Chronicles of Success: Crafting Compelling Business Stories in Southeast Asia
As children we all loved stories. Being frightened by the monsters, and holding our breath until the magician or the prince(ess) rides to the rescue. Some of us have fond memories of campfires or grandparents with tales of times gone by, teaching – without us even knowing it – our heritage, bringing our own history to life.
Stories have the power to galvanize a tribe, to unite for a common cause and carry wisdom from generation to generation. Walt Disney has rejuvenated classic children’s fairytales to huge commercial advantage – and this can be just as true within the world of enterprises and B2B marketing.
But what does a great “Business Story” look like? Who are the characters in the dynamic landscape of B2B marketing in Southeast Asia and how do we pull all these together so that our brand becomes the choice of the tribe?
Are you comfortable? Let’s dig into 3 things to help tell your business story the right way:
Identify The Villain
Take a good hard look at your prospects and clients. What is causing them Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt – the FUD monsters. Is the fire-breathing dragon a regulatory body shooting out new rules and guidelines? Or could it be that Cinderalla’s evil sisters are stealing market share with cheap tricks and low pricing? Companies are facing an endless onslaught of issues as the goalposts move and supply chains, cyberattacks as well as people issues all bring professional concerns on how to solve them.
Whatever the solution you offer – it is just that – a solution to a problem and the sword that may finish off the dragon. Identify the core challenges that your target audience is facing, give the challenge a persona and you’ve got a foot in the door to being the hero.
Humanize The Characters
We all want someone to be the winner and so making the victim – in this case the prospect, relatable, allows us to envisage the same challenges that may be lurking around the corner in our world. When you present your story, describe your client, share their challenge and how it was truly overcome with the sword that your company is bringing to the fight.
Business storytelling has its fair share of challenges getting approvals and finding the right angle, but this is where an expert partner can help bring the situation to life – sometimes, without even naming the company and people concerned. Obviously it’s better if we can, but the principal and scenario can be all too familiar without naming names if we put some depth into it.
Slay The Dragon
In this story, you are the hero bringing practical and proven solutions for local and regionally specific pain points from regulators to an increasingly competitive landscape. Your voice will resonate sharing the battle tactics and weapons you used to fight off the FUD dragon in the world of B2B.
Today’s dragons come in all shapes and sizes. Some have wings that span a region and others lurk in just one market, but the power of a great story is putting that dragon-slaying sword in the hands of your company, ultimately becoming the here your prospects want and need.
Want to learn more about our approach to Business Storytelling? Call us.