucrative, longer-term contracts with top tier clients. Do you know the difference? Contact me here. It’s time to make that business storytelling pivot so you and your clients get to where you really need to go, together.
Planning your next team, corporate or association meeting? Engage me to present one of my One Millimeter Mindset ™ speaking programs, workshops or mastermind groups. Delivered virtually or in-person. Contact me here.
Babette Ten Haken translates across unprofitable and unproductive communication and collaboration disconnects between the business-operations continuum. She is a card-carrying STEM professional and left-brain thinker specializing in cross-functional leadership, new product development, and professional innovation. Her One Millimeter Mindset™ virtual and in-person speaking programs and workshops get everyone to where they need to go together: one millimeter at a time. Optimize purpose-driven, strategic Project Economy business and human capital value in your organizations. Build Trust. Retain employees and clients co-invested in each other’s success. Her playbook of cross-functional tools, Do YOU Mean Business? is available on Amazon.com. Image source: Adobe Stock
Leave a Reply