We can be heroes.
In advertising, there’s a thing called the hero shot. It’s the big go-to image that (theoretically) captures whatever the brand is trying to project.
I believe there should also be hero stories, which of course means stories with heroes. Sometimes, the hero is the product. Sometimes, it’s you. Sometimes, it’s the consumer. It’s probably all three. See? Stories are everywhere.
Maybe you tell the story of how an idea was born. Great ideas often arrive as a way to relieve a pain point. I recently met with a guy doing a startup for a brilliant social networking app. I asked him how it came about. He said, “I broke up with my girlfriend, I was depressed and living back at home, and I didn’t know how to make sense of my life, what to do or where to go next. So I had an idea for an app to help me make sense of the opportunities in my life.” I told him he should use that in his presentations to investors. He said, “But I only have five minutes!” Talk about an elevator pitch. But that’s what I would’ve done. Everyone has felt like that at one time or other. What a setup! The app as hero. Who wouldn’t want one?
You are a story, too.
Another way to tell a story is to do what a lot of consultants and marketers tell you not to do: talk about yourself. It’s pounded into us over and over again: “Make it about the customers or prospects. It’s not about you.” This is true, as far as it goes. A product or service that ignores its audience won’t be around long, if it ever gets to being around at all. But if you have a new idea (or a new way to do an old one), putting yourself into your story may make it real.
Let’s write it.
There are more ways to tell a story that will make your idea or concept more relatable. Lots of them. There’s a narrative to be crafted for every company or concept. Don’t think you don’t have one. Your idea is a story that’s unfolding every single day. Let’s write it and tell it.
