How can you use stories to connect with your customers and prospects?

1 Identify your purpose

Before you start telling a story, you need to know why you're telling it. What is the goal of your story? What do you want your audience to feel, think, or do after hearing it? Your purpose will guide your choice of story, tone, and structure. For example, if you want to educate your customers about a problem they face, you might use a story that illustrates the pain points and the consequences of not solving them. If you want to persuade your prospects to buy your product, you might use a story that shows how your product helped a similar customer achieve their desired outcome.

2 Know your audience

Another key factor in storytelling is knowing who you're talking to. Who are your customers and prospects? What are their needs, challenges, goals, and values? What are their interests, preferences, and emotions? How do they communicate and consume information? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your story to their perspective, language, and style. For example, if you're talking to a young and tech-savvy audience, you might use a story that features a relatable character, a catchy hook, and a multimedia format. If you're talking to a conservative and professional audience, you might use a story that emphasizes credibility, logic, and facts.

4 Structure your story

A well-structured story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning sets the scene, introduces the characters, and establishes the conflict. The middle develops the plot, builds the tension, and shows the actions and reactions. The end resolves the conflict, delivers the outcome, and reveals the lesson or the call to action. A good way to structure your story is to use the classic hero's journey model, where the hero faces a challenge, goes on a quest, meets allies and enemies, overcomes obstacles, and returns with a reward.