LOUD STORY

STARTUP LEAGUE

#2Debunking myths on

storytelling for startups@LoudStory

PART I

UNLOCKING THE

CORE CONCEPTS

OF STORYTELLING

"This is a noisy

world".Get inspired: bit.ly/1rxSzdH

"Storytelling is an artifact. The product should speak for itself."

1./7

4 months after we had launched we only had 3,000 users. But the users really loved the product – including me. And I realized, we didn't have a technology problem. We had a community problem. We had to market the product to the right people. I had to find other people like me.

Ben Silbermann, CEO of Pinterest

Get inspired: bit.ly/1tbeX2b

Marketing is the price you pay for being unremarkable

"The world is shifting away from buying services & products from huge soulless companies, and moving instead to buying from a real person, with a story that they can relate to. Business is personal. It’s why peer marketplaces like Etsy & Airbnb are exploding. We want more than the solution ."

Dan Martell, CEO of Clarity

Get inspired: bit.ly/1wzJLu6

"People don't buy what you do. They buy why you do it."

Simon Sinek, author "How great leaders inspire action"

Get inspired : bit.ly/OX0t5a

WHY

HOW

WHAT

Focus on the narrative, not the

message.

2./7 "For some companies or industries, especially in B2B, storytelling is useless. Facts like price, speed or efficiency are the only keys that can convince the client."

"There are only 4 things that creates real value and can lead unique companies that do something that's never been done before to escape competition and create a monopoly: proprietary technology, network effects, economies of scale and branding.

Branding – as in "lodging an idea in people's minds"."

Peter Thiel, cofounder of PayPal and Palantir, VC of Founders Fund

Get inspired: bit.ly/1qpQU9s

OK…proprietary

technologynetwork

effectseconomies

of scale

WOW!!!• IT EMPOWERS

ME• IT CHANGES

MY/THE WORLD

• IT BRINGS BEAUTY TO MY LIFE

• I LOVE IT

Talk Both To Their Brains & Hearts

SOME USE STORIES

SOME DON'T

Use your competitive advantage.

"You shouldn't bother about storytelling when you already have good traction."

3./7

Hero: Person who needs glassesVillain: The eyewear industryFear: To lose or break his unique pair, too expensive to replace.Hope: To be able to buy glasses without leaving with an empty wallet. A world where the dominating industry would be defeated.

Real PurposeWeak UniquenessWeak story (audience)

Find your own (radical) personality.

"Goals and objectives are not the story. The story of the company gets to the hardcore question of why. Why should I join this company? Why should I be excited to work here? Why should I buy your product? Why should I invest in the company? Why is the world better off as a result of this company's existence?When a company clearly articulates its story, the context for everyone—employees, partners, customers, investors, and the press—becomes clear."

Ben Horowitz, entrepreneur and VC at Andreessen Horowitz

Get inspired: bit.ly/1wwLYIi

Set the Pole star.

"Storytelling is nothing new! Companies have been doing it for ages. Marketing is storytelling. Advertising is storytelling."

4./7

"For Steve Jobs, marketing was a dirty word.Marketing is when you have to sell to somebody. If you aren't providing value, if you're not educating them about the product, if you're not helping them get the most out of the product, you're selling.The starting point to every communication campaign should be the purpose: why do you deserve to exist in the world, why should people believe in you, why should people even listen to you."

Allison Johnson, former Apple VP of Marketing Communication

Get inspired: bit.ly/1nZCe6v

Inspire people... as others have inspired you.

"Ok, storytelling is useful for startups. But at the beginning, what really matters is meeting with potential clients and do one-to-one sales."

5./7

Everything that you do, especially at the beginning, should help word of mouth. So telling a great story is the best way to help you first customers know what to say to convince others to use or buy your product. When you begin with a totally new product it's really hard to know exactly the pain points of your customers and you don't really have success stories to put upfront. You have to bring in your first customers yourself, through tones of emails, phone calls or by using your network. Your goal is to turn you first users into champions, into strong advocates. And the best way to do that is to offer them an exceptional experience they will remember: talk to them!

Kevin Hale, cofounder of Wufoo

Get inspired: bit.ly/1t67uQh

Get personal with your customer.

Get inspired: bit.ly/1bNrOgL

Get inspired: bit.ly/1bNrOgL

Get inspired: bit.ly/1bNrOgL

"I'm so fed up with all these startups that feel they have to tell me all about their story… "

6./7

The hero is not the founder. It's the audience.

"One of my criterion for investing: does it make for a good cocktail story. Am I so excited by your story that my eyes sparkle when I tell the story of what this guy is doing?"

"To attract the best people, write a truly inspired blog post about how it’s truly amazing to work there, describe the vision, the mission, the company, why you’re amazing, and why it’s going to be amazing when the candidate comes."

Travis Kalanick, CEO of Uber, serial entrepreneur and investor

Get inspired: bit.ly/1p2DShI

"Not everyone can be a good storyteller. Some just have it and some don't."

7./7

"Don't try to be Steve Jobs. Don't try to replicate Apple's website or products. Be yourself, be authentic."

Allison Johnson, former Apple VP of Marketing Communication

The leopard can't change its spots.

THE BOTTOM LINE

STORYTELLINGWHAT IS IT?

STORYTELLINGDO I NEED IT?

STORYTELLINGCAN I DO IT?

STORYTELLINGWHAT IS IT?1

STORYTELLINGMARKETI

NG

STORYTELLINGMARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

STORYTELLINGMARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

INVESTOR RELATIONS

STORYTELLINGMARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

MEDIA RELATIONS

INVESTOR RELATIONS

STORYTELLINGMARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

MEDIA RELATIONS

PACKAGING

INVESTOR RELATIONS

STORYTELLINGMARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

MEDIA RELATIONS

PACKAGINGDESIG

N

INVESTOR RELATIONS

STORYTELLINGMARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

MEDIA RELATIONS

UX

PACKAGINGDESIG

N

INVESTOR RELATIONS

STORYTELLINGMARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

MEDIA RELATIONS

UX

PACKAGINGDESIG

N

EVENTS

INVESTOR RELATIONS

STORYTELLINGMARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

MEDIA RELATIONS

UX

PACKAGINGDESIG

N

EVENTS TEAM

BUILDING

INVESTOR RELATIONS

STORYTELLINGMARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

MEDIA RELATIONS

UX

PACKAGINGDESIG

N

EVENTS

INVESTOR RELATIONS

CONSUMER PITCH

TEAM BUILDIN

G

STORYTELLINGMARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

MEDIA RELATIONS

UX

PACKAGINGDESIG

N

EVENTS

INVESTOR RELATIONS

CONSUMER PITCH

TEAM BUILDIN

G

SALES PITCH

UNIQUENESSMARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

MEDIA RELATIONS

UX

PACKAGINGDESIG

N

EVENTS

CONSUMER PITCH

TEAM BUILDIN

G

INVESTOR RELATIONS

SALES PITCH

BRANDING?MARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

MEDIA RELATIONS

UX

PACKAGINGDESIG

N

EVENTS

CONSUMER PITCH

TEAM BUILDIN

G

INVESTOR RELATIONS

SALES PITCH

PURPOSEMARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

MEDIA RELATIONS

UX

PACKAGINGDESIG

N

EVENTS

CONSUMER PITCH

TEAM BUILDIN

G

INVESTOR RELATIONS

SALES PITCH

JOURNEYMARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

MEDIA RELATIONS

UX

PACKAGINGDESIG

N

EVENTS

CONSUMER PITCH

TEAM BUILDIN

G

INVESTOR RELATIONS

SALES PITCH

GLUEMARKETI

NGADVERTISI

NG

MEDIA RELATIONS

UX

PACKAGINGDESIG

N

EVENTS

CONSUMER PITCH

TEAM BUILDIN

G

INVESTOR RELATIONS

SALES PITCH

STORYTELLINGDO I NEED IT?2

STORY

STORY

MEANS YOU

HUMANIZE

AND YOU PROVIDE

HUMANIZE

STORY

EXPERIENCE

HUMANIZE RELATIONSHIPTHEN YOU ENGAGE IN

EXPERIENCE

STORY

LOYALTYWHICH CREATES

HUMANIZE RELATIONSHIPEXPERIENCE

STORY

LOYALTYWOMAND

HUMANIZE RELATIONSHIPEXPERIENCE

STORY

LOYALTYNO BS WOMBUT CREATES EXPECTATIONS

HUMANIZE RELATIONSHIPEXPERIENCE

STORY

LOYALTYWOMACCOUNTABILITY

Thanks to the authors of the icons: Catherine Please, Anton Håkanson, Alex Sheyn, Anna, A Friedmann (The Noun Project)

NO BSAND BIG RESPONSABILITIES

HUMANIZE RELATIONSHIPEXPERIENCE

STORY

STORYTELLINGCAN I DO IT?3

NATURAL-BORN STORYTELLERSENTREPRENEURS ARE

PRACTICE

t

STEP 1: START WITH THE GLUE

UNIQUENESS PURPOSE

THE CORE STORY

AUDIENCE

#1

ANALYZE YOUR COMPETITORS' WEBSITES & LOOK FOR THEIR STORY

-> WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT YOURS?

#2

DEFINE WHO YOU ARE VS. WHO ARE YOU NOT – CREATE A WORD LIST OR MOODBOARD

-> DEFINE YOUR BRAND FROM AN EMOTIONAL STANDPOINT

UNIQUENESS

#3

DEFINE YOUR BRAND HERO

BASED ON FICTION OR REALITY, IMAGINE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE: DESCRIBE HIM/HER AS PRECISELY AS POSSIBLE: EXTERIOR AND INNER SELF.

THE HERO WRITES A LETTER ABOUT HIS/HER BROKEN WORLD

WRITING TO ONE OF HIS CLOSEST FRIENDS, HE REVEALS HIS BROKEN WORLD AND EXPRESSES WHAT WOULD BE HIS UNSPOKEN DREAM / PROMISED LAND.

Based on 'The Story Wars' – Jonah Sachs

AUDIENCE

#4

THE NEW FRONTIERDESCRIBE HOW THE WORLD IS DIFFERENT FROM 5 YEARS AGO & WHY IT MAKES YOUR MISSION MATTER MORE THAN EVER BEFORE.WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT WHAT’S POSSIBLE TODAY THAT WAS NOT 5 YEARS AGO?WHAT CULTURAL CHANGE AND/OR TECHNOLOGICAL SHIFT OFFERS NEW OPPORTUNITIES?

THE CALL TO ADVENTUREYOUR STORY SHOULD CELEBRATE THE NEW POSSIBILITIES AND EMPOWER YOUR AUDIENCE TO ACT! YOUR BRAND HELPS YOUR AUDIENCE EMBRACE THE FUTURE & CREATE A BETTER WORLD.

Based on "Undeniable story", by Michael Margolis

PURPOSE

BE AUTHENTICFOCUS ON YOUR AUDIENCETELL A STORY FROM YOUR FACTS

Thanks for reading.

LOUD STORY STARTUP LEAGUE

Join the movement on meetup.com

@LoudStory