Marketing with a Purpose Means Knowing Your 'Why'

Apr 252013

I’ve written a lot about knowing your core purpose and telling that story in marketing. It’s your most important one. And I’ve had a number of conversations recently on this exact topic. So the blog post below is an updated version of the original piece I wrote about 1.5 years ago: Great Marketing Answers the “Why.” Enjoy.

Know your story! Kathy Klotz-Guest

Leaders Sell Ideas and Hope

Leaders sell ideas, inspiration and hope, not services. They are adept at answering “the Why” – why they do what they do. It is a fundamental human question. People often buy products and services based on a feeling of connection rather than on some objective, decision-making criteria. Yep. Humans are rarely completely rational, as Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational, posits in his work.

Build a marketing movement www.keepingithuman.com

Yet, that’s exactly how most marketing approaches work – by aiming at a “rational” consumer mindset that doesn’t really exist with details on “how” and “what.” That’s why most marketing is forgettable and ineffective. Recently, I re-watched a great TED talk by Simon Sinek, author of “Start with the Why.” His premise is that the “how” and the “what” in marketing are not as important as the “why.” While this concept isn’t new (some people call it leading with your purpose), his approach offers some interesting insights. Great organizations answer the “why” – why they do what they do. That targets something “visceral” in people, bypassing the “logic” brain, and allowing for messages to connect at a more human level. This approach inspires action.


Create a Vision of What “Could Be”

As Sinek jokes, Martin Luther King, Jr., inspired people with his “I have a dream” speech, not his “I have a plan” speech. Dr. King was driven by a dream for a better America, not by a technical, detailed-filled plan. He painted what could be, and, by doing so, he spoke to our common humanity and sense of shared values. And he wrapped up the “why” in a story – the most human of communications agents. He aimed his “sell” not at the audience’s “heads.” Rather, he targeted their hearts and their beliefs. Leaders tell stories bigger than themselves. We want to see people better themselves and achieve greatness because it inspires the achiever in us.

This is a critical point for marketers. Companies that lead sell a vision and inspire – they don’t sell technical and economic details. Sure profits matter, yet they are the result of “why” we do what we do. Unfortunately, too much marketing focuses on “what” we do and “how” we do it.

Sell hope keepingithuman.com

People buy stories – they buy hope that things will be different because of what you sell. Thus, they buy something bigger than your offerings. To focus on selling products and services is a huge mistake in a sea of content noise that is only getting worse. And no amount of marketing will ever create a ‘movement’ if it fails to speak to your larger purpose. When marketing leads from the inside-out – starting with your values and purpose – you attract your ideal audience. Moreover, when you know your why – your core purpose for your business – you are also better able to allocate resources, make strategic decisions that align with your values, and stay true to your values. Your core purpose is your strategic Northern Star.

What inspires you? People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. You are selling to people who believe what you believe. And in that “why,” your audience sees themselves. It’s not about you – it’s about something much bigger.

A Better “Why” to Market

I started Keeping it Human because I knew that marketing could be so much better. It could be “human.” I came out of high-tech, and saw wonderful products being marketed in the most un-human ways. “Solutions, platforms, methodologies, disruptive technology…” It was all company-focused rather than focused on the human challenges customers face. It was full of confusing jargon that didn’t matter to customers. No one talked in simple, honest, or funny stories that honored people. Who says marketing can’t at times be funny? What drives me is a deep belief that there is a better way for customers and companies. Even in B2B, you are selling to people who want to smile, laugh, believe in something, and have honest, direct conversations. Customers are people and they want to be treated that way. Now let’s try my marketing statement again with a focus on the “why.”

Keeping it Human challenges the status quo of company-focused, jargon-laden marketing that treats customers like “targets” with dollar signs on their backs instead of like people. We inject a human element into everything we do from creating products that solve human challenges to speaking in powerful human stories and narratives that move people to action. As a result, we improve profits and customer relationships while improving interactions for customers, too.

TOMS Shoes is one of my favorite examples. TOMS’ entire model is about giving. They don’t just make shoes. What they do is fulfill a tremendous need by giving a pair of shoes to a child in a developing country for every pair of shoes sold. Buy one, give one is their motto. Their shoes aren’t the cheapest or best made shoes on the market. That is irrelevant, because people buy TOMS because they believe in the mission of the company. It’s the “why” that matters.

Find and tell your purpose keepingithuman.com

Zappos is another powerful illustration of “why.” Zappos isn’t about the merchandise you can buy. You can likely find better deals elsewhere. That’s not the point. Tony Hsieh started Zappos because his mission was all about providing the best possible customer service and customer experience possible for online shopping. In fact, he started the company with this mission before he decided what merchandise to sell! There are great examples of “why” in every industry, including technology. “Think Different,” is Apple’s why. This drives Apple’s commitment to quality, user-friendly, and easy-to-use products.

Another great tech example is IBM and its Smarter Planet message. Working towards a ‘smarter planet’ is a message that is bigger than IBM and one that includes its suppliers, and even its competitors. When you don’t have a clear story or purpose, you have an identity crisis. Just look at HP or Yahoo! (or Ya-Who?!) compared to IBM today. And if you don’t know what you stand for, how can your market know? It can’t, and that’s a huge problem for any company that can’t clearly articulate its purpose.

Marketing is Evangelism…to the Converted

I believe marketing is about preaching to the already converted. By leveraging the “why,” you are targeting enthusiasts, people who make decisions based on intuition – the leaders. This is especially true for technology companies when you consider how diffusion of innovation occurs within markets. It is the leaders – the enthusiast early adopters – that are willing to buy based on an idea, sometimes unproven. Then, they help you improve your product and help you “sell” to the larger majority by word of mouth. If you don’t have these people on board, well, so much for crossing the infamous “chasm” and capturing the market majority. Their endorsement is critical.

Keeper of the Flame keepingithuman.com

Finding Your “Why”

As you think about the human reasons behind your company, focus on telling the “why” in your larger company narrative. It’s far more important than your individual services. Rethink your traditional time-based company biography. It is irrelevant. Communicate why you get up every day and what motivates you. Too much marketing focuses on details of “what” and “how.” Instead, great marketers and leaders communicate with heart, conviction and soul. By aiming at that most critical human level, your message has a greater chance of hitting exactly where it needs to connect most – viscerally.

Podcast: A Content Marketing Chat with Social Media Today's Robin Carey

Apr 052013

I had a blast talking with my colleague, Robin Fray Carey, the CEO and co-Founder of Social Media Today on April 4. We talked about content marketing strategies in the face of the content explosion. The pace of content is exponentially increasing.

  • So what do businesses need to know about content marketing?
    What are the big trends?
    What is the most important thing every business should before they upgrade their strategy or systems?

    • Listen to the podcast and let me know what strategies are working for you: kathy(at)keepingithuman(dot)com.

    Listen to internet radio with kathyklotzguest on Blog Talk Radio

    Yes, and…5 Ways That Improvisation Can Make You a Kick-Ass Marketer

    Mar 082013

    I am a marketer. I am also an improviser. That means I am also a storyteller. Like improvisation, all great marketing is ultimately storytelling.

    Before I threw myself (slightly kicking and screaming) into improvisation, I did sketch comedy and stand-up. Few things will help you stretch your comfort zone (read: scare the pants off you!) like comedy and improvisation (Think: Whose Line is it Anyway?). Improvisation is a storyteller’s weight training. It can be daunting and downright uncomfortable doing it, and yet once we grow, it becomes part of who we are. And, as with training on a regular basis, the results are worth it. I’ve written about this before – improvisation is an incredibly strategic marketing skill.

    Here are a few of the invaluable lessons that improvisation offers about marketing.

    Risk Taking. Great marketing is part art. Hey, I don’t make the rules! Improvisation involves creative risks and following our gut (not just our heads). Great marketing, too, involves taking a few risks. There’s no way around it. When we push that comfort-zone, we learn what works. Risk is a muscle; when you exercise, it grows and serves you well. To evolve, marketing must challenge the status quo. Sure, sometimes things won’t work, and there are no guarantees. The more you take risks, the more you fail quickly and get to what works. As with improvisation, there is no way to know if something works except one: doing it.

    Co-create with customers Keepingithuman.com

    Yes, And. ‘Yes, and’ is the cornerstone of improvisation as it is the building block for great scenes. If your on-stage partner calls you “Mom,” you are a mom in the scene. When we ‘deny’ an offer, the scene stalls. Marketing involves ‘Yes, and-ing’ your audience. If your audience says your brand is X, you are X. Your customer ultimately owns the brand and defines it in a way that is meaningful for them. As marketers, we shape it, we try to position it; yet our positioning is ultimately in the hands of our customers. This is why great marketers recognize that building great services, products and marketing is an act of co-creation with the customer just as any great improvisation scene.

    Make Your Partner Look Good. In improvisation, your goal is to make your stage partners look good by accepting their ‘offers’ (choices). When you focus only on your choices, you not only deny your partner; you compromise the continuity of the story you are creating together. Great marketing is all about making your customers – not you – more successful. Customers don’t exist to buy your stuff. They have real human challenges, and your goal is to make them successful, happy, and delighted. Yet, how often do we read jargon-filled, company-focused ‘(me, my, our’ vs. ‘you, your, their’) content? Drop the focus on your methodology, your IP, your jargon, and your baggage. What matters is making your customer the hero of the story. That is a great segue to my next point.

    No Jargon

    Storytelling. Improvisation is storytelling, and so is marketing. If we can’t tell great stories, our marketing will never have a material effect. Stories bring laughter, inspiration, memorability, and a much needed human touch. Too many facts in improvisation (instead of reactions and emotions_ can make a scene robotic. Marketing, too, has to connect with our hearts and guts – not just our ‘heads.’ Most buying decisions aren’t ‘rational’ anyway. Read Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational or Roger Dooley’s Brainfluence.

    Marketing is Storytelling Kathy Klotz-Guest

    Leading vs. Following, and Knowing the Difference. Years ago, I had a boss who gave me life lessons wrapped in axiomatic witticisms delivered in his comforting Southern accent, “Kathy, the sun can’t shine on the same dog’s ass all the time.” He was a character, and, it turns out, quite right. The focus can’t always be on you. In improvisation, players need to learn when to lead a scene, and when to follow someone else’s great idea to move the story forward. That’s what it means to be a team and make your partner look good. Players that over-take scenes are called “drivers” because they drive the scene into a corner. The result is never as good as if we allowed other peoples’ ideas to help shape it and make it better. When the scene naturally coalesces around someone else’s idea (read; not yours!), it’s in the best interest of the scene to rally around it instead of trying to ‘drive’ the scene YOUR way.

    The same is true of great marketing. You have to know when to let go and follow your customers’ lead. Great marketing involves putting our best ideas out there and allowing our customers to shape those stories in their own ways. Letting our advocates – our enthusiast customers – drive allows us to learn what they need and how our marketing can make THEM look good. When we try to control our brands too tightly (we really don’t have control today!), we risk alienating audiences. Improvisers learn to let go for the good of the group outcome.

    Marketers need to know when to let go of their plans when the situation calls for it. It can be scary, yet being able to change direction – to improvise as needed– is the hallmark of agile marketing. Since markets are dynamic; adaptability is critical.

    Let me know what you think!

    Humanize Your Products From the Inside-Out

    Feb 072013

    Stop Messaging and Start Storytelling! Kathy will be giving a workshop on humanizing your products with stories on May 18th at Techmart in Santa Clara for the Silicon Valley Product Management Association.

    Change The Game and Make Networking More Human

    Jan 202013

    Tired of the typical approach to networking? Hey who isn’t?

    You go to an event and try to meet people. People are filtering you in or out based on your name tag, and deciding whether you are worth their time (hey, you know the undignified ‘sizing up’ look). Then, we engage in the awkward dance of “what do you do?” and, when people recite a litany of credentials, we feign interest until we see someone else we want to talk to. Or, when a new party joins the small group after we’ve finished our mutual “sniffing,” we make our rapid and grateful get-away! Yep, most approaches to networking aren’t authentic, fun or human. There is a better way.

    Turn networking upside down with a few human tips that put people at ease and get better results. You’ll also have a lot more fun!

    • Don’t ask “what do you do?” People are burned out on that question and it elicits a robotic response. Mix it up with the unexpected and you’ll get an unrehearsed, human answer. For example, try “What brings you here today?” I also use, “What do you do for fun besides networking events?” That gets a laugh and lightens the ‘serious’ mood. Perfect for having a great conversation.

    • Make a human connection, not a contact. Asking ‘what do you do’ is about “sniffing” people out. Everyone knows “that awkward dance.” Instead, learn something about who they are, not what they do. Humor is a great way to break the ice and lighten the mood. For example, write something unexpected on your nametag that prompts conversation. My married name is “Guest,” and I like to preempt the obvious, “Aren’t we all ‘guests?’” So I write Kathy “Be My” Guest! This usually yields a smile and a warm connection. I made a connection first. Now, people are more likely to listen!

    • Be a connector. When you serve others, you show character. As you meet people, make it a point to connect them. Perhaps you met someone earlier that would be a great connection for the person you are talking to currently. When you facilitate a personal introduction for others, you create value and leave a great impression people will remember (unlike most 30-second ‘pitches.’ Ugh!).

    • Don’t data-dump a list of services. People don’t want more “data,” they want a reason to care! Show them how you can help them or their clients by telling a brief story of how you leave clients better off. Use one recent example of how you helped a favorite client increase revenues, get a new client, or do something that matters. People remember stories, not services. Leave them wanting to get to know you, not bored out of their minds! No one cares about your list of services.

    • Always be you. If you’re trapped in an uncomfortable conversation, be gracious, extend a thank you and move on. Contacts based on inauthenticity aren’t true connections, and won’t yield good business.

    • Write something personal about each person you meet on the business card they give you. When you follow-up, always personalize your emails and LinkedIn invites. This demonstrates that you are interested in a genuine two-way connection, and it increases your response rates.

    Inject a human element into networking and you’ll get better results. How do you make networking more human and more successful? I’d love to know. kathyatkeepingithumandotcom

    Today’s Executive Communicators Must Be The Company ‘Purpose Keepers’

    Jan 102013

    A new era of executive communications is here, thankfully. Move over sound bite-spewing CEOS.

    Fragmented media compete for increasingly divided customer attention. The decline of trust in corporations combined with the increasing volume and complexity of information have left audiences with a glut of ‘data’ and, yet, a paucity of meaning. And factor in customer demographic shifts (‘Millennials’ anyone?), and social media’s demands for transparency.

    People don’t want more facts. They want a reason to care about your company. So give it to them.

    Purpose-Driven Communications Eat Strategic Messaging for Lunch

    The executive communicator must go beyond company messaging. He or she must be the “purpose keeper” of the company, elevating the company’s purpose to a human narrative that is larger than the sum of its products and services. Being ‘social,’ means more than just being visible across social channels; it means creating a shared purpose by connecting the company with the societal concerns of its customers, and communicating the role his or her company has in contributing to the greater good. Some research suggests that purpose-driven companies also have stronger bottom lines.

    According to the 2012 ‘Social CEO’ study from IBM, standing for nothing is just not an option. Jon Iwata, IBM’s SVP of Communications, says that today character trumps reputation management when it comes to communication. While CEO visibility is important, says Iwata, character and relevance matter more, and a strong, clearly communicated sense of shared ‘purpose’ creates meaning, strengthens a company’s character, and keeps a brand relevant. It eats strategic messaging for breakfast and lunch.

    Shared Purpose Drives Growth

    Culture and strategy are driven by purpose. Strategies change; yet, a well-defined, unwavering purpose serves as strategy’s global positioning system.

    Consider Chipotle’s mantra of “Food with Integrity” and the combination of platform and purpose used by CEO and Founder, Steve Ells. Purpose is the guiding force behind strategy, communications and growth. Ells has not only been visible – he was on America’s Next Restaurant in 2012 – his communication of the company’s purpose earned him the title of America’s Most Inspiring CEO according to Esquire (September 2012).

    Platform matters; yet, without purpose, visibility isn’t meaningful. Ells’ message of fresh ingredients – and great food – is driving more than just growth. His commitment to his cause has created company champions.

    Shared Purpose Creates Customer Value, Trust

    The new breed of executive communicator is also the chief storyteller and steward of the company’s values. Stories of shared purpose speak to values. Relevant stories that show how the company fulfills its purpose provide facts and meaning – together.

    Purpose is often a key part of the value a company creates. TOMS’ CEO, Blake Mycoskie, says that his company is as much a story as it is a product. The most loyal customers, Mycoskie calls them “supporters” who share that story with others, are connected by a bigger narrative. This allows people to connect to the company story in a way that is meaningful for them. Mycoksie’s platform – that also includes a book, Start Something That Matters – is inextricably connected to the company’s mission of “One for One.” More than a mission, TOMS has become a social movement. There is value in belonging to a movement. Customers don’t buy TOMS for shoes, they buy the TOMS story.

    Or consider Zappos. Its CEO, Tony Hsieh, focuses his communications platform on service and delivering happiness; not on sound bites or shoes. Hsieh has taken his company and his personal brand to new heights of relevance and visibility based on his commitment to something larger than the company.


    Shared ‘Purpose’ Aligns Strategy with Vision

    Moreover, clearly articulated purpose provides a strategic direction. When IBM sold its PC business in 2004, it was a gamble and the company did not yet have a replacement strategy. By the Fall of 2008, IBM’s executives – including CEO, Sam Palmisano, and SVP of Marketing and Communications, Iwata – began telling a larger story of Smarter Planets, and of IBM’s new role as a part of this larger narrative. While IBM didn’t own the idea of smart planning, it drove a shared purpose that other companies, including partners and competitors, could participate in and create new business by doing so.

    IBM’s new story of purpose – Smarter Planets and Smarter Cities – helped to align an emerging vision with strategic definition and resources. Smarter Planets provided a much needed roadmap. As a result, IBM reinvented itself and created a new market that was much bigger than the PC business it had. The campaign was not about the company, says Iwata. “It was about hope and solving the world’s bigger problems.” By 2012, IBM’s revenue growth had shown that its purpose -driven approach had paid off, and it’s one that CEO Ginni Rometty continues today.

    If a company cannot articulate its purpose, how can it communicate a strategic vision? Contrast IBM with HP today. HP is a company in crisis, without a purpose, a story, or a strategy.

    The Executive Communicator Must Be the “Keeper of the Flame”

    Brian Solis has called “People” the fifth element of the marketing mix, while Mitch Markson of Ogilvy has called “Purpose” the fifth P. They’re both right, and yet, it’s also about much more.

    Today’s socially savvy executive communicator must be the company’s “keeper of the flame,” who connects the organization to a relevant and meaningful mission that people – customers, employees, partners – care about. Products come and go; it is purpose that defines strategy.

    Today’s business environment needs a different type of executive communicator: one who leads with purpose, not PR.

    Creating a Core Marketing Story that Matters– It’s Much Bigger Than Your Company

    Dec 282012

    Keeping marketing human means your core story is never about you, your technology, or your products and services. As Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, states, you must think bigger than what you do. In the case of Zappos, Hsieh knows the shoes his company sells are incidental. Hsieh maintains that Zappos delivers “happiness.” That’s a tall order; and yet, by any standard, Zappos has one of the best customer service records around. *That’s* credibility.

    At a conference I spoke at in September, I met one of the heads of Zappos’ customer service department from Henderson, Nevada. A warm, funny, and customer-service oriented character herself, Vanessa told me all about Zappos’ most famous customer service call – it lasted 8 hours (with a few breaks in between). Now *that* is commitment and something more meaningful than delivering shoes.

    So where do you start honing your core story? Start by understanding what your offerings are really about – it’s never about the products themselves. What do your products help people do? What human need is served? That is the most important question your story must answer.

    Deconstructing a recent example and re-creating it with a more human slant will illustrate the point. I met a company fairly recently in the biotech space that puts together conferences. All of its messaging focused on conferences. It turns out the conference business wasn’t doing that well because people aren’t necessarily excited about getting marketing messages to come to a conference. Big shock! I pressed the CEO a little further, and discovered that at some of these conferences, a number of start-ups were funded because they met the right investors.

    A-ha! The human need isn’t for your conference. What attendees really care about is the chance to get their stories told and attract potential investor funding. The company wasn’t in the conference business; it was in the investor facilitation business. *That* is what attendees care about. This company needs to tell the success stories of start-ups that have been funded at their conferences. Through this lens, its own story of being a funding facilitator is credibly strengthened.

    A conference company has lots of competition; a company that facilitates funding so dreams come true has a differentiated message in a crowded market. How much more compelling is it, then, to receive an invite to tell your story to investors who could bring your company to life, versus receiving an invite to yet one more conference?! It’s the difference between pushing products and communicating a higher human purpose that pulls in the right target audience.

    When you know your value and how it aligns with the most human needs of your audience, you understand how to tell this story across everything you do. Keep peeling back your messaging until you “hit” on the most urgent human challenge of your audience. It’s not your products and services. Consequently, your marketing messaging shouldn’t focus on them. Instead, tell the urgent story of customer need, and how you serve that need.

    So how are you keeping your core story human? Let me know!

    Secrets of Executive Communications Jedi Masters

    Dec 212012

    Executive communications is an area undergoing rapid change. The best communicators have the uncanny ability to connect with their audience on such a visceral level that we hang on every word. They don’t just communicate; they connect. They don’t follow a script – they paint a picture with their words. They are able to adapt, adjust and improvise because they lead with conviction and feeling, sensing the audience’s needs in real-time. That connection – the ability to adjust and “feel” – is where influence and persuasion lie.

    One of the best speakers across the business and political spectrum is Bill Clinton. After his speech at the Democratic Convention in the summer of 2012, NPR called him the “Improviser-in-Chief” for his ability to improvise while speaking.

    A comparison between his prepared text and the speech he delivered shows that much of what he said at the Convention was added in the moment. An analysis of his speech analysis shows how much was ad-libbed (green text was added; pink was cut text).

    While Clinton was known for winging many of his best speeches, his improvisational skills derive from the fact that he is prepared, confident, and able to speak in a direct, human way. It is because he knows his larger story, his purpose and is deeply connected to his mission – not to pre-packaged sound bites – that he is able to improvise so successfully. Without passion and purpose, no amount of preparation matters.

    Clinton’s speech illustrates what “ Jedi”expert communicators are able to do that separates them from the pack.

    1. Follow your gut – Clinton leads with feelings, not facts. He senses his audience – how they are feeling, the energy flow, and he is able to adjust. As a “feeler,” he follows his instincts.

    2. Ditch the ‘script’ – Clinton doesn’t just wing it. Clinton prepares judiciously and knows his material; he also knows when to ditch the script. Knowing when to deviate from the plan is the difference between talking at and connecting with your audience. Speak from your heart, not your slides.

    3. Paint a vision of purpose – While technical communicators focus on facts; experts such as Clinton aim for the heart, not the head, by communicating a purpose, a larger “mission” of what could be that connects his audience together. He creates a collective “we” that builds a coalition of commitment to something big: in this case, a vision of a better America.

    4. Create a simple narrative – Experts speak in simple, human tones. While others use statistics and jargon, Clinton speaks to the audience in a direct, no-nonsense way. He takes complex topics and breaks them into simple, digestible explanations and stories that “stick.”

    A Jedi master knows that preparation is imperative. He or she also knows that the ability to ditch the script and speak simply and passionately to a larger collective purpose is the difference between communicating and connecting.

    The best communicators connect because they “keep it human.” Do you?

    Successful Product Videos Aren’t About Products

    Nov 192012

    Think Un-Product

    I was waiting to see the movie, “Lincoln,” last weekend when the this “trailer” played in the theater.

    “Oh no,” I thought, another cliché movie about finding love and missed connections, literally and metaphorically – as love between two bloggers blossoms as a result of a chance encounter at an airport.

    Sears, Connecting Flights

    The fabulous surprise ending revealed it was not another ad for a cheesy romantic comedy (thankfully!); rather, it was an appliance commercial for the everyday store for hardware and house wares, Sears. In fact, the product is appropriately only in the last scene of the video. Sears got it right: story before product.

    Love May Be Hot, But This Fridge is Cold

    Besides the fun surprise ending (which I love), this video hooks us in by telling a story. The product makes an appearance – comically – in the last scene and that’s as it should be. If you want to make products relevant, don’t think ‘product’ focus for your videos. Instead, think ‘story.’ Customers’ lives don’t fit into product stories; instead, products fit into the stories of customers’ lives. So why not focus on the life – albeit a romantic one – of a customer couple.

    Fun and Surprise Work – Every Time

    There is nothing fun or exciting about appliances. Yet, appliances are everyday items that fit into the context of our lives. When romance and life are unpredictable, appliances from Sears, by contrast, are reliable. Humor that shows stark contrast works, as does the element of surprise. Up-end your audience’s expectations and you grab attention.

    By focusing on telling the larger narrative of a customer profile – in this case, the young and in-love couple –mundane products have a context and a back-story that draws us in. The story of a product is bigger than the product itself. In fact, the product’s specs and features are never the story. Moreover, when you are dealing with perceived commodities (in the minds of customers), the only way to differentiate your product is the story you wrap it in. Providing an emotional wrapper is the key to standing out.

    Want your product story to stand out?

    Start by up-ending expectations with your product videos. Tell the larger story of your customer, think “un-product,” and have some fun.

    Storytelling - The Real "Breakfast" of Olympic Champions

    Aug 052012

    I love the Olympics – the games, the glory, the intensity. I especially love the sports that defy gravity, for example, gymnastics. How these people do what they do leaves me awestruck and inspired.

    Yet, the best part of the Olympics for me is the storytelling. All of it: the defeats, the wins, the losses, the overcoming of adversity to succeed, the failures that shape our character. The back stories of the athletes – all of them champions in my mind for ascending to the top of their fields –inspire me.

    The Stories Are In the Journeys, Not Just the Destinations

    Take, for example, teen Gabby Douglas, the determined daughter of a single mother, and the first African American female to win an individual gold in gymnastics. How much did she and her family sacrifice to bring her to the pinnacle of success? She, like so many athletes, is more than a winning face on a Wheaties box.

    How about Kayla Harrison, gold medalist in Judo, who survived trauma by sexual abuse at the hands of her own coach starting when she was just twelve years old? It’s not the trauma we focus on; it’s her strength of character to overcome it. Her triumph was more than a gold medal; by telling her story and testifying against her coach, she inspired others who face similar issues. Hers was a victory over adversity, and she was the superhero of her own journey long before she won a gold medal.

    Or, consider the story of 25-year-old South African, Oscar Pistorius, called ‘Blade Runner’ for his prostheses, the first double amputee to compete on an Olympic track. Whether he wins or not is incidental, he has made history. His story lies in his tenacity, and all the people he has inspired.

    These “champion” stories are about more than sports and medals. Stories are about journeys, not just destinations. They are universal archetypes (think: Joseph Campbell) that speak to our ability to overcome challenges, walk through the hero’s journey, to be the superhero of our own lives, and they speak to our better selves. It’s the universal story of greatness that inspires all of us. We may not all be athletic competitors; yet we all have superhero qualities that propel us to be better tomorrow than we are today.

    Greatness is a Universal Quest in Life and Business

    To celebrate the Olympic spirit in all of us, Nike launched a series of ads that speak to the greatness in every person. One of my favorites is of pre-teen Nathan, an overweight native of Ohio, who is running on a road by himself and pushing his physical limits. His quest for greatness is the everyman journey to be better.

    Each of us can be the superhero in our own lives, and that also means telling our stories to the world. Think about all the stories you have to tell that shape your life and, by extension, your business:

    • How have you faced and overcome adversity in life and in business?
    • What did you fail at and how did it shape your character?
    • How did failure make you better? What did it teach you?
    • When did others doubt you (the “underdog” story); yet your tenacity to never give up paid off?
    • How are you walking the hero’s journey in your own life?

    Greatness is Inspiring Others with Your Story

    Greatness of character is found in the stories of our journeys, not just in those of the destinations. There are often more lessons in the “traveling” than in the end game. Even in business, all of us can be great by sharing our stories to help inspire others. Every entrepreneur has failed, and there are invaluable lessons in the failures: fail fast and fail forward is an incredible way to learn.

    What stories of struggle, failure, “underdog” status, or success against the odds can you share to inspire and better connect with friends, family, and your customers and prospects?

    Our common struggles can often connect us in the most unexpected ways because they are part of the universal human experience. These will connect you to your audience in ways that facts and “data” can never do. That’s part of what “keeping it human” is about.

    Content Marketing Reminders From TED: Simple, Short, and Story…and, Wait for it…Surprise!

    Jun 292012

    If you haven’t seen a few TED talks (live or via TED.com), you are missing out. If you have, well, you know how great the talks are.
    TED

    TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) and TEDx – independently organized conferences focusing on local communities– are well-run and inspiring events that happen (and are streamed) all over the globe. Founded in 1984, TED’s mission is to facilitate the spread of great ideas that can make the world a better place. Today, many of these talks go beyond technology, entertainment and design to include elements of business, philanthropy and social innovation, for example.

    A truly global community, it has grown largely by word of mouth, the best kind of marketing an organization can get. That TED has mastered the trifecta of great marketing – simple, short, and story –is ironic for an organization that typically eschews having marketers in its roster of speakers.

    Its success offers up some key reminders for all marketers when it comes to content.

    Simple. Each TED talk focuses on communicating one simple idea. That’s it. It’s not about selling anything – except an idea that can simplify lives. Every marketer should remember he or she is in the simplicity business. Our job is to communicate simply in order to make customers’ lives less complex.

    Short. TED talks, or mini keynotes, are short as far as talks go. Each speaker typically gets 18 minutes. I’ve been to two TEDx conferences where 18 speakers spoke for 18 minutes each. That’s just long enough for a talk to communicate a few great points, and leave the audience wanting more. In a world of noise, we have to be brief to grab and keep attention. You always want to leave your audience ready to come back.

    Story. TED speakers are some of the most powerful and inspiring storytellers I’ve seen. Ideas are presented not through a deluge of facts; rather, they are packaged together with compelling and inspiring personal stories from the speakers’ lives. The key point for anyone – not just marketers – is that facts never inspire or move people to action, and they won’t make a lasting impression. Stories will. To make a lasting impact on your audience, tell stories that show who you are, not what you sell.

    Content, Packaging and…Surprise!

    TED actually delivers another “S,” Surprise. Some of the best talks I’ve seen have been on topics I didn’t think would be so invaluable, except that these extraordinary speakers delivered unexpectedly compelling “a-ha” moments. The ability to consistently surprise your audience will keep people coming back.

    In the marketplace of thought leadership, compelling and inspiring ideas win. Packaging matters, too, and TED delivers both. While its organizers and speakers don’t label themselves as marketers, TED’s (and TEDx’s) growth shows just how masterfully adept at marketing they are.

    Storytelling and "Stellar Presentations": A "Non-Naked" Conversation with Shel Israel

    Apr 042012

    I had the pleasure of chatting with my colleague and co-conspiring mischief maker, Shel Israel, about his latest book, Stellar Presentations. Shel and I first met as Founding Fellows of the new media research think tank, Society for New Communications Research, sncr.org.

    A masterful storyteller, Shel Israel is a writer, consultant and keynote speaker. He is CEO of SI Associates and is located in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has written four books, including Naked Conversations, Twitterville, The Conversational Corporation, and Stellar Presentations. Israel is also a contributing columnist at Forbes.com and has contributed previously to OpenForum, BusinessWeek and FastCompany. He has been a keynote speaker on five continents and in 14 countries. His blog is GlobalNeighbourhoods.net. Stop by and say hi!

     

    Kathy Klotz-Guest (KKG): Humans are wired to think in stories, as you and I know so well given what we do for a living. Yet, many business people fail to use presentations as a chance to tell great stories. Why don’t more people focus on thinking about their presentation as a “story” vs. as a bunch of bullets?

    Shel Israel (SI): I wish I could answer your question but I don’t know why. I believe presentations would be more memorable if presenters understood the powerful advantage to storytelling.  I’ve seen bullet-based slide decks where each slide was presented for three minutes, but it felt to us in the audience like 3000 years.

    Conversely, there are stories that were first told 3000 years ago, passed down from one generation to another, have been embedded in history, culture, religion and family. Some have endured for well over 3000 years.

     

    KKG: You are known as a social media writer. Why write a book on presentations?

    SI: I have been coaching startup executives on presenting to press, investors and at conferences for over 25 years, but it never dawned on me to write a book on the subject until I was invited to India to speak at their largest entrepreneurial conference, NASSCOM. They wanted me to speak on how to give a good presentation.

    It was the first time, in 100 engagements that I was invited to speak on a topic not related to social media and I was going to decline, until I realized how much I knew, not just from my presentation coaching, but because I had also covered countless presentations at conference and in recent years had become pretty accomplished at it as a speaker myself.

    So I decided to do what I always do. I put together a bunch of stories I knew about other presentations that worked or failed and built it out into my own presentation. Last November, I found myself standing in front of a few hundred people in a country I had never visited, in a culture where I was an outsider and I was more nervous than I had been in a long time.

    “What if I really suck,” I wondered. Then I realized that the people who were in the room probably had that same fear, when they had to speak on behalf of their startups. So I began my talk buy saying, “I have been asked to give a presentation about how to give a great presentation–but what if I suck?”

    There was an awkward moment, then laughter, the applause, and I knew I was on my way. It turned out to be the most enthusiastic reception I had ever received. I was the top-rated speaker at the conference and it felt very good.

    On the flight home, I realized that over many years, I had acquired a good deal of wisdom on a topic that mattered to a great many people and the topic fit extremely well into my storytelling style of writing. Two weeks later, I put everything aside and wrote the book almost straight through. It’s a very short book but I’m very proud of it.

     

    KKG: What are the three worst mistakes speakers make?

    SI: Here you go…

    They try to say too much in too short a period of time. Speakers should make as few points as they possibly can, but they should make those points extremely well.

    They try to make the Powerpoint the presentation. It is not. It is the background and when moved to stage center, it can make for an excruciatingly boring presentation. I use Powerpoint to illustrate a talk in the same way I use photos on a blog.

    They assume formal identities. The nicest, most approachable people filled with passion and enthusiasm, stand on a dais and suddenly sound like that professor who cured your insomnia during his lectures in sophomore year. They say big words when little ones will do. They use data-dense slides that make a train schedule look fascinating by comparison.

    Speakers should remember that a presentation should not answer all questions. They should make diverse people in the room–editors and analysts, investors, customers, competitors and future hires all want to know more about you, your company, your product and your dream.

     

    KKG:  What was your most embarrassing moment as a speaker?

    SI: Yikes. That goes back a long, long time to when I was an upperclassman at Northeastern University. I was selected to be host of Freshman night, in which upper-class students produced satiric skits of campus life.

    I was not supposed to be all that funny. I was just supposed to introduce the acts. As I walked out, a very attractive woman in the front row started smiling from ear-to-ear. I thought she liked me and it bolstered my confidence. Then she was whispering to the guy next to her, and he started smiling and he turned to the next person and in seconds, the whole front two rows were chatting and chuckling.

    Finally, I stopped talking. I looked at the young woman who started it going and asked her what was so funny. She hesitated for a long moment and I insisted again that she share the joke.

    “Your fly is open,” she said. That was over 40 years ago. I still haven’t topped it and I really hope I don’t.

     

    KKG: What are the key elements to telling a great story in the context of a presentation?

    SI: Keep it focused and reasonably short. Have fun telling it. Make certain people understand why you told the story. If possible insert some humor. Presenters often vastly undervalue humor for making memorable points.

     

    KKG: Amen! You are preaching to the humor choir! What’s the best story given in a presentation you have heard lately?

    SI: When I was in Israel, I heard a presentation by an advocate of greater tolerance between Israelis and Arabs. I don’t remember the name of the storyteller, but I will never forget how he opened: “A Jew and a Muslim walk into a bar and kill each other. Then everyone else joins in. They kill each other. The bar has no one to serve, so it goes out of business. The owner kills himself. My moral is: All this killing is bad for everyone and really ought to stop.

    Compare that with a bullet point presentation. I defy you to think of three bullet items on a page that would make the point more powerfully than that.

     

    KKG:  What is the most important piece of advice you would give to making your presentations more memorable?

    SI: Make the fewest points you can possibly make to get the audience to walk away wanting to know more.

     

    KKG: Thanks, Shel, you’re a masterful conversationalist. And, no, Israel was NOT named after you! <laughs!>

     

    Follow Shel: @ShelIsrael

    Follow Kathy @KathyKlotzGuest

    Video Storytelling: Hey B2B Marketing, Lighten Up! An Interview with Tim Washer, Part II of II

    Mar 192012

    KKG: Your success at IBM led to more of those videos and it became a serial effort.

    TW: Yes, 6 ‘Art of the Sale’ videos. We would improvise, and with my writing partner, Scott, we ended up doing a few longer ones. The best bet is to do things shorter – 60 seconds or less.

    KKG: What’s new at Cisco? I’ve seen some of the funny stuff you’ve worked on!

    TW: We did the Father’s Day video <laughs> and Valentine’s Day video! I believe that is why Cisco asked me to join their team – they wanted to mix it up and play. They are willing to experiment and try new things. You have to experiment.  So many companies are putting out so much content – but they forget about getting the story right. What we do is a mix of story, an offer and entertainment. It’s critical that good video have all three. Making people laugh won’t make them buy a million dollar mainframe; yet, there is still an enhancement to brand equity that happens when you make people laugh. They will listen!

    KKG: Do you think the surprise and novel element of ‘Art of the Sale’ can happen again?

    TW: I think so. We really had the element of surprise on our side –coming from IBM! The challenge is the controls from a branding standpoint. Big corporations can get too risk- averse, and that keeps people from doing the necessary experimenting to see what works.

    KKG: Do you see compelling video today? Anyone you admire doing cool things?

    TW: Ikea did a funny video.  B2B has to kick it up a notch. What Ikea did was make it look like an improv troop. They did these funny short vignettes around an office or a kitchen set-up. It was phenomenal. Now, you have Madison Avenue agencies doing this stuff. It’s harder to reproduce the kind of guerrilla feel we had that way. When I did this for IBM, we didn’t have budget or big agencies controlling it. I almost couldn’t use a writing partner because he wasn’t an approved vendor! It was total guerrilla style and cost $1,000 bucks. This was the one before ‘Art of the Sale.’ We just did it on the fly. The line is blurred a bit today because you have so much production with the big ad agencies.

    KKG: You lose the organic nature when ad agencies script it.

    TW: That’s the challenge going forward. I think that’s why so much video and story innovation will happen in mid-sized companies because they don’t have the barriers and big agencies scripting things. There is so much cool stuff that could be done.

    KKG: What else would you like to tell people?

    TW: Be aware of the challenges you will face when doing things differently in a large company. When there is risk, you will face some fear. The obstacles will be there…but you have to be committed to try to get around it. Go shoot something quick first and show proof of concept.  Be smart about managing and make people comfortable. In big companies, it takes committees to get approval. With comedy – you have to only involve several people. You can’t have judgment, as you know, from your improvisation. Let people create first and then show script.  Once you get a committee involved in script – you kill the comedy; an attorney or marketer gets involved, and three edits later, you get something a lot less funny that isn’t worth doing.

    KKG: Creativity by Committee is the Kiss of Death

    TW: Well said.  You have to have convictions and a strong point of view. The first comedy class I took – one with Eddie Brill, the opener for Letterman – taught me that. You need to be truthful and vulnerable. Only by being vulnerable are you really risking saying something of value.  Once you get someone to laugh, though, you establish a connection. You have them. You cut trough clutter. You have earned attention. You can get someone to listen to you.

    KKG: And that’s what it’s all about – getting people to listen! Thanks, Tim.

    Follow Tim at @TimWasher

    Follw Kathy at @KathyKlotzGuest

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