Tell Them a Story...

I was recently in a nearby town, meeting with a client who sells high quality Navajo rugs. By "high quality" I mean $2,000-$30,000 authentic hand made rugs. He was wondering, as you can imagine, how to more effectively market these in this down economy. I wondered the same thing.

But as we walked through the showroom, he began to tell me the story of where these rugs come from, how they are made and the people behind them. Suddenly, what seemed a luxury item became an investment in the beautiful object and the artists who made it. If you went to a website for this store, what would be more compelling: a picture of one of the lovely rugs with a big, fat price tag or a video of the owner telling the story and showing you around? Suddenly the price was clearly right for the incredible value that was proven.

Sure, this guy had a product that lends itself to a telling a great story. But many of my clients have their own stories even if their product or service isn't quite as unique. Is your story your phenomenal staff? Introduce some of them on video and let them tell your customers why they love working for your company. Did your grandfather build the business, but long ago retired and left it to his sons and you? That's your story. Get grandpa on film talking about the good old days, his pride in the company and how far it has come.

Your video doesn't have to be long or fancy. One or two minutes is enough to draw someone in...to your store, your office, your story.

 by Steven Schlagel