How to craft compelling business stories in 6 steps
How to craft compelling business stories in 6 steps
Stories change the world
Wetherspoon is an highly successful business. With revenues of £1bn, it employs 40,000 people in 900 UK pubs. It was founded by Tim Martin in 1979.
At school, Tim had a teacher who told his parents that he would not achieve much in life. Tim was determined to prove this teacher wrong and in a very public way. Rather than name his pubs after himself, he chose to name them after the teacher who had doubted him. Hence, Wetherspoon. Every time that teacher passed a pub bearing his name, he could hardly fail to remember the boy he wrote off.
SUPERB storytelling framework
Mark Edwards developed his SUPERB storytelling framework to help craft compelling business narratives. This guides an audience along a journey, from shared problems to ultimate triumph while articulating challenges en route. Such storytelling inspires and engages. The six steps are:
Shared experiences: Shared moments. Positive things we can all agree on.
Ultimate triumph: Potential benefits to the audience.
Problem definition: Identification and analysis of challenges.
Explore options and objections: Explore solutions and explain our choice. Show problems and workarounds.
Real: Bring our solution to life, ideally through personal experience.
Best of both worlds: Paint an exciting vision of the future for risk takers and a safe one for the risk averse.
Nip To is a mobile app I’m developing. It will help people find toilets and other public amenities when away from home. The SUPERB storytelling framework has worked well for me.
1. Shared experiences
Connection is why we’re here; it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives. - Brene Brown
Compelling stories begin with a foundation of shared experiences. Find common ground. A mutual struggle, shared goal or collective experience. These shared moments act as emotional glue to bond storyteller and audience. People connect with things they recognise in their own lives.
Nip To is particularly useful when users go to new places. The unknown is both exciting and stressful. My first visit to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival was magical. Magical and challenging. I didn’t know where anything was.
2. Ultimate triumph
The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values and agenda of an entire generation that is to come. - Steve Jobs
The end result should focus on how the audience benefits. The important thing is not how the product succeeds, but how users’ lives improve as a result of using it. The ultimate outcome should be something our audience can envisage, making it feel like a personal triumph.
Nip To users can explore new places with confidence. The app will direct users to the most convenient toilet, water point, EV charge point or other public utility. The sense of relief when we find something we desperately need is unparalleled.
3. Problem definition
If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions. - Albert Einstein
Problems are the core of any story because they create the tension necessary to engage the audience. Defining the problem clearly and in a way that resonates emotionally creates a sense of urgency. Make the audience feel the weight of the problem and understand its depth.
I suspect we’ve all been in this situation. We’re desperate to find a toilet in a place that’s new to us. The fear of embarrassing ourselves looms large. As time ticks by we feel increasingly uncomfortable and stressed.
4. Explore options and objections
Success is not about avoiding failure, it’s about making better decisions and learning from them. - Jeff Bezos
This section requires honesty. Acknowledge that there are various approaches and solutions to a problem, and explore the pros and cons of each, addressing any potential objections. By transparently discussing the thought process and the challenges, we show the depth of consideration, enhancing trust.
When trying to find a toilet in a new place, we could try various things. We could ask people around us, but it can feel embarrassing and the advice we get will often be vague. Maybe, try to find a street map, but that’s very hit and miss. Or, use the map on our mobile, but the information is often out dated. The Nip To app directs users to the nearest toilet. Data is updated based on user input and some AI magic dust.
5. Real
Stories create community, enable us to see through the eyes of other people, and open us to the claims of others. - Peter Forbes
To ground our story, make it real with a personal anecdote. Show how the solution worked for a specific person or group, making it more relatable and concrete. The personal touch humanises our story and makes the solution feel accessible.
During the first few days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival I so wish I had access to an app like Nip To. There were a number of occasions when my family and I needed to spend a penny, but were unsure where to go. That was the trigger for the idea behind Nip To.
6. Best of both worlds
Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world. - Joel A. Barker
This is where we give a sense of both excitement and security. We want to appeal to those who are driven by the thrill of the new and those who are cautious, seeking stability. Balance between aspiration and reassurance to appeal to different personality types.
Nip To will provide a reliable way to quickly guide users to the nearest toilet. Other types of public amenity, e.g. post boxes and cash points, will also be in Nip To as standard. In addition, users will be able create new categories of amenities, on the fly. Scooter parks, bins, benches. Almost anything.
Other resources
The Secret of Spreading Ideas talk by Bernadette Jewa
What Dave Trott Taught Me About Marketing post by Phil Martin
Meaningful Stories post by Phil Martin
As Maya Angelou said, People will forget what you said and what you did, but never how you made them feel.
Have fun.
Phil…
