08 An intro to narrative design Make it worth the time to care (discover/learn) It’s always important to have an understanding of what When we narrate our story to customers and users, we the platform or technology will not do, just as much as all need to be mindful of our customers’ time and effort. the cool things it will do. We need to introduce new users to the company and Would you trust a transparent company, knows its core technology, and also 昀椀nd out why they signed up in the strengths and weaknesses, and is self-aware? 昀椀rst place. Or one that shows only the best capabilities and how Get them excited about their discovery and tell great they are? them why they need to explore the solution and have In the “try” and “buy” phases, help your customers see the a conversation. real world of possibilities with the platform and help them • What experiences do you resonate with? achieve their vision. • How do you craft stories to connect with your target Find your true storyteller (advocate) audience in each phase of the buyer journey or It’s easy for us to maintain our status quo and 昀椀nd customer 昀氀ywheel (awareness, consideration, supporting data for our actions with our own con昀椀rmation decision, adoption, and growth)? bias. Our customers are our best advocates, and we need In the discover and learn phase, understand your to help them tell their stories at user groups, events, and customer’s pain points and speak their language. Help customer programs to give them a voice. them understand that you care and are here to help. Make them the heroes – not your product or your Gain trust and credibility (try/buy) company. Customers appreciate it if you’re honest and if you’re looking out for them. Look beyond the revenue – When we think of competitive intelligence, many may it’ll go a long way, it’s true customer lifetime value. think of Harvey Ball matrices that show the company’s Think about your own experiences: when you write a core strengths. review, do you immediately think about your negative Are we true to ourselves and our customers on what experiences or the positive ones? matters? Customers and partners often know more than One negative review will be on a review site, but the we think. positive reviews are often word of mouth, talking about More often than not, customers value a trusted advisor how great the product, company, and team were to work versus a vendor trying to sell the product (which can lead with. In the advocate phase, provide opportunities for to churn when the promise that got the sale isn’t ful昀椀lled). customers and partners to share their stories everywhere. How often does your product team ask the question, Before you embark on your next buyer journey mapping, “Why did we make this unreasonable promise?” Sell take a minute and ask yourself: Are we trying to justify what’s available today, and be transparent on what is on and prove we are the best? Or are we being true the roadmap and what doesn’t or will not exist. to ourselves?