#187: 5 Minute Marketing Challenge—Be the Guide Your Customers Need

Summary

Podcast Summary: Marketing Made Simple Episode #187: 5 Minute Marketing Challenge—Be the Guide Your Customers Need Release Date: December 18, 2024
Host: Dr. J.J. Peterson
Co-Host: April Sunshine Hawkins
Powered by: StoryBrand

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Introduction to the 5 Minute Marketing Challenge

In episode #187 of Marketing Made Simple, hosts Dr. J.J. Peterson and April Sunshine Hawkins delve into the intricacies of positioning your business as a guide in your customers' journeys. This episode is part of their ongoing "5 Minute Marketing Challenge" series, which aims to provide actionable marketing strategies that can be implemented quickly and effectively.

April Sunshine Hawkins introduces the theme by stating, "That's why we've put together this five Minute Marketing challenge, which is a series that will challenge you to create one piece of marketing using the story brand framework so you can keep your business moving forward even in the midst of this crazy season" (01:03). The focus of this episode is to teach listeners how to position themselves as the indispensable guide their customers need.

Understanding the StoryBrand Framework

Dr. J.J. Peterson provides a comprehensive overview of the StoryBrand framework, emphasizing the shift from viewing the marketer as the hero to positioning the customer as the hero with the marketer acting as the guide.

Peterson explains, "If you've been around story brand or marketing made simple at all, you know you are not the hero of your story. Your customer is the hero and you get to be their guide" (06:00). This paradigm shift is crucial as it fosters a more compassionate and effective approach to marketing, focusing on helping customers solve their own problems rather than pushing products aggressively.

The Role of Empathy and Authority

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to elucidating the two pillars that define a guide in the StoryBrand framework: empathy and authority.

Dr. J.J. Peterson elaborates, "Empathy is they are like the hero because they have been on that same journey. They understand the pain and the struggle that the hero is going through" (05:15). Empathy involves showing customers that you genuinely understand their struggles, often by relating through personal experience or shared challenges.

Authority, on the other hand, is about demonstrating competence and credibility: "Authority is that they've overcome that same problem. The only reason why a guide matters in a story, in a movie is because they have empathy and authority for a hero's problem" (05:45). This can be established through testimonials, certifications, awards, and showcasing past successes.

Practical Applications and Examples

To illustrate these concepts, Peterson and Hawkins share real-world examples crafted by StoryBrand certified guides.

1. Scott McKinsey Consultancy:

   • Empathy: "I completely understand the challenges you're up against. I spent 10 years in your position selling transformative products to the NHS for two major pharmaceutical companies. So I know how exasperating it can be when your efforts seem fruitless" (09:00).
   • Authority: Highlighting extensive experience and specific industry expertise builds trust and positions the consultancy as a credible guide.

2. Leek Pipe Organ Company:

   • Empathy: Although not explicitly stated, the context implies a deep understanding of the customer's needs related to pipe organs.
   • Authority: "30 years of experience, three generations of organ builders, and thousands of organs maintained" (11:52). These bullet points succinctly convey the company's longstanding expertise and reliability.

April Sunshine Hawkins emphasizes the importance of specificity: "It's really specific, right? Like I did exactly what you are doing, but that's the level that we're really looking for" (10:45). Being specific about your experiences and credentials makes your authority more relatable and trustworthy.

Addressing Common Concerns

Many marketers worry about appearing boastful when showcasing their authority. Peterson addresses this concern by clarifying that sharing relevant achievements is not bragging but rather providing necessary information that assures customers of your capability to assist them:

Peterson states, "You're only bragging when the authority that you're using is outside of the story you're telling for your customer... It's not bragging when you're talking about all the accomplishments you've had, as long as it specifically has to do with helping your customer overcome the problem that they are experiencing" (12:31).

The 5 Minute Marketing Challenge

Concluding the episode, Dr. J.J. Peterson presents the weekly challenge designed to help listeners implement the discussed strategies:

1. Create Two Sentences:

   • Empathy Sentence: Express understanding of the customer's struggles. For example, "I understand how hard it is to balance work and family life."
   • Authority Sentence: Demonstrate your ability to help. For instance, "With over a decade of experience in family counseling, I've helped hundreds of families find harmony."

2. Integrate into Marketing Materials:

   • Use these sentences to craft a social media post or enhance your website copy.
   • Ensure that these statements are visible and clear, establishing your role as the guide.

Peterson encourages, "You have permission to position yourself as the guide in your customer's journey. You have the ability to help them overcome their problems and you want to clearly articulate that you are like them and you have experience solving these same problems" (14:00).

Conclusion and Next Steps

The episode wraps up with a motivational push for listeners to embrace their roles as guides, reassuring them that implementing these strategies will empower their marketing efforts effectively. April Sunshine Hawkins adds, "You can hire a guide that will show you how to clarify your message in this way using the guide piece of the story brand framework" (14:46), offering resources for those seeking additional support.

Key Takeaways:

• Position Your Customer as the Hero: Shift the narrative to focus on the customer's journey.
• Demonstrate Empathy and Authority: Show that you understand their struggles and have the expertise to help.
• Be Specific: Use detailed and relevant examples to build trust.
• Implement the Challenge: Create concise statements that embody empathy and authority, and integrate them into your marketing materials.

By following these guidelines, marketers can create compelling and effective messaging that resonates deeply with their audience, positioning themselves as indispensable guides in their customers' success stories.

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Notable Quotes:

• "If you've been around story brand or marketing made simple at all, you know you are not the hero of your story. Your customer is the hero and you get to be their guide." — Dr. J.J. Peterson 06:00

• "Empathy is they are like the hero because they have been on that same journey. They understand the pain and the struggle that the hero is going through." — Dr. J.J. Peterson 05:15

• "Authority is that they've overcome that same problem. The only reason why a guide matters in a story, in a movie is because they have empathy and authority for a hero's problem." — Dr. J.J. Peterson 05:45

• "You're only bragging when the authority that you're using is outside of the story you're telling for your customer." — Dr. J.J. Peterson 12:31

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By leveraging the insights shared in this episode, listeners can refine their marketing strategies to better align with the StoryBrand framework, ultimately fostering stronger connections with their customers and driving business growth.

Transcript

[George]

How do you begin to describe your job as a marketer? Well, you have to generate leads, create content, gather data. You're spread way too thin. But HubSpot has a better way. With the help of Breeze, HubSpot's collection of AI tools and features like Content Remix, you can turn one piece of content into a suite of assets. Then pinpoint the best prospects and level up your campaign's KPIs with a new analytics suite. And most importantly, you're going to have a way easier time describing your job at parties. Visit HubSpot.com marketers to learn more.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

Tis the season when everything can feel a little out of control. We're all splitting focus between our business and our marketing and our family and our friends. And it can feel like we don't have even an extra second to spare for making sure that we're still on track to finish the year strong and hit our goals.

[April Sunshine Hawkins]

And that's why we've put together this five Minute Marketing challenge, which is a series that will challenge you to create one piece of marketing using the story brand framework so you can keep your business moving forward even in the midst of this crazy season. Today, we're challenging you to create a piece of marketing centered around playing the guide.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

Hello Hero Maker. Welcome to the Marketing Made simple podcast Powered by Story Brandon, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, where we believe your marketing should be easy and it should work. I am your host, Dr. J.J. peterson. And I am joined by my co host, April Sunshine Hawkins. Hi April.

[April Sunshine Hawkins]

Hey JJ and hello Hero Maker.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

April. We are in our 5 minute marketing challenge series and last week we came up with a theme song that I don't think we need to sing again because everybody probably has it memorized already in there.

[April Sunshine Hawkins]

They just needed one time and they're good.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

Everybody's got it. They've probably are singing it over in their heads as we speak. So I think we just leave that.

[April Sunshine Hawkins]

Nailed it.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

Nailed it. We leave it. But we wanted to do that so that people would remember that this is the season to be making sure that you are prioritizing, taking some time to create marketing, even in the craziness of everything, taking some time to create marketing that's going to continue to move your business forward and hit your goals for the end of the year. And in each of these episodes, what we're doing is we're taking a piece of the story brand framework and using it to really inspire us to create language for social media, posts, emails, lead generators, fixing our website, all of the Things that can get us in front of our customers and get more sales. And so we started off by talking about how to use language around inviting your customer into a story by identifying what your customer once and using that to create some marketing collateral. Last week we talked about how to use language around your customer's problem to hook them into the story. This week we are going to talk about how to position yourself as a guide in your customer story. And then we'll finish out the rest of the story brand framework that everybody knows by talking about how to invite them into a plan, calling them to action, and then casting a vision for what their life can look like if they do or don't buy your product with failure or success. But this week this really is probably. Well, I was going to say my favorite piece of the story brand framework, but they're all my favorite, let's just be honest. Because each piece helps people create clear messaging and continues to position your customer as the hero of the story. But why I really do say this is my favorite is because this is the big paradigm shift in the story brand framework. If you've been around story brand or marketing made simple at all, you know you are not the hero of your story. Your customer is the hero and you get to be their guide. And when I discovered this in narrative theory and in story, it changed everything for me. Because before this I would've always said, I'm not a marketer, I don't wanna be a salesperson, I'm not that kind of. I don't wanna be pushy. And when you understand that your role in your customer's life is not to be pushy, it's not to try to win and try to get them to just give you me, it's really to try to help them solve their own problems by purchasing your product or service, that it becomes a more compassionate way of doing marketing. It also becomes a more humble way and quite frankly, a more powerful way of getting your customer to buy your product and service. So what we're going to talk about today is how do you create language that positions you as the guide in your customer's journey? The way that we know that a guide is coming alongside to help a hero win is when the guide has two things in their life, empathy and authority for the situation that the hero has been in. So empathy is they are like the hero because they have been on that same journey. They understand the pain and the struggle that the hero is going through. And then authority is that they've overcome that same problem. The only reason why a guide matters in a story, in a movie is because they have empathy and authority for a hero's problem. The famous one we always talk about is, you know, in Hunger Games, Katniss is trying to win the Hunger Games. There are very few people in the world who are alive anyway who understand this. Haymitch comes alongside. He not only understands the pain that Katniss is going through, but he also has won the Hunger Games. So he is uniquely positioned to help the hero win. When it comes to your customer's problems, you have to position yourself as a guide by showing them you understand their problems because you are like them and have felt those problems. So you're expressing empathy, but also that you can help them overcome those problems by showing them that you have the authority, you have the capability and the confidence to win the day. The easiest ways to do those two things are using language around empathy. You want to just basically say, I am like you. I understand you. So if you've created a consulting business that helps female entrepreneurs and you yourself are a female entrepreneur, you want to say, like you, I am a female entrepreneur. That's just simply like that. If you are a consultant who works with salespeople and you used to be a salesperson, all you need to say is, I used to be a salesperson, or I, like you, am a salesperson. And then you can talk about that you understand the problems and all you're going to do in that context is speak back to the problem that we talked about last week. So last week you identified what problems your customers are experiencing, both internal and external. This week, what you're gonna do is just say, I'm like you and I understand your problems. That is empathy. Authority then is bringing in some kind of data story fact award that shows that you've helped other people overcome the same problem. So testimonies work great in this years of unique certifications, logos of companies that you've worked with. Anything in that space that just says, I know what I'm doing, but more importantly, I've helped other people who are in your same position win the day. That is what it takes to position yourself as a good guide, empathy and authority that you've solved other people's problems.

[George]

System Saved Me is hosted by George and brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals. Each week on the System Saved Me podcast, top ranking podcast host and multimillion dollar business mentor Jordan Gill lifts the hood to show you behind the scenes of successful businesses with freedom at Its core entrepreneurship is meant to give you freedom and flexibility. But how does that actually happen? Systems, of course. And that's what the show's all about. In fact, go check out a recent episode called 6 key signs you need a Digital Business Manager with guest Daya Aliaga. Daya is the founder of Digital Business Manager Bootcamp and she talks about how hiring a digital business manager or DBM can be a game changer for your business. She also calls out some key signs you might be seeing when your business is in need of a dbm, like team management overload, moving forward on ideas with no real plan of action, or constantly being hit with the chaos of scaling. So if you're feeling overwhelmed and you're needing ways to streamline your operations and scale effectively, System Saved Me is for you. Listen to System Saved Me wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

And now back to the show.

[April Sunshine Hawkins]

So let's jump into some examples that have been created by our StoryBrand certified guides on behalf of their clients so that you can use them as a jumping off point for your five minute marketing challenge that you'll do in just a few moments. So this first example comes to us from storybrand Certified Guides Julie Firth and Sonia Whittam and they have created some copy on behalf of Scott McKinsey Consultancy. So on his website it says get insights into providers needs. I get it. I completely understand the challenges you're up against. I spent 10 years in your position selling transformative products to the NHS for two major pharmaceutical companies. So I know how exasperating it can be when your efforts seem fruitless. Oh, so good. This copy just automatically provides empathy towards what people are going through and says, hey, I've got the experience necessary. I've worked with these big pharmaceutical companies like check, check, check. Everybody's got a little checkbox in their minds and they are looking for just a guide to give them just enough information to check that checkbox so that they go, yep, this person is legit and they can help me along my way. I've done my due diligence and I'm not going to look like a fool if I hand this person my money.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

Yeah, because we're always looking for people who are like us in many ways, who understand us. And this is a perfect example. Now it's really specific, right? Like I did exactly what you are doing, but that's the level that we're really looking for. Now some people ask, well, what if I have not been in their position? Like, what if I'm a person who is Helping a female entrepreneur. But I am not a female entrepreneur. Well, where is still the point of connection? Are you an entrepreneur? Have you started your own business? Do you struggle with balancing things that female entrepreneurs struggle balancing Speak to that, right? Or you can say, I've worked with a lot of people who have experienced this. So you can say I have empathy or sympathy because I've worked with people who are just like you. But the biggest thing is you're trying to say I'm like you and I understand you.

[April Sunshine Hawkins]

Here's another example from Julie Biddle. She's a story brand certified guide and she created a website for Leek Pipe Organ company. Like, yes, the instruments that you hear played in the Sound of Music when Maria is walking down the aisle.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

Amazing.

[April Sunshine Hawkins]

Getting married to Captain von Trapp. Those kinds of organs, okay. Not the organs that are inside of our bodies. Okay, so there's some great copy that leads up to it, but then they've just got three bullet points of authority. It says 30 years of experience, three generations of organ builders, and thousands of organs maintenanced. And that gives them like, okay, they've got credibility. They have not just gone to service one organ in their lifetime. They are so legit. They've been building this as probably a family business, and they are here to come alongside you to help you do the same.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

And if You've been around StoryBrand for very long at all, you know that we always say, do not talk about yourself. The story you are telling is not about you. It's about your customer. And some people get to this point where we say, you need to find some authority for your marketing. And they go, but wait, is that me talking about me too much? Am I bragging in this space? And the reality is, no, you're not. You're only bragging when the authority that you're using is outside of the story you're telling for your customer. So if your company is all about fixing organs, you can talk all you want about your history of fixing organs. If you come in and then start talking about how you are an amazing singer and you have traveled the world and you love going to France because of the architecture. No, now you're bragging about yourself, right? You can't bring in those other pieces of data that do not apply specifically to your ability to help your customer win. So it's not bragging when you're talking about all the accomplishments you've had, as long as it specifically has to do with helping your customer overcome the problem that they are experiencing. Everything else needs to be left out. But, but that piece is really, really important to put in your marketing. The combination of empathy and authority together, together is what actually makes you a customer's guide.

[April Sunshine Hawkins]

And we know that you can nail this. You can do this. A lot of people really do struggle to talk about themselves or figure out what these talking points should be. And if that is you and you want some support, then you can hire one of our story brand certified guides like Julie Firth and Sonia Whittem and Julie Biddle. Like they can help you out and so you don't have to struggle on your own anymore. If this does truly make you sweat trying to figure it out, just go to marketingmadesimple.com and you can hire a guide that will show you how to clarify your message in this way using the guide piece of the story brand framework.

[Dr. J.J. Peterson]

Love it. So now, without further ado, it's time for this week's five minute marketing challenge. Your five minute marketing challenge is I want you to sit down and write out two different sentences. One sentence that offers empathy to your customer. So I want you to say I understand or I am like you. Something that in that space, I just want one sentence. Don't do a ton. One sentence that says I understand how hard it is. I understand the struggle, I understand the difficulty. Talk specifically to the problems that they're experiencing and talk about how you understand them or position yourself as like them. In that if you are selling your products and services to moms and you're a mom, then say like you, I'm a mom, right? So I want one sentence that just positions you with some empathy towards your customer. And then I want one sentence that says you've helped other people overcome the problems that they're experiencing, just like your customers. So say you've helped a certain number of people. You've been doing this for a certain number of years. You've won awards for the services that you offer your customers. Just show a little bit of authority. So now you have empathy and authority. Two sentences there. Then I want you to take those two sentences and I want you to either create a social media post that includes those in there so that people know that you can be their guide, or go to your website and see if you are missing empathy and authority on your website and plug it in there. You don't need a lot in this space. You don't need to go on and on. There doesn't need to be paragraphs about your empathy and authority. You just need a little bit. So two sentences, one empathy, one authority. Make sure it's on your website and create a social media post. You have permission to position yourself as the guide in your customer's journey. You have the ability to help them overcome their problems and you want to clearly articulate that you are like them and you have experience solving these same problems. When you are able to position yourself as the guides for your customers, you ultimately help them solve their own problems and become the hero of their own story. That's what makes you a great guide, and that's what makes you a hero maker. That's all for this week's episode of Marketing Made Simple. Thank you so much for listening and believing, like us, that your marketing should be easy and it should, should work. Your five minute marketing challenge starts now and we'll see you next week.