The Challenge of Connection

In the realm of marketing, our ability to persuade individuals to engage, purchase, or contribute often hinges on presenting ideas that may seem unnecessary or inconvenient. Conveying impactful concepts requires both intellect and emotion. Whether you're involved in marketing, sales, fundraising, recruitment, leadership, or even parenting, your success largely relies on motivating others to take action—whether that means trying, buying, changing, donating, or embracing something new.

However, in a world filled with distractions, creating meaningful connections can feel increasingly challenging, particularly when attempting to communicate or sell a message. Yet, understanding the role of business narrative can help bridge this gap.

Exploring the Me-We-They-You-Us Model

In the podcast episode, Keith and I delve into various frameworks that can help structure your personal narrative. One notable method, attributed to Andy Stanley, is the Me-We-They-You-Us model. In a business context, it can be framed as follows:

• Me: Share a personal problem you've encountered.
• We: Relate that problem to others who may have faced it.
• They: Introduce expert insights on the issue.
• You: Offer actionable steps to tackle the problem.
• Us: Envision the positive outcomes of addressing the issue collectively.

For instance, if I wanted to promote the benefits of servant leadership, the framework might look like this:

• Me: I strive for success in my career, but I want that success to have a meaningful impact on others.
• We: Many of you likely struggle with this same challenge.
• They: Recent studies indicate that prioritizing service to others enhances success, happiness, and purpose.
• You: Here are practical steps to begin serving others today.
• Us: Imagine if every team member in our organization prioritized the well-being of others.

This approach can convey a compelling message!

The Significance of Business Narratives

This framework is just the beginning of our discussion. We also explore:

• How the business narrative model can be adapted for personal branding.
• Differences in storytelling frameworks across cultures.
• The connection to inclusive marketing.
• Distinctions between "knowing" and "knowing of" as a persuasive technique.

The conversation was so rich that I chose to continue recording after the official episode ended, resulting in an extended discussion of nearly an hour—much longer than our usual 30-minute format.

I consider this one of my favorite episodes, and I assure you, you'll find it insightful enough to take notes!

Resources Mentioned

• Mark's Personal Branding Master Class
• The distinction between narrative and story.
• Insights into why employees are leaving their jobs and its implications for marketing.

Additionally, you can view a YouTube video featuring a young man employing Marshall Ganz's public narrative format to mobilize support for a cause, as well as access a downloadable PDF from Ganz on public narrative.

A Word About Brevo

This episode is supported by Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), which equips businesses with the tools to attract, engage, and nurture customer relationships. With Brevo, any business can create automated customer experiences, email marketing workflows, and landing pages that guide customers toward your main message.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! For more articles like this, check out the top-rated {grow} blog, and while you're there, explore my Marketing Companion podcast and keynote speaking information. For the latest news and insights, connect with me on Twitter @markwschaefer, follow my Instagram for a glimpse into my life, and discover my RISE community.

Today's image courtesy of MidJourney.