What’s The Story You’re Going To Tell Them?

Have something you want people to know about you or your business? Good. Now, answer these two questions:

Who wants what, and what stops them from getting it?

That tells you who the hero is and what they’re up against. That’s the magnet that’s going to suck people in. Anybody who hears you start it will want to know what happens next.

It works for everything from wedding toasts to getting customers for your local bakery.

Our bride once found herself shoeless on a ski slope with an hour to get back to the lodge for the bus…

America may run on it, but can’t a guy get a proper breakfast sandwich somewhere in this town…

We stick the landing when our hero overcomes their obstacle. (That doesn’t mean it has to be a happy ending, but if you’re toasting a marriage or selling a muffin maybe don’t get too dark).

…I bet you didn’t know you could hitchhike on a skier’s back. Honestly, neither did she. But that’s one way to meet a future husband.

…yes, yes he can. A breakfast sandwich on a homemade everything bagel piled high with farm-fresh eggs, smoked sausage, and sharp cheddar cheese that will fuel him for the entire day.

Think of this as a PSA to remind you (and me) that everything can be told as a story. Someone, likely you or your customer, is up against something and the resolution is what makes it interesting. Make sure to frame it that way.