How often has this happened to you? Your sales, business development or product marketing staff works tirelessly on a deadline to create a PowerPoint to support a new product launch, land an influential client, or obtain approval for badly needed investment. They toil late nights and weekends, fastidiously capturing all appropriate features, functions, benefits and proof points. They precisely illustrate how the product or service meets, or even exceeds, those of competitors. Better yet, they detail, point-by-point the customer journey map, proving that customers “have been listened to” and “their opinions do matter.”
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Now that everything of importance is documented, the deck is handed off to a very creative graphics designer to “make it look good.”
“Money well spent,” they think.
Proud of their accomplishment, the team heads into the ever-important meeting, excited by this marvelous work of art.
Except, the presentation falls flat, and with it your prospective new client, investor, or marketplace is left sorely wanting more. Or worse, heading to your competitor!
How could this have gone so horribly wrong? The answer, all too often, is easy to come by.
Humans love a good story. We love crafting them. We love hearing them. We love sharing them. As far back as 36,000 years ago, the Altamira cave in northern Spain features primitive drawings of horses, human hands, deer and other images. Even back then, our early ancestors knew how to captivate an audience.
It begs the question, “If it’s that simple, why aren’t more companies using these techniques today?”
No, I’m not talking about drawing with charcoal, the blood of an animal, or the ground root of a nearby tree. I’m referring to something basic, yet infinitely profound. Our ancestor’s cave paintings weren’t merely a reference to the animals they hunted, or illustrations of a successful kill. They were roadmaps to human survival, promotion of extreme skill, competence and prowess. They were promises of bounty to buoy the spirits of people that lived for the moment before them.
These paintings were sure to generate a myriad of emotions: pride, confidence, trust, satisfaction and even love.
I ask you, “What’s so different about your story?”
Why can’t you garner these same emotions from your target audiences?
The fact is, you can … and you should! All you need to do is get past the facts, figures, and proof points wrapped in a shiny package. Make it look good is not nearly good enough. You must understand the emotions, motivations, and fears that keep your audience from making a purchase decision.
Once you understand that, work with a great marketer, or storyteller, to craft a presentation that gets heads nodding, lips upturned, and hearts pounding with excitement.
Every decision made in this world features an emotion or two. You hear that? Every decision. It’s up to you to tell compelling stories that deliver more than your brand promise. Pull the audience in, engage in compelling ways, and satisfy their emotional core. Make them confident in an affirmative decision. And then, as they walk out the door, they’ll be looking for ways to share your story with others.