Client Magnets Official Blog

It’s been said that there are only seven stories in the whole world. Of course you’ve heard hundreds and hundreds of stories, but actually many are basically the same recurring themes, just told with different characters.

Telling a story -­ your story – is one of the best marketing techniques you can use. Incorporating this technique into your marketing promotions will help you to engage your prospect and motivate them to buy from you.

To get you started – here is an overview of Christopher Booker’s, “The Seven Basic Plots.” See which one fits your business story.

1. Overcoming the monster. Think of the story Dracula, where an other-worldly monster turns victims into the living dead. It must be slain. Now think of the monster in your business, the thing that you absolutely had to get rid of once and for all. How did you do it? That’s the story you should tell. Teach your customers how to get rid of the extra paperwork, or the extra taxes. Use the drama of turning the burden into a monster. Then teach them how to overcome it.
2. Rags to riches. When Vivian Ward wins the heart of Edward Lewis in Pretty Woman, she is transformed from someone who started out in rags to literal riches. Rags to riches is the story of transformation – financial or personal. It could be about your own experience or about experiences you’ve helped others to reach. If the theme of your business is transformation, telling rags to riches tales will hold prospective customers spellbound.
3. The quest. This is a story that takes its hero on a journey to find a promised land or prize. And along the way, the hero must overcome obstacles and threats before reaching his goal. Homer’s Odyssey is a classic example, as Odysseus strives to reach Ithaca. So if you’ve figured out how to get from point A to a much prized and distant point B in your business, that’s your quest. You’ve reached the prize and can share your journey with others through your marketing.
4. The voyage and return. Think of Peter Pan and Robinson Crusoe. They share the theme of voyage and return, starting with someone in an ordinary situation who finds themselves transported into a strange world. When they return to their reality, it’s often with a new perspective. But the real story is what they encounter along the way. So if you’ve taken your voyage and returned to your business, tell your audience all about the pirates and mutineers you met along the way, and how those experiences brought you to where you are now.
5. Comedy. This is a very broad category, one not easily defined by a specific example. But if humor and comic situations are part of who you are, they might be the best tools to describe your business. Remember Animal House? The theme was that some people just don’t fit in – does this describe your “outside the box” business? If you’ve managed to break out of a boring day-in-day-out routine, you might think of Groundhog Day. The point is, if you can apply comedy to your business story, by all means use it.
6. Tragedy. Hopefully your business story isn’t a tragedy, but you may be able to use the theme in your marketing. If you think of Bonnie and Clyde or Madame Bovary, they are stories of people who knew better but were unable to stop their destructive behaviors, with tragic results. In marketing, you might talk about customers you were too late to help, or those who didn’t take your advice and made a mess of their business. You could also tell about a mistake that you made along the way, and how you’ve come through it.
7. Rebirth. The classic example here is A Christmas Carol, where Scrooge is a mean man who is reborn after a series of dreams and interventions completely alter his personality. This theme fits anyone who says, “I finally saw the light.” Stories could be about someone struggling for a long time and then suddenly seeing things in a whole new way because of some new information or a new understanding. If your business has been reborn, tell your customers about the experience.

So start to think about which plot fits your story. Maybe you’re already using one of them. If so, that’s great. If not, see which one best describes your business. Which is the story that will emotionally engage your audience? That’s the tale you need to tell.

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