Selling is a scary thing but what if you could tell someone about your product, give them the info they need, take a step back and let them make the choice to interact or not? It does not seem so scary, does it?
If you are not familiar with Donald Millard’s book Building A Story Brand I would Highly encourage you to get a copy here on Amazon. The book itself talks about the importance of story and gives the breakdown of the main pillars of story. There is so much more info in the book then I could even begin to cover in this post.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you chose to purchase a recommended product I will receive a small percentage at no extra cost to you. This helps me bring you great content every week and you can build a business and life you love.
What I want to do is simplify the 7 pillars of a story and help you to see how it relates to your product or service.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through these links I will get a small percentage at no cost to you.
Every social post, sales page, or blog post we put out into the world should follow the framework of story.
In a quite sentence it sounds like this.
A character with a problem meets a guild who gives them a plan to succeed and help them avoid failure.
Here is the framework broken down just a bit more.
Story Pillar 1 – The Character
In every storyline in a movie the character wants something. To disarm the bomb, get the girl, or defeat evil. It poses an underlying question to the audience. It causes us to wonder if they will get what they want and do they have what it takes to get it? Because if we knew they could get what they want there is no reason to listen to the story.
How it relates to your business: The character is your ideal client and their want or desire is the issue that your product solves.
If your product is homemade natural soap. Then your character is most likely going to be a woman who’s want is to have a product to wash with and not be putting harsh chemicals on her body that could result in health issues.
Pillar 2 -With A Problem
The problem is an external thing that causes an internal desire. Continuing with our action movie analogy. The bomb is the external problem with an internal desire to disarm it because if he doesn’t thousands of people are going to die.
How it relates to your business: While much less dramatic the external problem is a soap full of harsh chemicals. Which causes the internal fear of potential health problems down the road and shortening a persons life.
Don’t want to forget this information? Save it to your favorite Pinterest board with the image below so you can find it later.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you chose to purchase a recommended product I will receive a small percentage at no extra cost to you. This helps me bring you great content every week and you can build a business and life you love.
Story Pillar 3 – Meets A Guide
The guild has empathy and experience with that problem. The guide while never front and center of the story is often waiting with the answer. The guide is an extremely important part of the story because if the character could solve their own problem they would not be in the mess in the first place.
How it relates to your business: This is YOU. While you should never come across being the focus of your business (even if you have a personal brand) you can, however, share your experience and expertise. Show your audience you understand where they are coming from and you are ready to solve the problem.
Story Pillar 4 – Who Gives Them a Plan
You as the guide need to show the character what they need to do for success. They need the steps of what is going to happen and how it is going to work.
How it relates to your business: What is your solution to the problem plus what are the steps they have to take to make it happen. Now here is where people mess up. The steps need to be simple only 3-5 steps that’s it, not a mile long.
For our handmade body wash it should be something like this.
- Chose your scent.
- Place your order
- Have peace of mind knowing you are washing with safe soap.
Pillar 5 – Calls Them To Action
The character is challenged to take action on the plan. The choice is theirs to make but will they do it?
How this relates to your business: These are your buy now buttons throughout your page or the action step at the end of your social media post comes in. You are not forcing them to do anything. You are giving them an invitation and asking them to take action on that invitation.
Story Pillar 6 – That Results In Success
While not often said in the explanation of the plan by the guide. This is the part of the story where the character will disarm the bomb or get the girl if they follow the plan.
How this relates to your business: this is where you tell them the benefits of what will happen if they buy your product. They will have healthy soap to use on them and their family. They are not at risk for health issues caused by the chemicals found in those common soaps at the local store.
Pillar 7 – And Avoid Failure
If there is not a possibility for failer in the story there is no suspense and the story is not exciting.
How this relates to your business
Now there are two way you can go about this and I often chose this way first. You will not win their trust by being a fearmonger. This is what car salesmen do to help close a deal. Meaning you enhance their fears so they will buy your product. Our brains naturally fill in the opposite of what is not said.
If it don’t buy your soaps I will be at risk for health issues.
You can chose to put those words on your site along with a list of health issues caused by other soaps. Or you can stop at the benefits part, call them to action, and earn their trust while letting the product speak for itself.
That is a lot of information and is a lot to take in. I want you to take out a sheet of paper and write out each of the 7 pillars on the far left side of the page then write down beside each one how it relates to your product or offering.