Want To Make A Sale?

Storytelling is an art and skill that is as old as humankind. From cave paintings to Hollywood movies, storytelling has been the most effective way to educate, entertain, protect and preserve culture. There are many articles written about storytelling and lists of elements that are to be included in the story. Most of the lists are too long and unnecessarily complicate things.

In our industry, Promotional Products Media, we generally call storytelling ‘case histories’. The goal of relating a case history is to help a client see themselves and their business in similar circumstances and to have a desire for the outcome explained. These case histories can be of two different types. Actual case histories will be based on a completed project for another client. Composite case histories are built on acquired information from several or many client experiences combined into a single story.

A good case history will begin with an overview of what was accomplished. This is generally a short statement such as “a client realized greater customer loyalty and increased profits from a very budget-friendly promotion”. Next, your story will discuss the Outcome your client wanted to achieve from their investment in the marketing program. While discussing the outcome, any interesting problems that were overcome or opportunities that were capitalized on can be related. Keep in mind that your goal as the storyteller is to get your client to see themselves as the “hero” (the client in the story) so be sure to avoid aspects of the story that can’t be reasonably duplicated.

Those aspects might include a program beyond the client’s budget, a seasonal program not in the proper season, inappropriate product for the client, etc.

The next focus is on the Program, and why it worked. A key point is to give the client (subject of the story) all the credit for moving ahead with the program. Saying that you discussed several options and the client chose... is an uncomplicated way to handle this. 

If your story is an actual case history and the business you did the project for is willing, Testimonials always make a story better. Rather than simply including a final comment by the previous client, incorporate several quotes within the story.

The following is an example of an actual case history:

A Chevrolet dealer developed a 30% increase in sales of Corvettes while lowering their competitive discounts. The car dealer realized that customers who visited the dealership and even those that took a test drive, still went shopping at other dealerships and basically created a downward price bidding process between dealerships. The objective was to create something exclusive that would not simply be price-driven. Working with their promotional products media professional, the owner decided to produce a stunning leather “his & hers” bomber jacket with a perfectly placed and sized Corvette logo and the dealership name on an inside collar patch. The jackets were displayed in the Corvettes on the showroom floor. They were not available for purchase and could only be gotten as a free gift from the dealership when a Corvette was purchased. The cost of the jackets was far less than even a modest discount and the desire for the jackets proved to be extremely strong.

The case history that follows is a composite utilizing information from multiple experiences:

A home remodeler/handyman company developed new business and increased referrals with an extremely low-cost promotion. The business owner realized that additional projects in the same neighborhood always had a cascading effect where the greater number of customers caused more customers to ask for quotes. Several potential programs were investigated. Ultimately the business owner decided to use distinctive yard signs at the homes they were working on. They also had natural wood yardsticks designed with their distinctive logo, message and contact information. These yardsticks were placed at the front doors of all homes within the neighborhood. Homeowners ultimately became referrals as their neighbors discussed their satisfaction with the contractor.

Both of these case histories clearly tell a story that a client can embrace and see their business doing something similar. Be prepared to explain how the results mentioned in the case history can be realized by your client and their business. Obviously, the case histories you chose to relate will be appropriate to your client (not necessarily the two included here!).

Case histories are simply a way of pitching a project that people are more responsive to because you are relating the positive results of a project that another business has already benefited from rather than a suggestion that a program ‘might’ bring good results.