You can't read the label from inside the jar
And there’s good reason for that
Ever hear something that sticks with you so much you find yourself quoting the quotable quote over and over and over again? That’s me recently with this gem, thanks to David C. Baker’s book?The Business of Expertise?and much to the chagrin of my colleagues who are definitely at the saturation point of hearing it too much.
Oh well, that’s what you do when something perfectly captures why organizations struggle to capture and share their own story and the work you do to help them.?
I work with some of the smartest people in the world. It’s one of the best things about the work we get to do with clients in strategy, marketing and storytelling.
They do what they do best. And it’s not easy stuff.
Their businesses are the engine of change. They are the David in Goliath industries. They innovate to improve how industries tackle large environmental problems, and they use decades of expertise to transform how businesses operate.
This is the cool stuff. The world-changing-in-big-and-small-ways kinda cool stuff.
They know the business they’re in. They know it better than anybody.
That’s true.
It’s also true when you’re steeped in your business, you know too much.
This powerful shorthand strengthens your ability to specialize, solve and innovate. And it can make it impossible to see the world from the outside - from the perspective of your customers, partners and other stakeholders.
This challenge only grows with the complexity of the business - the more varied the product/service mix, the more layered the delivery model, the more industries and geographies you serve, the more you need to focus on internal priorities and the harder it gets to see the world from the outside in.
This is the critical piece of the business strategy where we need to:
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In order to identify what matters for the people you serve.
When it comes to building your story…
You need to let the outside in. There are all kinds of ways to do this.
Maybe you’ve conducted primary customer research or have a thriving feedback loop in active social media channels. Developing personas and empathy maps for your target audiences can help too.
Gathering this input is just the beginning. What you do with it matters.
This is the work we love to do. Working with smart people who know their craft, businesses that make a difference. We help them identify all the possibilities, distill what matters most and leave the rest behind. This is the strategy behind the story. Then we build your story with your customers in mind.
It's the sweet spot where the?promise on the outside perfectly captures the value on the inside.
What does this work look like in the real world? Some of our most satisfying work includes helping:
And countless other examples in the 20 years we’ve been doing this…
You have all the ingredients. Let us help you describe the flavour.
Certified EOS Implementer? | Helping people run a better business and live a better life!
3 年Awesome Mary… I also think that when we’re operating in our Unique Ability, we see nuances and opportunities that most people miss. And because we see so much potential, we can often judge ourselves by the gap between our current state and the potential we see… this can impact confidence. Sometimes we need others to help us see just how great we are.
Freelance Copywriter & Content Marketer | Food Tech | HubSpot Provider | Owner at Greenlight Content
3 年This is so true! It's something I help my clients with often - being that fresh, outside perspective. They know their business so well but they need someone to help pull out all those valuable insights. This is spot-on: It's the sweet spot where the?promise on the outside perfectly captures the value on the inside. Thanks for sharing!