Stop Storytelling and Start Having Brand Conversations That Convert — Here's How

Stories don't compel people to buy. Conversations do. As an accidental brand strategist, I have learned that concise and compelling brand messaging is crucial to cutting through the noise, creating common ground with your target audiences and ultimately driving revenue. However, many of us get caught up in the trend that storytelling will enable us to deliver such a message and compel our prospects to take the next step and buy.

My journey into branding wasn't planned — it was a twist of fate. I originally intended to pursue a PhD in linguistic anthropology. However, when the market crashed, a professor advised me to get a day job, pay off my undergrad debt and gain some world experience. So, I left academia and took my first sales job, where I was tasked with selling IT training services.

Starting my career in this challenging sales role, I quickly realized the importance of clear and impactful communication through trial and error. Cold-calling IT professionals to sell high-ticket $2,500 training classes taught me that within the first 15 to 30 seconds, you must convey what you do, how you solve someone's problem and how you are different from the competition. This tough environment forced me to refine my communication skills and develop an effective brand pitch that enabled me to exceed my sales quotas and ultimately launch my career in brand strategy and development.

Related: How Your Communication Style Affects Your Sales Performance

The Brand Trifecta

Your brand is your path of least resistance to revenue. In the first 15 to 30 seconds, you need to tell someone what you do, how you solve their problem and how you are different from the competition. Narratives alone won't drive sales; engaging brand conversations will. When someone asks what you do, you shouldn't lead with a story. Instead, you need a clear, compelling brand pitch that provokes curiosity and makes people want to know more.

The Brand Trifecta is the powerful and proven messaging framework I developed during my early sales career, and it has since helped thousands of organizations craft brands that bring more prospects to the table and generate more customers who buy. The Brand Trifecta is rooted in buyer psychology and enables businesses to create "you get me" moments that their target audiences need in order to build trust and ultimately purchase.

The Brand Trifecta methodology consists of three key pieces: a tagline, a value proposition statement and a set of differentiator statements. The formulaic combination of these three messaging components creates a brand conversation that converts.

Your tagline is the first impression of your brand. It should be short, clear and provoke interest. Think of your tagline as the headline of your brand's message. It should immediately tell people what you do in a way that captures their attention and compels them to want to know more.

Next, you need a value proposition statement. This is where you expand on your tagline by explaining how you solve your customer's problem. A value proposition statement is not just a list of features and benefits; it succinctly speaks to the value you provide to your prospects and customers by addressing their specific pain points. Your value proposition should resonate with your audience and make them see you as the solution they've been looking for. In other words, your value proposition statement should create the "You get me!" moment for your customers.

Matt McNeany, CTO of OPMG, highlights the importance of data when identifying your customers' pain points : "Brands that do this most effectively are, of course, starting with data. They are using each customer interaction to learn more, capturing which content the customer is engaging with and adding that to their profile, building an experience that asks the customer their opinion and what they like." This is where the magic happens — when you use these insights to tailor your messaging, you create a value proposition that truly resonates and compels your target audience to take the next step and buy.

Related: 5 Proven Tips for Better Defining Your Business' Unique Value Proposition

Finally, your differentiator statements should clearly outline how you are different and better than your competition. What unique benefits do you offer? Why should someone choose you over others? Differentiator statements are crucial because they help you stand out in a crowded market and ultimately give your audience a reason to choose you over the rest.

"The best brands build differentiation through what they do as well as what they say. As the old saying goes, 'Don't tell me you're funny; make me laugh.' Or for brands, don't say that you care about customers, demonstrate it to me — via imperceptibly personalized experiences that predict what I want and give me what I need, making my choices simpler and my life easier," says McNeany. Bottom line: Your differentiator statements build trust and create a compelling case for your prospects to act.

Creating brand conversations that convert

At the end of the day, the ultimate goal is to create brand conversations that convert. Focus on provoking your audience to want to know more. Remember, you are not in the business of convincing everyone; you are in the business of converting the right people.

Therefore, make sure your brand messaging is consistent across all channels and touchpoints. This will align your sales and marketing teams and ultimately boost your revenue growth. McNeany emphasizes how automation can play a helpful role in consistent branding across channels: "Intelligent brands have realized that they need to deliver consistency while simultaneously managing an explosion of content across channels."

So, they are rapidly adopting an automated content supply chain, which combines a brand design framework with algorithmic decisions based on customer behavior to deliver relevant, on-brand communications in every channel. Whatever sales and marketing tactics you deploy, keep your brand message consistent so that customers have a clear understanding of who you are, what you do, how you solve their problems and how you differ from the competition.

Furthermore, don't lose sight of the power of consistent branding to bridge the gap between sales and marketing teams . Misalignment between sales and marketing can be remedied by cross-functionally leveraging a singular brand pitch that addresses what customers need to know to buy. When sales and marketing consistently use and leverage the same brand language, they become an unstoppable and unified front. The outcome? Increased conversions, shortened sales cycles and improved revenue growth.

Related: How to Master the Art of Brand Messaging With Clear and Consistent Communication

Get your brand out of the box and break free from the storytelling status quo by building your Brand Trifecta. Develop a clear tagline, value proposition and differentiator statements, and reap the benefits of a powerful brand pitch that unifies your sales and marketing teams, accelerates sales cycles and boosts growth. Remember, your brand is your path of least resistance to revenue. Create compelling brand conversations and watch your business take off.