Posted by: Troy White
April 15, 2010
Issue #907

Whenever you are at a loss for a marketing idea …

Fellow Business-Builder,

Have you ever felt stuck with a marketing campaign?

… Maybe at a loss with where to start?

… Or at a point where it just ain’t doing it for ya?

I’m working on a couple new client projects right now, and this is the #1 problem they had. 

The best part is … the most obvious solution is right there in front of their eyes!

They feel uncreative, boring, and in need of something to spice up their image and message. 

Yet … not once did they think
that their story should be told.

When I start working on one of my own projects – or on a client’s project – the #1 spot I start with is the story behind the scenes. It helps me go deeper than surface level and find some real good material that can be used in the marketing.

For example, 

You may have heard of an ad that ran 65 years ago with the headline:

"Hand Woven by The Mountain People of New Mexico"

New Christmas Patterns in these unique ties.
Wearers say an exceptional value.*
Sold only direct from weavers to you.

It was a one-page ad that ran in the November 1940 edition of Life.  Simple – copy intensive – with a picture of the ties.

Get this: That ONE AD SOLD 26,000 TIES!

An amazing success story. And an amazing ad (written by James W. Young).

What is most evident about the ad are the unique ways they use a number of great story telling techniques – ones that STILL work today just as well.

Think about this:

1) A unique story headline – "Mountain people" conjures up pictures with those two words. "Hand woven" portrays the quality that they put into the ties. Combined, this is a very intriguing headline.

2) In the subhead, this statement is interesting – "Wearers say an exceptional value.*" Note that the * references a footnote at the bottom of the ad that is actually a testimonial of a happy buyer.

George W. Engelmann, well known Chicago business man, writes: "Enclosed is my order for some of your ties. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you how well I like your ties. When I wear them they never fail to attract favorable comment. They are also the most durable ties and best value I have ever seen."

NOTE: A testimonial in a clothing advertisement!  How often do you see that? 65 years later, and few people are using this simple strategy.  The footnote is a nice touch – a very interesting way to get people involved in the ad.

3) The ad starts out with a very compelling story:

 "For over 200 years, the Spanish people who settled New Mexico have been raising sheep and weaving wool. Their looms have been handed down from father to son …"

… And on it goes into the story of where they live, the types of fabric they make, the colors, the make of the tie, intriguing features like "invisible silk", how they wear, wrinkle free, the textures, cleaning … and so on.

It literally forces you to read the entire story!

Then it goes into "My Christmas Offer" showing that they obtained a fantastic deal ($1 per tie) – makes the perfect gift – guaranteed.

How to order details are very intricate – making sure people know exactly what must be done to get a part of this special offer.  It is even discussed how they will be packaged so the customer knows what to expect in their mailbox.

Last, the true kicker: why they MUST order now – "before the Spanish go on their "El Natividad" and why you must make a decision now before Christmas gets here and your gift is late.

What an amazing ad and story concept.  And, there is absolutely no reason you can’t use a concept like this in November for your year-end specials.  Either you sell products or services that make a good gift – or it is the perfect time in the New Year to order a new model. 

Find a way to use these ideas:

• Intriguing headline – make it a visual one.
• Testimonials.
• A great story about you – your employees – your spouse – your kids – your pets – whatever, just make it interesting.
• Description of what they get and why it matters.
• A very special offer that WILL NOT be repeated.
• Make it descriptive on how to order (and give them options).
• The big reason why they MUST order now!
• Tie it in to a holiday or special theme.

It’s not rocket science – but if they can sell 26,000 neck ties with a story-based ad like this – don’t you think you could find a way to sell more of your products and services using similar techniques?

Or what about learning marketing lessons
from Italian Sausage?

Not long ago, I met up with a fellow marketer for a brainstorming session at a place called Spolumbos.

They are famous on a local scale for the quality of their spicy (and non-spicy) sausages and meats.

They have done a TON of things right over the years.

Straight from their site (www.spolumbos.com):

It’s a story of three first generation Italian-Canadian boys who grew up in traditional Italian families. With the family spirit of old-fashioned Italian tradition, the boys hand-cranked their families’ small food grinders, helping to make home-made Italian foods, like sausage and fresh crushed tomatoes for sauce.

These guys are masters at marketing their business.  Now think about this – it’s an Italian deli – not exactly something original.

But they own the majority of the market
in the city of a million people.

How?

1) They use their celebrity status (all played in the CFL – the Canadian version of the NFL).  Their old jerseys, photos, cups, etc. are all posted in the deli for all to see.

(If you have anything that resembles fame – use it! If anyone in your family does – ask them if they would be your spokesperson.)

2) They educate people on how their business works – how they make the meats – how the business does what it does.

They have a virtual tour at their website showing you everything.

(Remember the story of Schlitz beer?  When they educated people about what goes INTO their beer – the time, labor and love – they went from 15th in the market to 1st! Everyone else did the SAME thing – but they were the only ones to educate people on it.)

3) They use videos of their deli (the multimedia approach) – to attract the visual types.  They even have a video there of Mamma cooking over the stove.

(They did not worry about expensive camera crews and wasting a TON of money on high end product – it’s a hand held video camera! And it works.  Don’t over-complicate things – people could typically care less how much you spent on your video and audio production – all they want is the real content.)

4) They give away their recipes! They don’t pretend they invented Italian sausage … they just make some of the best out there – and they share what they know. They are very open with the ingredients and the nutritional information of all their products.

(Do you share all that you know about your business and industry? You should.  People appreciate knowledge they don’t have – so show them you know what in the heck you do for a living.)

5) They have wholesale AND retail covered. You can buy online via the case lot – or come in and get yourself lunch or dinner. You can buy their sausages through many other food-related businesses here in town as well – so they use alliances and JV’s to expand their reach to blanket the local market.

(Are you giving people numerous ways to order from you? Are you using other peoples’ client lists to sell your products or services? You should!)

6) They love giving to charity – and the media loves covering them. You will see these three guys at all the big sporting events – cooking up a storm on some big arse barbecues.  They give a TON of food, toys, and help away to the charities that need the help.

And the media LOVES them. You see them everywhere – in the papers, on the radio, on television … they are everywhere.

(Is there anything at all you can do or give away to a local charity? Help out those that need the help! And make sure the local media knows about it – phone them, fax them, write them.)

THEY MISSED THIS, THOUGH …

On their website they do not capture e-mails.  They should.

Think about the specials they could send out via e-mail to get people in on their slow days of the week – even have specials for people to come in on their slow hours of the day.

(Capture your customers contact information! Then do something with it … market to them … get them buying more often … in more quantity.)

Some very powerful lessons to be had in my last visit to Spolumbos – I hope you take notice and try a few new things in your business.

If it worked for them, it will work for you … no matter WHAT your business is.

This is not an excuse
‘But … myyyyy business is different’
– no it isn’t!

You deal with people and people buy your product or service if you do what you promise.

Your business is not different at all. It is all about people and giving them more than what you promise – and making sure they even know you exist.

And … you have a story to tell … why are you hiding it? 

Every single time I find a good story beneath the surface – it improves sales.  It will for you, too.

Take heed in Mamma’s recipes – they contain the wisdom of wealth creation.

Some tools for digging out your best story …

Good stories get them talking, crying, thinking and acting.  Acting, of course, is the main goal of a good story in business.

• Your stories are already being told by your customers – be a part of the conversation.
• You improve the quality of new customers, repeat customers, new hires, and media interest.
• Stories strengthen and sustain your brand.
• Your story can be told by anyone – customers, employees, ex-employees, suppliers, investors, spouses.
• You craft and shape your company image and provide it in a replicable medium that you can leverage for years to come.
• Real stories by real people.

Why this matters to you and your business:

• Helps you find better quality leads (if they read your story, they won’t be shopping on price).
• Recruit better customers (better educated) and better employees (ones more concerned with culture than wage).
• Build stronger bonds with your clients.
• Sell faster.
• Grow faster.
• Reinforce existing relationships.
• Build your brand image.
• Create a more devoted following.
• Attract a certain type of new lead.
• Starts dialogues.
• Creates conversations.
• Humanizes your company.
• Makes complex ideas simpler.

Bridging the great divide between you
 and a happy, loyal customer

The following are some of the techniques you can use to create the idea behind your story and to get your stories out of your head and into a form your company can use to generate more cash flow and create happier customers.

There are a few ways you can do this:

• Hire a professional to craft your story for you.
• Interview others and have them tell your story. 
• Write your own story.
• Record your story on video or audio.
• Break it down into manageable bites (20 minutes of journal-writing a day can go a long way in a few weeks combined).

How you can make your story remarkable:

• Why do you do what you do?  When did this first all start?  At what point did you realize that you can help people with your offerings?  When did you realize you have what it takes to succeed in your business?
• What do you stand for?  Why should I believe that you want to change the world, the industry, or your neighborhood?
• Do you have some distinctive or disruptive sense of purpose that helps them see why you are different than your competitors?
• Is there anything provocative about the way you run your business, or about your personal past?  If you have something juicy to share, and it doesn’t put you in the center of a major backlash, then use it!
• How do you treat your customers differently than anyone else out there?  Be as specific as possible here or you’ll sound like everyone else. "We give good customer service" – if that is all you can say, it is not good enough. Dig deep and find something you do, or can start doing, that is dramatically different than what others are doing.
• If you had to close the doors in your business – who would miss you?  Why?
• Tell them what it is you do – why you do it – why they should care and what is in it for them – how it helps them – and what it should mean to them.
• Re-imagine what it means to be the leading supplier in your industry.  What type of customers would you have, what would they think of you, what would the media think of you, etc. 
• What would you do differently to lead your field? (Look at Southwest Airlines … they re-imagined what airline travel was and discovered that they were in the freedom business – not the "getting from A to B" business. The story of the airline and some of the unique things they do, things they wear, and how they act – are legendary.  The stunts they have pulled over the years – historic.  Or what about Richard Branson of Virgin?  The consummate daredevil, showboat entrepreneur who lives to do dangerous publicity stunts.  When you think of him – do you immediately know much of his story and what he stands for?)

The key to storytelling … is to start telling stories.

To your success,

Troy White
Editor, Small Business Mastery
Supplement to THE TOTAL PACKAGE

Looking for resources related to this article? Try some of these.

Looking for more of Troy’s articles? Check these out.

Looking for past issues of The Total Package? Click here for our archives.

A Final Note:

If you have specific subjects you would like addressed, or have any comments on what you have seen here, please submit a comment below and I will see how I can help.

"A man to carry on a successful business
must have imagination.
He must see things as in a vision,
a dream of the whole thing.”

– Charles Schwab

Want to share or reprint this article? Feel free. Just give us full attribution and a link to our Home Page when you do.

Attribution Statement: This article was first published in The Total Package. To sign-up to receive your own FREE subscription to The Total Package and claim four FREE money making e-books go to www.makepeacetotalpackage.com.

To your success,

Troy White
Editor, Small Business Mastery
Supplement to THE TOTAL PACKAGE

Looking for resources related to this article? Try some of these.

Looking for more of Troy’s articles? Check these out.

Looking for past issues of The Total Package? Click here for our archives.

A Final Note:

If you have specific subjects you would like addressed, or have any comments on what you have seen here, please submit a comment below and I will see how I can help.

"Now is the time to fix the next 10 years" — Jim Rohn

Want to share or reprint this article? Feel free. Just give us full attribution and a link to our Home Page when you do.

Attribution Statement: This article was first published in The Total Package. To sign-up to receive your own FREE subscription to The Total Package and claim four FREE money making e-books go to www.makepeacetotalpackage.com.

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5 Comments »

1. Comment by Andrew — April 15, 2010 @ 9:53 am

   Good article Troy. Very true about telling stories. I would also like to add, when it comes to PR and article writing, make sure that the story covers the human interest angle as your primary objective, and try to stand back and read it from your readers viewpoint. They are all thinking what’s in it for me so don’t make your story just about you, there also needs to be a recognisable benefit.

   Kind Regards
   Andy

   A Wilson MBA
   Stratique Marketing And Design (UK)
   http://www.stratique.com

2. Comment by Marcelino — April 15, 2010 @ 9:54 am

   ……………..

   Classic Troy!

   Daniel Levis rocked it out the
   stadium with ‘The Mind Thinks In Pictures’

   Your the man and your input revolves around
   a story being told..

   This was a solid key to anyone out there working
   on an ad.

   Even in the world of door to door sales I found that
   telling someone a good story led to an order.

   The brain definitely responds favorable to an image in
   minds eye.

   You guys here at the Total Package rule!

   Thanks for heads up..

   …………….

3. Comment by Maureen Otto — April 15, 2010 @ 11:29 am

   Story Telling is the future of the internet. That is what we create for our clients at http://interactive-media-network.com When we promote a client no matter what industry they are in we will use a similar story telling example that another client will relate to. We give examples on our site. Excellent article. Thank you!

4. Comment by Merrill Clark — April 16, 2010 @ 9:05 am

   Troy –

   Powerful and thought provoking ideas, to say the least!

   There’s so many tips and thoughts, I’ve printed it and will start using it right away as a checklist for developing new marketing strategy, materials and sales copy for my clients.

   Thanks a bunch!

   Merrill Clark

5. Comment by Jon — April 18, 2010 @ 6:43 pm

   Stories allow the copy reader to engage with and relate to the position of the copy writer/client/promoter.

   We don’t mind doing business so much with people that we can relate to. In fact we prefer it.

   Most importantly, stories allow the reader to associate themselves with a successful and desired outcome. Read Troy’s article from that viewpoint. Look at Troy’s two examples from the point of view of what the reader associates with and you’ll start to see why stories are so powerful.

   I would suggest as follows:

   With the Mountain People Ties the readers are seeing a product produced under difficult circumstances by a proud people using techniques handed down from generation to generation. They associate that with high investment of skill and time. In short, craftsmanship and exclusivity.

   With the Canadian-Italian Sausage producers the readers are associating with people who are energetic, successful, open and sharing. It has strong indications of family, and we all have family members that we’re proud of. The overall association is one of becoming a part of a caring and successful family that we can be proud of. Who wouldn’t want to belong to a family like that?

   Less than a mile from where I live is an Indian Takeaway. It has the reputation of being the best in the area, and it has pretty good meals on offer. I’ve tasted better in other parts of the country in my time and I’ve unfortunately tasted many much worse.

   On the wall in the reception/ordering area of the shop is a large board. It is covered with photographs of the owners family and friends visiting the takeaway. There are also many photographs of local dignitaries, the mayor, leader of the council, local councillors, community leaders etc. visiting the premises.

   What’s the story that the visitor picks up? What do they associate with?

   Is it really any surprise that this particular Indian Takeaway has the best reputation in the area?

   Want your copy to sell? Become a story-teller!