Introduction

In this section, Molly Fletcher introduces the podcast and the guest, Donald Miller.

Molly Fletcher Introduces Donald Miller

• Molly Fletcher welcomes listeners to Game Changers with Molly Fletcher.

• She introduces Donald Miller as the CEO of StoryBrand who helps companies clarify their message so customers will listen.

• Don is an author of several books including the New York Times bestseller blue like jazz.

About StoryBrand

In this section, Don Miller explains what StoryBrand is and how it can help businesses grow.

What is StoryBrand?

• Most companies are losing money because they don't have a clear message.

• The framework helps companies get very clear about what they offer their customers.

• Once they go through our framework, they end up with seven different categories of messages that they can use in various communication channels such as website, email blasts, elevator pitches, keynote addresses etc.

• It's just a messaging system like if you were running for president you would have kind of a slogan and you know we're against this villain and we're trying to do this we're trying to do that.

Importance of Clear Messaging

• The clearer the messaging system is, the easier it is for customers to understand who you are, what you do and why it matters to them.

• Confusing customers means losing them.

• StoryBrand has helped around 3,000 businesses a year through its framework resulting in double-digit percentage increase in revenue or even quadrupling in revenue with nothing really changing about the company except the way they talk about themselves.

Importance of Clear Message

In this section, Don Miller emphasizes on how important it is to have a tight clear message especially when there are 3000 commercial messages coming at people every day.

The Importance of Clear Message

• The average consumer now encounters 3,000 commercial messages a day.

• To get through that clutter is incredibly important and used to you could kind of be creative and stand out but these days everybody is creative.

• We're all bombarding each other with just really new creative angles on things.

The Importance of Owning a Problem

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of owning a problem and how it can help businesses stand out in the marketplace.

Owning a Problem

• Businesses should aim to solve a problem for their customers.

• Customers buy solutions to internal problems, not just external ones.

• Companies tend to sell solutions to external problems but people buy solutions to internal problems.

• Identify what frustrations your customers are having and aim your marketing collateral at helping them overcome that specific frustration.

The Three Levels of Problems in Storytelling

In this section, the speaker discusses the three levels of problems in storytelling and how they relate to branding.

Three Levels of Problems

• There are three levels of problems in storytelling: external, internal, and philosophical.

• External problems are usually physical problems that the hero has to deal with.

• Internal problems are where the story really lives and is about how the hero is feeling about the external problem.

• Philosophical problems relate to larger themes or ideas.

• Companies should focus on solving internal problems for their customers rather than just external ones.

Identifying Customer Frustrations

In this section, the speaker emphasizes identifying customer frustrations as a key component of successful branding.

Identifying Customer Frustrations

• Always ask what's the problem and how do your customers feel about it?

• Identify what frustrations your customers are having so you can solve them.

• Aim your marketing collateral at helping people overcome specific frustrations by helping them overcome physical problems.

• By doing so, you will get more sales because people will see that you understand their needs.

The Importance of Storytelling in Business

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of storytelling in business and how it can help businesses get attention from their audience.

The Seven Plot Points of a Story

• The speaker explains that there are seven plot points that happen in every story.

• These plot points can be used as a filter to clarify a message.

• The first plot point is that a story starts with a character who wants something within the first three minutes of the film.

• Brands need to identify something specific that their customer wants and make it clear on their website or marketing collateral.

Mistakes to Avoid When Identifying What Your Customer Wants

• Screenwriters often make one of two mistakes when writing a screenplay: they make what the hero wants too vague or they include too many things that the hero wants, causing confusion for the audience.

• Businesses need to define what their customer wants, whether it's peace of mind, a roof with no leaks, or a beautiful lawn. This needs to be spelled out clearly on their website or marketing collateral.

Example of Effective Messaging

• The speaker gives an example of an effective messaging from Fierce Seattle, which offers training for employees on how to have productive and healthy conversations. Their argument is that companies lose millions of dollars because employees don't know how to communicate effectively.

Marketing Strategies

In this section, the speaker discusses how to define a company's purpose and problems in order to create effective marketing strategies.

Defining Purpose and Problems

• A company's purpose should be exact and aligned with their goals.

• Define three levels of problems: external, internal, and philosophical.

• Use simple language to define these problems so that people can identify with them.

Positioning as the Guide

• Position your brand as the guide rather than the hero.

• Every story is about a hero who wants something they can't get without help from a guide.

• People are looking for a guide, not a hero.

Creating a Plan for the Hero

• The guide creates a three or four step plan for the hero to solve their problems.

How to Create Effective Messaging for Your Company

In this section, the speaker discusses how to create effective messaging for your company that will attract customers and increase sales.

The Seven Categories of Customer Thinking

• There are seven categories in which customers think when considering a product or service.

• These categories include defining what the customer wants, identifying their problems, positioning yourself as the guide, giving the customer a plan, calling them to action, pointing out the stakes if they don't buy from you, and painting a vision of what their life can look like if they do business with you.

• Creating messages that don't come from one of these seven categories is putting noise into the marketplace that nobody will listen to.

• Clarifying your message and making sure your sales reps know how to communicate it effectively can be worth millions for most companies.

Attracting Customers with Clear Communication

• To attract customers, financial advisers need to give them a clear plan on how they can achieve their goals.

• Advisers should assess customer goals before creating a customized strategy around achieving those goals.

• Companies need to ask customers to meet with them and buy their products. Many companies fail because they don't clearly ask customers to take action.

• Advisers should point out both the negative consequences of not doing business with them and paint a vision of what life could look like if they do business together.

Conclusion

Effective messaging is crucial for attracting customers and increasing sales. By understanding the seven categories in which customers think when considering a product or service, companies can create clear communication that resonates with potential buyers. It's important for companies to clarify their message and make sure their sales reps know how to communicate it effectively.

How to Know When You've Landed on the Right Message

In this section, the speaker discusses how to know when you have landed on the right message and how to refine it.

Refining Your Message

• Experiment with your message until you start getting orders.

• Refine your message until it works and orders increase.

• Clarifying a poorly communicated message can lead to an uptick in revenue.

• Use "war room days" to refine your website and make it better.

The Importance of Slowly Processing Information

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of slowly processing information and establishing good communication with customers.

Establishing Good Communication

• Establish yourself as a good listener before trying to communicate everything at once.

• People need time to process information, so don't overwhelm them with too much at once.

• Identify one big umbrella issue or problem that your company solves and introduce yourself that way.

How to Drill Down Your Services/Product Offerings

In this section, the speaker explains how companies can drill down their services/product offerings.

Identifying One Problem

• Identify one problem that all of your revenue streams fix.

• Use Dave Ramsey's company as an example of offering diverse products/services under one big umbrella issue or problem.

Brands That Articulate a Clear and Compelling Message

In this section, the speaker provides examples of brands that articulate a clear and compelling message.

Dave Ramsey

• Dave Ramsey is an example of a brand that articulates a clear and compelling message by offering financial peace through various products/services.

Chick-fil-A's Success Story

In this section, the speaker discusses how Chick-fil-A has resolved external, internal, and philosophical problems for its customers. The speaker also talks about the importance of passing the grunt test for a website.

Chick-fil-A's Resolutions to Problems

• Chick-fil-A resolves external problems such as hunger.

• They resolve internal problems by making customers feel good about themselves when they walk into their restaurants.

• Philosophically, they are a values-driven organization that is closed one day a week.

• They have resolved three levels of story loops in their customer's brains with one purchase.

Chick-fil-A's Success

• The average Chick-fil-A does 5.2 million dollars per store per year, which is more than double what Burger King and McDonald's do.

• Their goal was to surpass 10 billion dollars in revenue by 2020, which they have already achieved.

• They are not just selling chicken; they are selling resolutions to external, internal, and philosophical problems.

Website Design Do's and Don'ts

• Avoid using paragraphs on your website since people scan websites instead of reading them.

• Your website should pass the grunt test - answering what you offer, how it will make life better for your customers, and what they need to do to buy it within five seconds or less.

• Avoid using vague statements like "Do you need a fierce conversation?" since it doesn't answer any of the three questions from the grunt test.

The Importance of Clarity in Marketing

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of clarity in marketing and how it can improve relationships both in business and personal life.

Clarity is Key

• Many people try to be clever or catchy with their marketing collateral, but this is a waste of money.

• Being clear is essential for effective communication, whether it's in marketing or personal relationships.

• If someone doesn't understand what you're saying, it's your fault for not being clear enough.

Seeing Others as Heroes

• Seeing others as heroes in their own story can improve relationships.

• When we see our spouse or partner as the hero in their story, we are more likely to support them and have a better relationship.

• This concept applies to marketing as well. By positioning the customer as the hero, businesses can create a stronger connection with them.

Saying Yes to Everything

• John Gurdon once said that he spent an entire year saying yes to everything his wife asked him to do.

• This helped improve their relationship significantly.

• Saying yes and being supportive can go a long way towards building strong relationships.

Resources for Improving Your Marketing

In this section, the speaker shares resources that can help people improve their marketing efforts.

StoryBrand.com

• StoryBrand.com is where people can find out more about the speaker's company and services.

Five Minute Marketing Makeover

• Five Minute Marketing Makeover (fiveminutemarketingmakeover.com) offers three five-minute videos with tips on improving your website and marketing efforts.

Building a Story Brand Book

• The Building a Story Brand book (coming out October 10th) provides a foundational framework for understanding effective marketing messaging.

• It is an inexpensive way to learn these concepts.

Simplifying Marketing

In this section, the speaker emphasizes the importance of simplifying marketing and focusing on messaging before tactics.

The Problem with Complicated Marketing

• Many people want to make marketing complicated, but it's not.

• 90% of effective marketing is about the message, not the tactics.

• Before exploring tactics like Facebook ads or television commercials, businesses should focus on clarifying their message.

Rapid-Fire Questions

In this section, the speaker answers rapid-fire questions about himself.

One Word to Describe Yourself

• "Silent."

One Word to Describe Himself (as suggested by someone else)

• "Introvert."

Resources for Learning More

• The Building a Story Brand book provides a foundational framework for understanding effective marketing messaging.

Regret and Favorite Book

In this section, the speaker talks about regret and his favorite book.

Regret

• The speaker believes that if you're 70 and you have regrets, then you've missed your window.

• He thinks it's not healthy to hold onto regrets.

Favorite Book

• The speaker's favorite book is "The Seven Basic Plots" by Christopher Booker.

• The book argues that there are only seven stories that have ever been told.

• It is part philosophy, psychology, literature, and self-help book.

• The speaker highly recommends the book.

People Who Had a Big Impact on Speaker's Life

In this section, the speaker talks about people who had a big impact on his life.

David Gentiles

• David Gentiles was a youth pastor at a church down the street when the speaker was a kid.

• He got the speaker started in writing when he gave him a guest article in a newsletter.

Greg Harris

• Greg Harris hired the speaker at a publishing company where he taught him about business.

• He became president of that company when he was in his 20s.

Bob Golf

• Bob Golf is an eccentric character who built a lodge 50 miles from the nearest road in British Columbia by dynamiting the side of a mountain.

• He taught the speaker that other than limitations of reality, all of us are limiting ourselves because we don't believe we can do something.

• As a lawyer, Bob started traveling around building schools around the world and got to know members of government in Uganda and other countries.

• They liked him so much they actually made him the Ugandan ambassador to the United States.

• He lobbied Parliament in Uganda to become a member of their Supreme Court and they passed the legislation allowing him to become a member.

App Used Most Often

In this section, the speaker talks about the app he uses most often.

• The speaker reads between an hour and a half and three hours a day of news.

• He has a news app on his phone where he reads Business Insider, The Economist, Politico, and other news sources.

Listening to "Psycho Cybernetics" on the way

In this section, Don Yaeger talks about listening to a book called "Psycho Cybernetics" on his way with Molly Fletcher. He mentions that he has listened to some of the chapters four or five times and it's a really good book.

Listening to "Psycho Cybernetics"

• Don Yaeger listens to a book called "Psycho Cybernetics" on his way with Molly Fletcher.

• He mentions that he has listened to some of the chapters four or five times and it's a really good book.

Don Yaeger's Books

In this section, Molly Fletcher praises Don Yaeger for his books and mentions that she has read them. She also thanks him for being on the show.

Praising Don Yaeger's Books

• Molly Fletcher praises Don Yaeger for his books.

• She mentions that she has read them.

• She thanks him for being on the show.

Conclusion

In this section, Molly Fletcher concludes the podcast by thanking listeners for tuning in and encourages them to subscribe and leave a review.

Thanking Listeners

• Molly Fletcher thanks listeners for tuning in.

Encouraging Subscription and Review

• She encourages listeners to subscribe on Apple Podcasts.

• She asks listeners to leave a review which helps other people find out about the show.

Final Words

• Molly Fletcher signs off by saying "stay curious and be bold".