Is it a winning pitch or a bedtime story?
Principal - Bob Wiesner
“Every great story is born from intentions and obstacles. ”
This insightful quote from the legendary screenwriter, playwright, and director, is among my favorites. While Mr. Sorkin was referring to writing for the stage and screen, his approach to storytelling has relevance in business development as well.
If you believe in the power of storytelling in your new business pursuits, then the above quote shows why your business development communications – your case studies, your credential decks, and your pitches – are not differentiating, and (let’s face it): are probably boring.
The trap you’ve fallen into is the assumption that your story should be created from intentions and solutions.
Does this construction resemble your case studies?
Our client asked for a new research center. Here’s what we designed.
Our client asked for a new brand-building campaign. Here’s what we created.
Our client wanted better analytics. Here’s the data we provided.
Our client asked for a way to increase profits. Here’s the strategy we recommended.
You get the idea. All of these are Intention --> Solution.
But you’re missing an essential ingredient: The Challenge.
Without a challenge, you’re not storytelling. Within every case study, you must demonstrate how you overcame an obstacle to optimize your impact. In each of the cases cited above, the obstacle is missing. To make your story compelling, you must demonstrate the problem or issue that needs to be resolved to generate an effective solution.
Consider:
Our client asked for a new research center. Their existing facility created silos among project teams and limited collaboration. Workflow was stalled and projects consistently missed critical deadlines. Here’s what we designed.
Our client asked for a new brand-building campaign. Their existing brand image and messaging were out of alignment with their strategic objectives and target audience. They were eroding market share and losing their competitive advantage. Here’s what we created.
Our client wanted better analytics. Their existing KPIs did not accurately reflect the value they provided their clientele. Their data was cumbersome and their client reporting was ambiguous and failed to support the business case for contract renewal. Here’s the data we provided.
Our client asked for a way to increase profits. Their market was increasingly competitive their product line was stagnant. They needed to readjust their business model to boost their margins and pricing adjustments were not feasible. Here’s the strategy we recommended.
Often, your unique perspective on the challenge is your true competitive advantage, so including obstacles in your cases or capabilities or proposals is essential. And emphasizing that obstacle can make your solution look even more impactful. Isn’t that what drives us to stories in the first place? The bigger the obstacle, the more impressive the outcome.
It’s time to reexamine your business development and marketing messaging. If it doesn’t fit the true requirements of a great story, you’re losing the reader and impeding your business development efforts.
Inject a challenge into your content and you’ll create powerful pitches that will make even Mr. Sorkin proud.
