Many business owners believe telling their company story will grow their business, but the key is inviting customers into a story where they are the hero and you are the guide solving their problems. This article explains why focusing on the customer's problem and solution is more effective than leading with your company story, and when and how to appropriately share your back story as the guide.
Many business owners have a strong desire to tell the story of their business. They believe that sharing their company’s story will help grow their business. However, this is a common misconception. Telling your story alone will not grow your business. Instead, inviting customers into a story where they are the hero and you are the guide is what truly drives business growth.
This article explores why telling your story is not the best approach to growing your business, what you should do instead, and when it is appropriate to share your company’s story.
The StoryBrand framework, based on Donald Miller’s bestselling book Building a StoryBrand, is built on seven key elements anchored in one powerful idea: Your customer is the hero and you are their guide. This framework helps businesses craft clear messaging that connects with customers and grows their business.
Business owners often want to start by telling their company’s story, values, and mission. However, this approach often fails because it focuses on the company rather than the customer. Customers are primarily interested in how your product or service solves their problems, not your company’s history or values.
Consider a company that cleans airplane engines by spraying foam into the engine, running it for an hour, and then collecting the foam and liquid. This process increases engine efficiency, reduces danger, extends flight time, and improves fuel efficiency. They charge $3,000 per engine and save customers around $30,000 in maintenance and fuel costs.
Initially, their pitch deck focused heavily on their company values for the first 10 pages, which made it difficult to close accounts. The problem was that the pitch deck was about them, not the customer.
By redesigning the pitch deck to focus entirely on the customer’s problem and the financial benefits of the service, the company was able to reduce the sales cycle by six months. The new pitch deck answered every subconscious question a buyer might have, using a format of problem slides followed by solution slides. This approach created zero cognitive load for the buyer and made the pitch highly effective.
Instead of telling your story, invite customers into a story where they are the hero facing a problem, and your company is the guide offering a solution. This approach hooks the customer by focusing on their pain points and how you can help them overcome those challenges.
Start your messaging with the customer’s problem, emphasizing the negative consequences of not solving it. Then, present your product or service as the solution that leads to a positive outcome. This narrative structure is more engaging and relevant to the customer.
There is a time and place to tell your company story, but it is not at the beginning of your marketing or sales pitch. The appropriate time to share your story is after you have established trust and the customer is seriously considering your solution.
In storytelling, there are several roles: the hero, the victim, the villain, and the guide. The customer is the hero, and your company is the guide. The hero is typically weak, ill-equipped, and in need of help, while the guide is experienced and capable of leading the hero to victory.
You should never position your company as the hero. Instead, tell the back story of the guide — how you became the expert capable of helping the hero. This is especially effective if you once faced the same problem as your customer and found a solution.
For example, Luke Skywalker is the hero, and Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi is the guide. Sharing Yoda’s back story gives Luke confidence that he can be helped.
Share your back story when the customer is already interested and engaged, such as after multiple meetings or when the deal is progressing through various approvals. This deepens the relationship and builds trust.
When it is time to tell your story, use the following formula:
This formula helps you craft a compelling back story that positions you as a trustworthy guide.
Telling your company story is not the key to growing your business. Instead, focus on inviting customers into a story where they are the hero facing a problem, and you are the guide offering a solution. Lead with the customer’s problem and the benefits of your solution, and only share your company’s back story once trust has been established.
By adopting this approach, you can create clearer messaging, reduce sales resistance, and ultimately grow your business more effectively.
This approach is based on the StoryBrand framework by Donald Miller, which emphasizes the importance of clear messaging centered on the customer as the hero and the company as the guide.
