In many ways life is full of stories, and capturing these stories can be crucial to help brand and sell a product was the primary talking points during the latest Circle of Creation event hosted by the link on July 10.
“There’s a story behind every product,” said Keeli Scarlett, storyteller at the link. “Branding is all about storytelling.”
Scarlett was a key speaker on the night and spoke about how telling a product’s story is more important now than ever because it can be what allows a product to stand out in an oversaturated market with a lot of competition for customers.
“You have to sell the benefits and the story behind the product instead of just the just the features a product offers.”
This means focusing on how a product will enhance a person’s way of life, and it starts by getting to know their way of life and understanding the audience one is trying to reach.
“There should be an intersection between a brand’s story and a consumer’s story,” Scarlett said. “That unique journey is what helps a brand stand out from the rest. If your brand was a person, what would its personality be?”
She seemed to ease the faces of those in attendance when she informed them that constructing a brand story to pitch is no different than creating any other story, and just as an author, their story would have a beginning, middle and an end, with the end ideally being the consumer agreeing to what was pitched to them.
The knack of storytelling is something that can be a useful tool regardless of what area of business one is in.
“From marketing to sales, your story can help you get your message across,” Scarlett said.
Also speaking on the night was Jen Cart, President of Stellar Growth Strategies.
She focused on the different forms of pitches that can be used to sell a product and how it will differ depending on what part of the process one finds themselves in.
Cart encouraged practicing pitches at home before using them in the real world because it can help develop more consistency and provide needed structure to a pitch.
“It can really help to keep it from going off the rails, which can easily happen once you get into a conversation,” Cart said.
Making sure to “read the room” and not forcing a pitch on anyone was another tip she offered, as one of the quickest ways to have a pitch go South is for the recipient to feel like they are being force fed a pitch at a time when they are not in the mood to be.
“A good pitch is when the person is allowed to lead themselves down a path in the conversation,” Cart said. “Having certain pre-determined questions will help to make sure they find that path.”
Circle of Creation has been an ongoing initiative to bring local women business leaders together and it is helping create even more similar opportunities.
“I envisioned a women’s group which could meet to learn and share knowledge through their experiences,” the link co-owner Gurpreet Misra said. “I also wanted this to be a mix of speaking engagements, hands on learning, networking, and a fun social experience. I am glad the model has worked perfectly, the sessions are informative, knowledge is being shared through the experiences, and interactive activity is designed on the topic, with symbolic games bringing the fun part. Rarely do you would see this mix. We are inviting women in this group to stay connected through ‘Mindful Mondays,’ which will be held every week online and in-person at the link.”
