With all the logistical inconveniences caused by the coronavirus, it’s easy to forget that many out there, from kids to adults to those in business, may be experiencing profound grief about a loss of freedom and normalcy in their lives.
Some companies don’t like the idea of letting people work from home. It doesn’t fit the story they tell themselves. But times are changing, and realities like hurricanes and coronaviruses may compel them to change their policies as well.
When you’re telling the story of your business, it’s worth taking the time to share with people where and when you got it wrong before you got it right. And what those experiences taught you. Because we’ve all been there ourselves.
What’s so interesting about this week’s Story Winner, Glass Beach Mugs, is that it actually sells just one main product. A durable porcelain coffee mug with no handle. And yet the story they tell about it truly excited my imagination.
Marketing funnels can be a powerful tool … right up until we figure out we’re in one. It’s like that moment when you realize the call you just answered is actually an auto-dialing robot and not a real human being with feelings and stories.
When we start walking down the road of telling the story of our business, we should remember to ask ourselves who the story is for. As good as our story might be, if we’re not considering our audience, then it may fall flat when we tell it.
I wasn’t actually thrilled with the story being told on the website of this week’s Story Winner, Movia Robotics. And yet I walked away from my visit to their site caring about their (unstated) mission and wanting to know more.
People tend to get emotionally connected to the names of things. They build stories around them. Which is why if somebody comes along and changes the name, there’s a pretty good chance people will simply ignore it.
I had the distinct pleasure this past year of working with Kelly Stewart of The Positive Business, who enables other businesses to live out a better, more positive story worth telling by asking them the question, “What If You Could?”
For this week’s Story Winner, I bring you yet another food-related business, The Soulfull Project. They sell an assortment of hot cereals, and distinguish themselves by donating a serving to your local food bank for every serving you buy.