Having trouble telling your story on video?
In this episode of the SMARKETING Show, Rick Lambert Interviews movie producer Kap Chatfield to uncover the “story telling structure” any business or individual can use to tell their story.
According to Kap, every story includes what the movie industry calls the basic narrative arc.
The Basic Narrative “Arc”
The storytelling arc begins with an attention grabber, called the “hook” in film making. The hook sets the stage for your story. After the hook, you lay out the context of your story, like who is the main character, what is their desire, what problems are in the way, etc.
Once you’ve developed your “character,” it’s time to develop your “inciting incident” which is where you explore your business’s journey, and how your business model, or brand, was tested and how you triumphed and came through with a solution.
The key to telling a successful story will depend on your ability to make your customer persona (the audience) the star of the show – not your business. For example, presenting scenarios they can relate to, sharing real challenges people have had and, of course, how your product or service was able to help them achieve something positive in the end.
Just like a real movie.
Breaking Down the Narrative Arc for Your Business
When it comes to business storytelling consider and embrace the four “P’s”:
1. The Person – Your audience and the main character of the story. Who are they, and what do they want?
2. The Problem – There’s no good story without a problem. Define the problem as either internal, external, or eternal.
3. The Plan – Layout the plan to help the person address their problem and get to where they want to go.
4. The Promise – This is the happy ending where you tell the person what they can expect when implementing your plan. How will it change their life?
If you can create a narrative for your business that encompasses the four P’s, you’ll go a long way towards creating the compelling story that can grow your business and gain you followers.
Remember, you aren’t the main character, you’re the guide. The audience is the main character in your story.
This will undoubtedly be the hardest thing for most businesses to do. Putting the customer at the middle in your story makes sense and will likely get you more “viewers” if you follow this storytelling strategy.
To learn more about the art and science of storytelling, watch Rick’s full interview with Kap on The SMARKETING Show!
