Courtney Abbott's Key Ideas from Building a StoryBrand
by Donald Miller

• Rather than talking about your brand, position the customer as the central Hero of your story.
• Show how you can guide them to solve a problem and achieve the transformation they desire.
• Let them see it as their own personal journey and arc, with them in the starring role.

Identify a clear external Villain that your customer is battling against, such as frustration, inconvenience, lack of quality or high prices.

Present your brand as offering the solution to help the customer vanquish and overcome this obstacle. The villain shouldn't be your competitor.

Even with an obvious external villain, recognize your customers have an internal anxiety or resistance to change as well.

Address their worries openly by illuminating this inner struggle in your story. Overcome objections.

Lay out the specific plan of action for how your product or service will empower the customer Hero to defeat the villain. Don't be vague - provide clear, succinct steps they can take.

Show don't tell how you facilitate their success.

Position your brand as the wise Guide who has walked the customer Hero's journey before. You have insider knowledge to help them overcome obstacles and achieve transformation.

Seek to build trust by being a mentor, not just a vendor.

Leverage storytelling techniques like narrative arc, emotion and drama rather than just listing product features and benefits.

Stir their imagination through well-crafted stories.

Build connection and empathy through shared journeys.

Clarify your core brand story and message above all else. Reject tangents and complexity even if they seem impressive. Simplify it down to be extremely clear, focused and concise.

If customers are confused, they cannot engage.

There are two kinds of calls to action:

1. Direct calls to action; and
2. Transitional calls to action.

A direct call to action is something that leads to a sale, or at least is the first step down a path that leads to a sale.

Transitional calls to action, however, contain less risk and usually offer the customer something for free.