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Building a Story Brand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen Paperback Donald Miller [Paperback] [Jan 01, 2018] Miller Donald - Paperback by Donald Miller
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First published October 10, 2017
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Donald Miller
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September 10, 2021
One of the best branding and messaging books I've read. Miller shows how to use storytelling to make your messaging and branding simpler and more effective. I like the straightforward, common sense approach.
Here's the basic story framework you can customize to write your "brand script": A character who wants something encounters a problem before they can get it. At the peak of despair, a guide steps into their lives, gives them a plan, and calls them to action. That action helps them avoid failure and end in success.
To the customer you must present yourself as a guide who has a plan to solve their problem. You can create your brand script for free at mystorybrand.com.
Introduction
Businesses that invite their customers into a story are remembered. Others are forgotten.
The Key to Being Seen, Heard, and Understood
Most marketing doesn't work because it's too complicated. Using stories in marketing makes communication simpler and more predictable.
Focus on aspects of your offer that will help customers survive and thrive. All great stories are about survival (physical, emotional, spiritual). Position products and services as aid to helping people survive, thrive, be accepted, find love, achieve aspirational identity, bond with tribe that will defend them physically and socially.
Must identify what customer wants, what problems you're helping solve, and what life will look like after they engage your products/services.
The Secret Weapon That Will Grow Your Business
Basic story framework: A character who wants something encounters a problem before they can get it. At peak of despair, a guide steps into their lives, gives them a plan, and calls them to action. That action helps them avoid failure and end in success.
Questions your marketing materials must answer within 5 seconds
• What do you offer?
• How will it make my life better?
• What do I need to do to buy it?
The Simple SB7 Framework
Customer is hero, not your brand.
When you give a speech/presentation, position yourself as Yoda and your audience as Luke Skywalker.
Customers want a simple, clear path to do business with you.
If there's nothing at stake in a story, there's no story. If there's nothing at stake in whether a customer buys your product, there's no reason to buy. Must show cost of not doing business with you. Brands that help customers avoid something negative engage customers because they define what's at stake. Use negativity sparingly.
A Character
When you fail to define something customer wants, you fail to open a "story gap," and they have no motivation to engage you; there's no question that demands resolution.
Pare down customer's ambition/desire to a single focus and aim overall brand marketing at that. Marketing of individual products/services can aim at subplots of that focus.
Focus must be relevant to customer's sense of survival: save money, save time, build community, gain status, accumulate resources (make money, increase productivity, decrease waste), find meaning (be generous, be part of a cause).
Has a Problem
Position products/services as weapons customers can use to defeat a dastardly villain. Villain should be personified. E.g. time management software stops distractions in its tracks, because distractions dilute potential, wreck family, steal sanity, cost time and money.
Villain should be
1. A root source, not a symptom
2. Relatable, recognizable
3. Singular
4. Real (don't fear-monger)
Desire to resolve frustration is greater motivator than desire to solve external problem. E.g., Apple sold resolution to problem of users being intimidated by computers.
Give customers a sense of meaning; they want to be involved in a story that's deeper than themselves. Position products/services as tools customers can use to fight back against something that shouldn't be.
Frame buying your product/service as resolution to external, internal, and philosophical problem. E.g., Edward Jones: Villain: financial firms that don't listen to customers. External: I need investment help. Internal: I'm confused about how to do this. Philosophical: If I'm going to invest, I need an advisor who will thoughtfully explain things in person.
4 questions to answer in Problem section
1. Who's the villain?
2. What external problem is villain causing?
3. How is that problem making your customers feel?
4. Why is it unjust for them to suffer at hands of villain?
And Meets a Guide
Customers aren't looking for another hero. They're looking for a guide.
Guide must have empathy and authority.
Need empathy because everyone wants to be seen, heard, understood. Say, "We understand how it feels …" "Nobody should have to experience …" "Like you, we're frustrated by …" "We care …"
Express empathy by highlighting common interests.
Authority means competence and experience.
How to show authority through marketing
1. Testimonials. Use a few (~3), not too many, and keep brief.
2. Stats. E.g., number of customers, how much money they've saved, percentage their businesses have grown.
3. Awards. Include award logos or other indications.
4. Logos of recognizable businesses.
Who Gives Them a Plan
Customers trust a guide who has a plan.
2 types of plan
1. Process plan. Pre-purchase (steps customer takes to buy), or post-purchase (steps to use product), or both. Key is to alleviate confusion. Include 3-6 steps.
2. Agreement plan. Describe guarantee, values. Alleviate fears customers have about working with you.
And Calls Them to Action
You must believe in your product. If you don't clearly ask for sale, prospect senses weakness; they think you're asking for charity rather than to change their lives.
Transitional CTAs (lead generators)
• Free info (white papers, PDFs, podcasts, webinars, etc.)
• Testimonials
• Free samples
• Free trial
That Helps Them Avoid Failure
People are 2-3x more motivated to avoid loss than achieve gain.
Fear appeal
1. Make prospect realize they're vulnerable to threat.
2. Let prospect know they should take action to reduce vulnerability.
3. Let people know about a specific action/offer that protects them from risk.
4. Challenge people to take this specific action.
Use moderate levels of fear; people don't act on low levels, and block out high levels. Treat fear as salt in recipe; use sparingly.
Describe cost of not doing business with you: lose money, health risks, opportunity costs (make or save money), declining quality of life. E.g., for financial advisor: confusion about how money is invested, not being ready for retirement, lack of transparency from advisor, lack of 1-on-1 interaction, hidden fees. "Don't postpone your retirement. You've worked too hard for too long to not enjoy time with your grandchildren."
And Ends in a Success
Never assume people understand how you can change their lives. Tell them.
Vision you paint for prospects should be specific and clear.
How to write end to story: figure out how customer's life will look externally after their problem is solved, then how that resolution will make them feel, then how that resolution will make world more just place to live.
Promise that hero/customer will do one of following
1. Win a power or position.
2. Be unified with someone or something that makes them whole.
3. Experience some self-realization that makes them whole.
To make customer feel complete/whole: reduce anxiety, reduce workload, more time, self-realization, reach potential.
How to offer self-realization: offer inspiration, acceptance, transcendence.
People Want Your Brand to Participate in Their Transformation
Single greatest motivator: desire to transform into better version of self.
Companies that assist in identity transformation create passionate evangelists.
Ask yourself, "how does customer want to be described by others?"
E.g., Dave Ramsey. External problems: consumer debt and financial illiteracy. Internal problems: confusion and hopelessness. Philosophical problem: moral question of accruing debt over things we don't need. Identity transformation: personal strength through strategy and commitment.
Building a Better Website
5 things website should include
1. Offer, above the fold. Short, enticing, exclusively customer-centric. Tell customers what's in it for them. Promise an aspirational identity. Promise to solve a problem. State exactly what you do.
2. Obvious CTAs. Put direct CTA ("buy now", "call now") in top right of site and center of homepage, above fold. Put transitional CTA (lead generator) next to direct CTA in less bright color.
3. Images of success. Show compelling images of happy people who've had pleasurable experience engaging your brand.
4. Bite-size breakdown of revenue streams. Put overarching message that unifies various streams on homepage. Put separate divisions on separate pages.
5. Very few words. People scan, they don't read. Use brief, punchy, relevant copy.
Using StoryBrand to Transform Company Culture
Your StoryBrand can engage employees as well as customers.
The StoryBrand Marketing Roadmap
5 almost-free ways to grow business
1. 1-liner
2. Lead generator
3. Automated email drip campaign
4. Collect and tell stories of transformation
5. Referral system
Create 1-liner that answers: Who is customer? What's their problem? What's your plan to help them? What will their life look like after you help them? E.g., "Most business owners don't know how to talk about their company, so we created a framework that helps them simplify their message, create great marketing material, connect with customers, and grow their business."
Lead generator must provide enormous value for customer and establish you as authority in field.
5 types of lead generators
1. Downloadable guide (~3 pages); give away the "why" and much of the "how"
2. Brief online course, webinar, training
3. Software demo or free trial
4. Free samples
5. Live events
Even if customers don't read your email newsletter, simply seeing it keeps your brand top-of-mind.
What to include in marketing emails
1. Talk about a problem
2. Explain plan to solve problem
3. Describe how life will look for reader once problem is solved
4. P.S.
Testimonials should showcase your value, results you get for customers, experience people had working for you.
Ask customers these questions to build case studies or testimonials
1. What was the problem you were having before you discovered our product?
2. What did the frustration feel like as you tried to solve the problem?
3. What was different about our product?
4. Take us to the moment you realized our product was solving your problem.
5. Tell us what life looks like now that your problem is solved or is being solved.
Referrals and peer recommendations are up to 2.5x more responsive than any other marketing channel.
Create a small educational PDF or video for customers to share with others. Tell customers, "We created this to help people solve X problem. If you have friends with X problem, please send this to them. We'd love to help them too."
Offer rewards for referrals (10% commission or something else).
Here's the basic story framework you can customize to write your "brand script": A character who wants something encounters a problem before they can get it. At the peak of despair, a guide steps into their lives, gives them a plan, and calls them to action. That action helps them avoid failure and end in success.
To the customer you must present yourself as a guide who has a plan to solve their problem. You can create your brand script for free at mystorybrand.com.
Introduction
Businesses that invite their customers into a story are remembered. Others are forgotten.
The Key to Being Seen, Heard, and Understood
Most marketing doesn't work because it's too complicated. Using stories in marketing makes communication simpler and more predictable.
Focus on aspects of your offer that will help customers survive and thrive. All great stories are about survival (physical, emotional, spiritual). Position products and services as aid to helping people survive, thrive, be accepted, find love, achieve aspirational identity, bond with tribe that will defend them physically and socially.
Must identify what customer wants, what problems you're helping solve, and what life will look like after they engage your products/services.
The Secret Weapon That Will Grow Your Business
Basic story framework: A character who wants something encounters a problem before they can get it. At peak of despair, a guide steps into their lives, gives them a plan, and calls them to action. That action helps them avoid failure and end in success.
Questions your marketing materials must answer within 5 seconds
• What do you offer?
• How will it make my life better?
• What do I need to do to buy it?
The Simple SB7 Framework
Customer is hero, not your brand.
When you give a speech/presentation, position yourself as Yoda and your audience as Luke Skywalker.
Customers want a simple, clear path to do business with you.
If there's nothing at stake in a story, there's no story. If there's nothing at stake in whether a customer buys your product, there's no reason to buy. Must show cost of not doing business with you. Brands that help customers avoid something negative engage customers because they define what's at stake. Use negativity sparingly.
A Character
When you fail to define something customer wants, you fail to open a "story gap," and they have no motivation to engage you; there's no question that demands resolution.
Pare down customer's ambition/desire to a single focus and aim overall brand marketing at that. Marketing of individual products/services can aim at subplots of that focus.
Focus must be relevant to customer's sense of survival: save money, save time, build community, gain status, accumulate resources (make money, increase productivity, decrease waste), find meaning (be generous, be part of a cause).
Has a Problem
Position products/services as weapons customers can use to defeat a dastardly villain. Villain should be personified. E.g. time management software stops distractions in its tracks, because distractions dilute potential, wreck family, steal sanity, cost time and money.
Villain should be
1. A root source, not a symptom
2. Relatable, recognizable
3. Singular
4. Real (don't fear-monger)
Desire to resolve frustration is greater motivator than desire to solve external problem. E.g., Apple sold resolution to problem of users being intimidated by computers.
Give customers a sense of meaning; they want to be involved in a story that's deeper than themselves. Position products/services as tools customers can use to fight back against something that shouldn't be.
Frame buying your product/service as resolution to external, internal, and philosophical problem. E.g., Edward Jones: Villain: financial firms that don't listen to customers. External: I need investment help. Internal: I'm confused about how to do this. Philosophical: If I'm going to invest, I need an advisor who will thoughtfully explain things in person.
4 questions to answer in Problem section
1. Who's the villain?
2. What external problem is villain causing?
3. How is that problem making your customers feel?
4. Why is it unjust for them to suffer at hands of villain?
And Meets a Guide
Customers aren't looking for another hero. They're looking for a guide.
Guide must have empathy and authority.
Need empathy because everyone wants to be seen, heard, understood. Say, "We understand how it feels …" "Nobody should have to experience …" "Like you, we're frustrated by …" "We care …"
Express empathy by highlighting common interests.
Authority means competence and experience.
How to show authority through marketing
1. Testimonials. Use a few (~3), not too many, and keep brief.
2. Stats. E.g., number of customers, how much money they've saved, percentage their businesses have grown.
3. Awards. Include award logos or other indications.
4. Logos of recognizable businesses.
Who Gives Them a Plan
Customers trust a guide who has a plan.
2 types of plan
1. Process plan. Pre-purchase (steps customer takes to buy), or post-purchase (steps to use product), or both. Key is to alleviate confusion. Include 3-6 steps.
2. Agreement plan. Describe guarantee, values. Alleviate fears customers have about working with you.
And Calls Them to Action
You must believe in your product. If you don't clearly ask for sale, prospect senses weakness; they think you're asking for charity rather than to change their lives.
Transitional CTAs (lead generators)
• Free info (white papers, PDFs, podcasts, webinars, etc.)
• Testimonials
• Free samples
• Free trial
That Helps Them Avoid Failure
People are 2-3x more motivated to avoid loss than achieve gain.
Fear appeal
1. Make prospect realize they're vulnerable to threat.
2. Let prospect know they should take action to reduce vulnerability.
3. Let people know about a specific action/offer that protects them from risk.
4. Challenge people to take this specific action.
Use moderate levels of fear; people don't act on low levels, and block out high levels. Treat fear as salt in recipe; use sparingly.
Describe cost of not doing business with you: lose money, health risks, opportunity costs (make or save money), declining quality of life. E.g., for financial advisor: confusion about how money is invested, not being ready for retirement, lack of transparency from advisor, lack of 1-on-1 interaction, hidden fees. "Don't postpone your retirement. You've worked too hard for too long to not enjoy time with your grandchildren."
And Ends in a Success
Never assume people understand how you can change their lives. Tell them.
Vision you paint for prospects should be specific and clear.
How to write end to story: figure out how customer's life will look externally after their problem is solved, then how that resolution will make them feel, then how that resolution will make world more just place to live.
Promise that hero/customer will do one of following
1. Win a power or position.
2. Be unified with someone or something that makes them whole.
3. Experience some self-realization that makes them whole.
To make customer feel complete/whole: reduce anxiety, reduce workload, more time, self-realization, reach potential.
How to offer self-realization: offer inspiration, acceptance, transcendence.
People Want Your Brand to Participate in Their Transformation
Single greatest motivator: desire to transform into better version of self.
Companies that assist in identity transformation create passionate evangelists.
Ask yourself, "how does customer want to be described by others?"
E.g., Dave Ramsey. External problems: consumer debt and financial illiteracy. Internal problems: confusion and hopelessness. Philosophical problem: moral question of accruing debt over things we don't need. Identity transformation: personal strength through strategy and commitment.
Building a Better Website
5 things website should include
1. Offer, above the fold. Short, enticing, exclusively customer-centric. Tell customers what's in it for them. Promise an aspirational identity. Promise to solve a problem. State exactly what you do.
2. Obvious CTAs. Put direct CTA ("buy now", "call now") in top right of site and center of homepage, above fold. Put transitional CTA (lead generator) next to direct CTA in less bright color.
3. Images of success. Show compelling images of happy people who've had pleasurable experience engaging your brand.
4. Bite-size breakdown of revenue streams. Put overarching message that unifies various streams on homepage. Put separate divisions on separate pages.
5. Very few words. People scan, they don't read. Use brief, punchy, relevant copy.
Using StoryBrand to Transform Company Culture
Your StoryBrand can engage employees as well as customers.
The StoryBrand Marketing Roadmap
5 almost-free ways to grow business
1. 1-liner
2. Lead generator
3. Automated email drip campaign
4. Collect and tell stories of transformation
5. Referral system
Create 1-liner that answers: Who is customer? What's their problem? What's your plan to help them? What will their life look like after you help them? E.g., "Most business owners don't know how to talk about their company, so we created a framework that helps them simplify their message, create great marketing material, connect with customers, and grow their business."
Lead generator must provide enormous value for customer and establish you as authority in field.
5 types of lead generators
1. Downloadable guide (~3 pages); give away the "why" and much of the "how"
2. Brief online course, webinar, training
3. Software demo or free trial
4. Free samples
5. Live events
Even if customers don't read your email newsletter, simply seeing it keeps your brand top-of-mind.
What to include in marketing emails
1. Talk about a problem
2. Explain plan to solve problem
3. Describe how life will look for reader once problem is solved
4. P.S.
Testimonials should showcase your value, results you get for customers, experience people had working for you.
Ask customers these questions to build case studies or testimonials
1. What was the problem you were having before you discovered our product?
2. What did the frustration feel like as you tried to solve the problem?
3. What was different about our product?
4. Take us to the moment you realized our product was solving your problem.
5. Tell us what life looks like now that your problem is solved or is being solved.
Referrals and peer recommendations are up to 2.5x more responsive than any other marketing channel.
Create a small educational PDF or video for customers to share with others. Tell customers, "We created this to help people solve X problem. If you have friends with X problem, please send this to them. We'd love to help them too."
Offer rewards for referrals (10% commission or something else).
June 20, 2018
First three chapters are a sales pitch to get you to buy the book you already bought. If you cut out every variation and instance of the line "I'll eventually tell you something, if you buy this book," I bet this book would be cut down to about 10 pages.
Who would have guessed that a message about the importance of a clear message would be so convoluted?
Who would have guessed that a message about the importance of a clear message would be so convoluted?
September 16, 2017
This is a good book, but I have a hard time giving a good review. I was the biggest fan of Miller and StoryBrand. I bought all the courses, listened to all the podcasts, read the advanced reader copy of this book. I was a true evangelist for StoryBrand even after they tried to charge me twice for a $2k course. I met Don and his team in person and I enrolled in their Guide program. I have never received such terrible treatment. I've never been treated this poorly by another human being, much less a business. They were cruel and dehumanizing to me. They embarrassed me and effected my business. They tell businesses to Guide their customers, but they don't practice what they preach. Not only did they not allow me to take their course, they gave me a bogus reason why..
Like Jimmy John's, Chick-fil-a and Abercrombie & Fitch, Storybrand has a good product, but terrible unethical principals behind the scenes.
Like Jimmy John's, Chick-fil-a and Abercrombie & Fitch, Storybrand has a good product, but terrible unethical principals behind the scenes.
January 18, 2018
I don't enjoy business books, but occasionally I have to read them for work. The general thesis of "Building a Storybrand . . ." makes sense. There's a lot of marketing noise and unless you are really clear in your communication and focused on your customer's story you're not getting through. A clear message will have benefits externally with customers and internally with employees. A good observation, but hardly the basis for a 200+ page book. The rest of the book is inane anecdotes. Even worse the author can't stop hustling jargony titled seminars and services. He ends up sounding like that family member who was sucked into a multi-level marketing company and won't stop bugging everyone to get into his network.
August 23, 2019
***June 2019, 1st Reread: Just as excellent as the first time around. Working on implementing many of the principles. Will probably read this again.***
Want to improve your story? This book is for you.
Sometime you read things when you need to hear it. As an entrepreneur, and a writer, it can be easy to get lost in the narrative. Your story can be easily convoluted and needs to be simplified for maximum effectiveness.
I will definitely read this book again. There are many actionable steps throughout that I want to revisit and work on. From simplifying your website, to establishing a simple tagline, this book has excellent advice.
Most Important Points:
- Sell the problem you solve, not the product.
- Don't be the hero, be the guide.
One of my best reads of 2019 so far.
*** Edit ***
It's been a couple weeks, and I can't stop thinking about this book and recommending it to people.
Further Notes:
"What stories teach us is that people’s internal desire to resolve a frustration is a greater motivator than their desire to solve an external problem."
____________________
"As an experiment, let’s see if you can cut half the words out of your website.
Can you replace some of your text with images?
Can you reduce whole paragraphs into three or four bullet points?
Can you summarize sentences into bite-sized soundbites?
If so, make those changes soon.
The rule is this: the fewer words you use, the more likely it is that people will read them."
Want to improve your story? This book is for you.
Sometime you read things when you need to hear it. As an entrepreneur, and a writer, it can be easy to get lost in the narrative. Your story can be easily convoluted and needs to be simplified for maximum effectiveness.
I will definitely read this book again. There are many actionable steps throughout that I want to revisit and work on. From simplifying your website, to establishing a simple tagline, this book has excellent advice.
Most Important Points:
- Sell the problem you solve, not the product.
- Don't be the hero, be the guide.
One of my best reads of 2019 so far.
*** Edit ***
It's been a couple weeks, and I can't stop thinking about this book and recommending it to people.
Further Notes:
"What stories teach us is that people’s internal desire to resolve a frustration is a greater motivator than their desire to solve an external problem."
____________________
"As an experiment, let’s see if you can cut half the words out of your website.
Can you replace some of your text with images?
Can you reduce whole paragraphs into three or four bullet points?
Can you summarize sentences into bite-sized soundbites?
If so, make those changes soon.
The rule is this: the fewer words you use, the more likely it is that people will read them."
January 8, 2022
This had useful overall advice for using storytelling for marketing. The incessant plugging of the author's website was annoying on audio. Also, it called to attention how he's not following his own advice all that well. Because the main point is the customer is the hero, but there's an awful lot about how amazing he is according to himself and not that much relatively in terms of memorable stories of customers in their own words.
A better book just on the concept of the Hero's Journey as the blueprint of all stories:
The Hero's 2 Journeys
A better book just on the concept of the Hero's Journey as the blueprint of all stories:
The Hero's 2 Journeys
March 4, 2020
Very unusual that a book on how to do something begins by telling you what everyone is doing wrong, and then proceeds to continue to make that same mistake throughout the book. One of the very first things that Miller begins discussing is how customers, well everyone's, stories are all about them. He then posits that businesses must then make our stories about the customers. The worst thing is that Miller then proceeds to tell story after story making himself the hero.
I get it. I know that Miller set out to start his new brand. Moving away from the "Progressive Christian" brand that he used to be associated with. However, an entire book praising his own accolades was not the way to re-brand. There are some good tidbits here and there, but I would not recommend picking this one up. I feel that the writing was much more self-congratulatory than it should have been. So much so that I stopped reading midway through because I couldn't take any more.
If you want a book to help you with telling a better marketing story for your brand, I would recommend picking up Robert McKee's Story and Storynomics: Story-Driven Marketing in the Post-Advertising World. That is a much better approach and doesn't suppose that everyone else is less important or not as smart as the writer.
I get it. I know that Miller set out to start his new brand. Moving away from the "Progressive Christian" brand that he used to be associated with. However, an entire book praising his own accolades was not the way to re-brand. There are some good tidbits here and there, but I would not recommend picking this one up. I feel that the writing was much more self-congratulatory than it should have been. So much so that I stopped reading midway through because I couldn't take any more.
If you want a book to help you with telling a better marketing story for your brand, I would recommend picking up Robert McKee's Story and Storynomics: Story-Driven Marketing in the Post-Advertising World. That is a much better approach and doesn't suppose that everyone else is less important or not as smart as the writer.
November 17, 2017
Every copywriter needs to read this book. The business you are writing for is not a hero. The customer is. Genius.
July 12, 2020
So far my favorite business book ever. Highly recommended.
June 1, 2025
رویکردی قصهگو به برندینگ و مارکتینگ. ارزش خواندن داره واقعا.
May 4, 2019
Why this book is rated this high I don’t know!
It was full of forcing itself to be sold. Which is strange because if we’re reading we already being sold! and what was that SB7 anyway?
If anyone tells me if you play by these limited rules, your win is guaranteed, which by coincidence that person happens to be a salesman, I know as a fact that it is a lie to win me over not me to win.
He won though. I lost my time on this. But I learned one thing. Most marketing books are products by a salesman (who also can write) to be sold.
As a takeaway from this book, I think I should look into how I came to buy it. Damn you amazon!
It was full of forcing itself to be sold. Which is strange because if we’re reading we already being sold! and what was that SB7 anyway?
If anyone tells me if you play by these limited rules, your win is guaranteed, which by coincidence that person happens to be a salesman, I know as a fact that it is a lie to win me over not me to win.
He won though. I lost my time on this. But I learned one thing. Most marketing books are products by a salesman (who also can write) to be sold.
As a takeaway from this book, I think I should look into how I came to buy it. Damn you amazon!
Read
March 30, 2018The central lesson is: to market your product, come up with a story. The story is not about you or your business, but about the customer. If you are unafraid of being stifled by a framework, the book offers the so-called SB-7 to help you craft your story: character, problem, guide, plan, calls to action, failure, and success.
1. The character is the customer/Frodo.
2. He has a problem: house is ugly/need to destroy the ring.
3. He needs a guide: your painting company/Gandalf.
4. There needs to be a plan: your expertise in choosing color/walk to Mordor.
5. Calls to action: now that they trust you, relieve any customer hesitation (money-back guarantee) so that they can act.
6. Failure: in story you need the suspense of possible failure due to the villain: your competitor (show how you are not like "them")/Sauron.
7. Success: make the hero feel good about himself. Create a premium product for exclusivity; Create a sense of completeness when someone buys your stuff; Create a sense of self-acceptance.
The connection between marketing and story telling feels affected at times. But the author succeeded in showing he knows how to manipulate your sorry psychology to make you cough up your mulah. Makes me wonder whether I got tricked in paying $$$ for my Pelikan M1000.🤔
1. The character is the customer/Frodo.
2. He has a problem: house is ugly/need to destroy the ring.
3. He needs a guide: your painting company/Gandalf.
4. There needs to be a plan: your expertise in choosing color/walk to Mordor.
5. Calls to action: now that they trust you, relieve any customer hesitation (money-back guarantee) so that they can act.
6. Failure: in story you need the suspense of possible failure due to the villain: your competitor (show how you are not like "them")/Sauron.
7. Success: make the hero feel good about himself. Create a premium product for exclusivity; Create a sense of completeness when someone buys your stuff; Create a sense of self-acceptance.
The connection between marketing and story telling feels affected at times. But the author succeeded in showing he knows how to manipulate your sorry psychology to make you cough up your mulah. Makes me wonder whether I got tricked in paying $$$ for my Pelikan M1000.🤔
September 24, 2020
So, I decided to give this book a chance. A marketing book group I'm apart of chose this book and seemed excited about it. I have avoided most of Donald Miller's works during this new reiteration of him. I was a huge fan of him during his Blue Like Jazz days. And his newer works just don't jive with me. I should have stuck with my preconceived notions. Have you ever read a book that could have just been an article? This was true of this book. I appreciate the Brandscript program he created and will use that in my work as a marketer. But I was truly disappointed to see such a deep thinker become whatever he is now. This book was repetitive and very surface level. And I felt like I was being pitched at the entire book. Let me know when the old Donald Miller returns because this just isn't for me.
February 28, 2023
Sooo much practical value packed into this book! I was first introduced to the concept of the StoryBrand Brand Script through the writing program I'm doing (the Author Conservatory), and I found reading through the book so helpful for clarifying certain points I hadn't completely understood before.
I'll definitely be going back to this book again and again for my marketing. It makes me really excited about updating and improving my website and materials to match the framework!
I'll definitely be going back to this book again and again for my marketing. It makes me really excited about updating and improving my website and materials to match the framework!
January 6, 2018
Short, to the point and eye-opening
I can't even count the number of books I have read about marketing. Most of them have been good, but none of then managed to give me the clarity and concrete tools on how to build brand stories. This book has changed all that, and finally I have been given the much needed guide to create stories that sell
I can't even count the number of books I have read about marketing. Most of them have been good, but none of then managed to give me the clarity and concrete tools on how to build brand stories. This book has changed all that, and finally I have been given the much needed guide to create stories that sell
June 27, 2019
I’ve read more than a dozen books on telling stories for business, and I find that they take different tacts to tell their own stories. I find this StoryBrand book is a bit more basic than most I’ve seen recently, but to me the simplicity in its storytelling suggestions is a good thing. Instead of drilling down into story archetypes and theory, this book suggests looking at a handful of aspects of the story. Key takeaway is to put the customer in the role of the hero, and to put the company in the role of the guide – a Yoda to the customer’s Luke Skywalker. I liked that the author referred to dozens of classic movies to give examples of the story structures he’s explaining. This made things clear, although the author promotes the movie “Tommy Boy” as an example so many times you think there must be some other movie with that name that you somehow missed. But no. “Tommy Boy” is obviously the author’s guilty pleasure movie. For those familiar with the storyline comparing men’s movies and women’s movies in “Sleepless in Seattle”, most if not all the movies the author uses are “men’s” movies, with “Tommy Boy” as the poster child. No “An Affair to Remember” here. The author does pitch his classes an excessive number of times. I tend to dislike books-as-ads, especially if the book doesn’t stand by itself providing value. This one, I believe, does provide value. The suggestions offered are simpler than many other corporate storytelling books. The advice is better than some. I can see building stories for my demos at work using the structure described here, and I would expect better outcomes than using story techniques from the pure demo-creation books I’ve read. Nice work.
August 5, 2020
E interesantă perspectiva cu care vine, dar rețeta pe care o propune nu e chiar atât de aplicabilă. Am rămas mai degrabă cu o idee generală decât cu un plan de acțiune. Nu mi-a plăcut tonul de sale pe care îl are pe alocuri, am simțit că autorul a încercat să mă convingă de ceva ce nici el nu crede în totalitate: că există o rețetă după care se poate construi povestea unui brand în absolut orice domeniu. Pentru branding personal/zona de servicii e probabil useful, mai ales pentru cineva mai la început de drum sau care își construiește abia acum identitatea. Însă e departe de a fi o carte de pus obligatoriu pe listă.
October 15, 2017
Reads like an ebook of common sense.
October 27, 2017
أشياء مفيده، بس لنقل أني أموت من الملل قبل أن ينتهي كُل فصل.
September 7, 2023
«سالهاست شرکتها تلاش میکنند با مقدسترین سند موجود، طلسم خلا روایی را باطل کنند: بیانیهی مأموریت. بیانیهی مأموریت شرکت مثل جام مقدس اثربخشی سازمانی است. مسئولین اجرایی با فداکاری راهبانه در خلوتگاهی خارج از شرکت گرد هم میآیند تا عبارتهایی جهدآمیز و دقیق را روی لوحهای سنگی حکاکی کنند، عبارتهایی که افراد کمی میخوانندشان و افراد خیلی کمتری درکشان میکنند یا به کار میگیرند. صد رحمت به قصهای که به هیچ جا نمیرسد.»
برشی از «هر برند یک قصه است» دانلد میلر، ترجمهی رسول بابایی، نشر اطراف
این روزها اگر نگوییم همه، بیشتر آگهیهای نیروهای محتوا، بازاریابی و حتی برند کارفرمایی دنبال قصهگو میگردند، اما اینکه چند برند معدود به درستی قصه را روایت میکنند را میتوان اول با رجوع به حافظه و بعد با خواندن این کتاب فهمید. اگرچه مخاطب این کتاب، بیشتر تیم بازاریابی است اما دید قصهگویی باید در همهی سازمان جاری باشد تا اثرش را بگذارد.
ساده و سرراست حرف زدن، شناخت مشکل مخاطب در سه لایهی بیرونی، درونی و فلسفی، قرار گرفتن در نقش راهنما کنار مخاطب، دادن برنامه به او و دعوتش به اقدام چیزهایی بود که من از این کتاب یاد گرفتم. برشی که انتخاب کردم از بیانیهی ماموریت و سردرگمی کارکنان گفته، چیزی که این روزها در ایفای نقش برند کارفرمایی دغدغهام شده و این کتاب نشان میدهد مشخص کردن مشکل مشتری بالقوه و کمک به حل این مشکل نه تنها به مشتری، که به کارکنان هم انگیزهی تلاش برای انجام کاری معنادار و تغییر میدهد. مفهومی که بیش از هر چیزی به کار تشویقمان میکند.
به قول نویسنده: «این جا [کتاب] جایی برای کمک به آدم خوبها است که پیروز شوند.
چون در قصههای خوب همیشه آنها پیروز میشوند.»
برشی از «هر برند یک قصه است» دانلد میلر، ترجمهی رسول بابایی، نشر اطراف
این روزها اگر نگوییم همه، بیشتر آگهیهای نیروهای محتوا، بازاریابی و حتی برند کارفرمایی دنبال قصهگو میگردند، اما اینکه چند برند معدود به درستی قصه را روایت میکنند را میتوان اول با رجوع به حافظه و بعد با خواندن این کتاب فهمید. اگرچه مخاطب این کتاب، بیشتر تیم بازاریابی است اما دید قصهگویی باید در همهی سازمان جاری باشد تا اثرش را بگذارد.
ساده و سرراست حرف زدن، شناخت مشکل مخاطب در سه لایهی بیرونی، درونی و فلسفی، قرار گرفتن در نقش راهنما کنار مخاطب، دادن برنامه به او و دعوتش به اقدام چیزهایی بود که من از این کتاب یاد گرفتم. برشی که انتخاب کردم از بیانیهی ماموریت و سردرگمی کارکنان گفته، چیزی که این روزها در ایفای نقش برند کارفرمایی دغدغهام شده و این کتاب نشان میدهد مشخص کردن مشکل مشتری بالقوه و کمک به حل این مشکل نه تنها به مشتری، که به کارکنان هم انگیزهی تلاش برای انجام کاری معنادار و تغییر میدهد. مفهومی که بیش از هر چیزی به کار تشویقمان میکند.
به قول نویسنده: «این جا [کتاب] جایی برای کمک به آدم خوبها است که پیروز شوند.
چون در قصههای خوب همیشه آنها پیروز میشوند.»
June 6, 2020
I am skeptical of any book that throws around phrases that sound like the (™) symbol should go after them.
i.e. Look at the title of this book. StoryBrand(™) , anyone?.
But this one pleasantly surprised me! It was short, practical, and insightful. It is definitely one I plan to come back to and probably will buy in physical copy. (Audio version worked fine. I think for quick reference, print would be better.)
That said, none of it blew my mind. And I can't really blame the book for this. My brother recommended it to me with promises that it would be better than Seth Godin. And it so was. But if you run in this world, if you listen to the podcasts or as in my case attend grassroots leadership trainings, this is familiar stuff. It is good stuff. It is helpful. But it isn't anything we haven't heard from Donald Miller (or * insert name of trendy marketing guru *) before.
I do recommend this one, however, if you are either unfamiliar with story marketing or want a refresher or even just thinking of updating your website. Like I said, this was a useful book.
i.e. Look at the title of this book. StoryBrand(™) , anyone?.
But this one pleasantly surprised me! It was short, practical, and insightful. It is definitely one I plan to come back to and probably will buy in physical copy. (Audio version worked fine. I think for quick reference, print would be better.)
That said, none of it blew my mind. And I can't really blame the book for this. My brother recommended it to me with promises that it would be better than Seth Godin. And it so was. But if you run in this world, if you listen to the podcasts or as in my case attend grassroots leadership trainings, this is familiar stuff. It is good stuff. It is helpful. But it isn't anything we haven't heard from Donald Miller (or * insert name of trendy marketing guru *) before.
I do recommend this one, however, if you are either unfamiliar with story marketing or want a refresher or even just thinking of updating your website. Like I said, this was a useful book.
May 28, 2021
Listened to the audiobook about a month ago, what I took from it were simply to:
1. Realize the power of storytelling for marketing.
2. Sell the problem that your product solves, not the product itself.
3. Avoid being a hero, and be the guide instead.
Apart from that, I was bombarded with the constant plugging of the authors' website all throughout the book, the plugging was especially annoying through audio. Every time the author had a good thing going on in this book was suddenly cut short by a stupid plug of his stupid website 😂.
Overall, the book has a decent enough message, one that was failed by some minor bad choices.
1. Realize the power of storytelling for marketing.
2. Sell the problem that your product solves, not the product itself.
3. Avoid being a hero, and be the guide instead.
Apart from that, I was bombarded with the constant plugging of the authors' website all throughout the book, the plugging was especially annoying through audio. Every time the author had a good thing going on in this book was suddenly cut short by a stupid plug of his stupid website 😂.
Overall, the book has a decent enough message, one that was failed by some minor bad choices.
February 25, 2018
As a fiction writer, I really liked this storytelling approach to marketing and branding. It's cool, it makes sense, and I'm pretty sure it's going to work. I'm currently in the planning stages of launching two new brands related to fiction writing and this book has been very valuable in thinking through how to communicate to customers effectively. Miller's points on making the customer the hero and the focus instead of your organization was particularly helpful. And I love the Story Brand path Miller explains in this book. Highly recommended.
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Excellent).
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Excellent).
November 8, 2023
If you learned about the Hero’s Journey in high school literature class then you know a lot of what’s in here. He applies that to marketing. Occasional things weren’t the best but I liked, even though I have a general distaste for when people name their business or products stylized LikeThis. But based on how this author has named everything in his company, he LOVES IT!!!!
February 7, 2018
Excellent resource on integrating story into your branding and marketing! Filled with movie analogies and helpful tips, this book is one I will revisit again and again.
January 6, 2019
Helpful and easy to read. Tons of solid advice for communicating exactly what your company does. "If you confuse, you lose."
December 11, 2020
Clear, succinct, sufficient. Length and content are perfectly paired (a rare achievement). Miller's entertaining presentation of a timeless narrative formula gives readers the first 80% of what they'll need to explain what their business does and why busy people should care. An indispensable "Stop! Read This First" for anyone setting up or overhauling the company website or outreach materials.
Miller's core insight builds on the notion, well-known to storytellers, that "everyone is the hero of their own story." The mistake most businesses make is subconsciously presenting themselves as the hero. But potential customers are encountering you from within their own story, in which they are the hero. Glancing through your website or brochure, being shown through your pitch deck, they're getting the idea that if they teamed up with you, their story would have two heroes. That might be cool, but what the potential customer wants is not a fellow hero, or even a sidekick, but a guide.
Miller teaches businessfolk how to present themselves as the guide. It seems subtle, but it makes a world of difference.
Miller's core insight builds on the notion, well-known to storytellers, that "everyone is the hero of their own story." The mistake most businesses make is subconsciously presenting themselves as the hero. But potential customers are encountering you from within their own story, in which they are the hero. Glancing through your website or brochure, being shown through your pitch deck, they're getting the idea that if they teamed up with you, their story would have two heroes. That might be cool, but what the potential customer wants is not a fellow hero, or even a sidekick, but a guide.
Miller teaches businessfolk how to present themselves as the guide. It seems subtle, but it makes a world of difference.
April 11, 2024
فوقالعاده با تکنیک ها و روش های اجرایی 👌🏻
☆☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆
February 4, 2022
Creează un StoryBrand: Clarifică-ți mesajul astfel încât clienții să-l audă de Donald Miller este cartea ideală pentru toți antreprenorii care vor să își crească afacerea, indiferent de cifra de afaceri, dar și extrem de utilă pentru cei ce vor să își încerce norocul în lumea business-ului.
Cu un limbaj pe înțelesul tuturor, exemple din diferite industrii și multe sfaturi ce pot fi puse în aplicare de oricine vrea să aibă succes cu afacerea sa, volumul desființează mitul conform căruia marketingul este o muncă doar pentru cei specializați, Miller venind cu un ghid practic și simplu ce garantează, într-o oarecare măsură, succesul afacerii.
https://ciobanuldeazi.home.blog/2022/...
Cu un limbaj pe înțelesul tuturor, exemple din diferite industrii și multe sfaturi ce pot fi puse în aplicare de oricine vrea să aibă succes cu afacerea sa, volumul desființează mitul conform căruia marketingul este o muncă doar pentru cei specializați, Miller venind cu un ghid practic și simplu ce garantează, într-o oarecare măsură, succesul afacerii.
https://ciobanuldeazi.home.blog/2022/...
July 7, 2024
The book gets straight to the point about the framework for creating a clear message to your customers on the value of your services/products. It is comprised of 7 elements, which the author refers to as StoryBrand 7 (or SB7). The story of your company is analogous to a movie, which draws in customers and keeps them engaged through these 7 elements:
1. View the customer as the hero (not your services/products).
2. Identify the problem for the hero (the void that your services/products fill).
3. Be the guide to the hero (knowledge on those types of services/products).
4. Give the a hero a plan to resolve their problem (how to decide).
5. Give a call to action for the hero (how/when to purchase).
6. Define what is at stake (cost of not acting).
7. Provide a vision of success (experience/benefits from the services/products).
Anything that doesn't fit into one of the 7 elements needs to be removed from the message/marketing to the customers. It's just noise, not adding any value to the story.
1. View the customer as the hero (not your services/products).
2. Identify the problem for the hero (the void that your services/products fill).
3. Be the guide to the hero (knowledge on those types of services/products).
4. Give the a hero a plan to resolve their problem (how to decide).
5. Give a call to action for the hero (how/when to purchase).
6. Define what is at stake (cost of not acting).
7. Provide a vision of success (experience/benefits from the services/products).
Anything that doesn't fit into one of the 7 elements needs to be removed from the message/marketing to the customers. It's just noise, not adding any value to the story.
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