So, it’s about more than just the product benefit, especially in most markets today where the product benefits are all essentially the same. The single best way to differentiate your brand today is through your brand’s story.

Your product must tell a good story which cuts straight to the heart. We as human beings are story-driven creatures. Stories motivate us. Stories can be a catalyst for change and can play a huge role in determining whether a brand takes off and a new product succeeds or fails.

The stories that stay with us, those that affect us most deeply, are the ones that don’t just speak to us merely on a rational level, but also on an emotional level. Stories must allow us to engage and connect. No matter how rational we consider ourselves to be, the truth is simply this – a majority of all that we do is NOT driven by rational impulses. We are irrational, unconscious creatures. A great story-seller intuitively knows this. With a good story, a talented story-seller can speak directly to a consumer’s unconscious and hook them without them ever even understanding how or why.

Thus, a brand, company or salesperson who is doing their job well, must be intuitively telling the consumer the right story, the right way. A story so powerful that consumers can’t help but listen and buy into that story, which inevitably leads them to buying into that product as well. Clearly, storytellers and marketers must be master persuaders, but as such, they also must know better than to ever allow employees and consumers to feel as if they’re being manipulated. Like a covert bomber, the storyteller must get in under the radar and drop their message without being detected. This is a skill that can and must be learned

So, here now is a list of some of the ways that stories can affect your brand:

• Through a conscious manipulation of your brand’s story, you can create an emotional connection between your brand and your customers.
• A well-told story can increase brand loyalty.
• A well-told story can help you transcend gaps in understanding and create a culture of inclusion at your company.
• A well-told story can enhance staff commitment to mission and objectives.
• A well-told story can improve the power, tone and texture of your speeches, proposals, presentations and printed materials.
• A well-told story can add dimension to leadership and help further development of your communication skills.
• If you understand the story that your brand is telling, you can insure brand continuity and differentiate your brand from all the other similar brands in your market.