Everyone talks about the impact of stories in business, but what does that mean?
Stories make an emotional connection.
Stories cut through the clutter of blooper videos, Slack messages, and the report you need to finish this afternoon.
For example, which is more memorable?
“Please pick up milk?”
“Please pick up milk, or we won’t be able to have dinner tonight?”
The second one creates a sad picture, doesn’t it? It’s more likely to make an impression so your spouse remembers.
People remember stories because they make an emotional connection.
Fortunately, you don’t need to be Steven Spielberg to tell a compelling story.
You do need to understand your customer’s wants and needs as much as possible… because when you understand those wants and needs, you’re able to produce content that connects the dots between your customer’s problem and the solution your B2B product or service offers.
Your content needs to prompt the prospective customer to take action — you need them to move.
In storytelling, the moment that forces your protagonist to take action is called an “inciting incident.” Storybrand author and speaker Donald Miller calls it an essential storytelling ingredient.
Screenwriters use this tactic to pivot a story… Perhaps you recognize it being used in these classic films…
One day, Ferris Bueller decided to take the day off school…
One day, Clark Griswold decided to take his family on a driving vacation to Wally World…
One day, John McClane was in a high-rise building taken over by terrorists who had taken his wife hostage…
That one event, that one circumstance, or that one decision sets off a change from the life that character had been living to a whole new direction.
That inciting incident is the point when the protagonist is presented with a situation that is out of the ordinary, one to which they will have to respond, taking actions to accomplish a goal.
As Donald has pointed out, people don’t take action on a whim… human beings take action when their story challenges them to do so.
He points out, “The inciting incident is how you get [your characters] to do something…. It’s the doorway through which they can’t return, you know. The story takes care of the rest.”
In the marketing realm, an “inciting incident” refers to a significant event, news, or change that disrupts the status quo. For instance, negative press reports, disruption in the industry, technological changes, new competition, major market shifts, or regulatory changes can create a key turning point or “pivot” for a business.
The new circumstances compel a business to change their marketing strategy, launch a new campaign, or implement a new initiative in response to an unexpected challenge or opportunity.
The Power of the Inciting Incident Uplevels Your B2B Storytelling
Every book, movie, play, and even short videos and commercials have a moment that moves the story forward.
Your marketing copy and content can have the same. You can outline a particular challenge or problem, and then highlight how your client’s business provides the key solution.
For example, in an IBM campaign titled “Every Second Counts,” IBM uses the threat of cyberattacks to show that if companies don’t have a plan for protection and recovery, they’re at risk. IBM created a dramatic video showing what happens during a cyberattack and geared it toward business decision-makers. Of course, IBM offers the corresponding solutions every business needs.
Now, you don’t need a grand saga to tell a memorable story in your marketing materials. Memorable stories are often simple. What you do need are relevance, urgency, and a sense of drama.
Without such an incident, you don’t have a compelling story. There are three core components to every inciting incident that moves the story forward.
3 Components of the Inciting Incident
1. Relatability or Relevance
To resonate with the target audience, you’ve got to illustrate how the inciting event or change in circumstances is relevant to what’s happening or what’s important to them.
An example of a relatable problem is that direct mail to consumers and businesses has ever-escalating costs and is susceptible to postal service delays. Using email solves the problem of mail delays and costs, and makes it easier to immediately measure results and keep campaigns organized.
So do some brainstorming… What’s relatable or relevant in your B2B product or service?
2. Urgency
New regulations, unexpected events, or unusual circumstances in an industry create a new and compelling urgency to make changes for a business.
For example, the CAN-SPAM Act in the U.S. and GDPR in Europe created new, stringent rules around handling mass email. There was an urgency to comply with these new governmental regulations, and email providers like Mailchimp, Aweber, etc., built in compliance so small business owners wouldn’t break the law by accident.
What’s urgent in your B2B product or service?
3. Drama
In marketing, drama offers businesses the opportunity to captivate, resonate, and forge more meaningful emotional connections with their target audience. Drama compels the prospect to take action sooner to avoid dire consequences.
For example, if companies didn’t comply with those new email governmental regulations, they could face hefty fines or worse.
What kind of drama does your B2B product or service help prospects avoid?
Once you have these components, you can introduce the solution.
For instance, following the email example… Email companies such as Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Aweber, and so on, set up their services to comply with the new regulations, such as making sure users did not upload to email lists without permission.
These services made it easy for small business owners to follow the guidelines and avoid hefty fines.
How You Can Find the Inciting Incident?
If the answers to the three questions:
- What’s relatable or relevant in your B2B product or service?
- What’s urgent in your B2B product or service?
- What kind of drama does your B2B product or service help prospects avoid?
aren’t clear, you’re not alone.
Too many companies operate in a blind spot. Either their solution is a “nice to have,” or they aren’t exactly sure who benefits the most from their product or service.
There are vague descriptions of a “mid-level B2B marketer; they’re familiar with branding but may not know all the acronyms.” This may be fine for some businesses, but most B2B brands need a more defined audience to drive sales faster.
Your goal? Discover the “tipping point” for inspiring prospects to make a purchase.
Here are three tactics you can try to help you find that “tipping point” and create an inciting incident that prompts your prospect to take action.
1. Talk to Customers
Ask if a specific event or realization inspired them to look for a solution. Were there regulatory changes, internal inefficiencies, or sudden revenue drops that forced them to make a decision?
Tip: Don’t be surprised if your client doesn’t give you direct access to customers.
Fortunately, you have the internet. So put on your Sherlock Holmes hat and dig into industry forums, LinkedIn groups, Quora, Reddit, and anywhere else your client’s customers hang out. Find out the questions and complaints they have and write them down. This is valuable intel for you.
2. Ask for Sales Info
Ask if your client can share any calls, demos, or other sales/customer interactions. Your goal is to detect any patterns. See what people frequently ask when they’re talking to the sales team.
3. Industry Trends
Every industry offers a wealth of publications, videos, webinars, books, and more. Spend a few hours with this material and jot down key trends, major pain points, and any changes in technology and customer behavior.
Look at the competition. What are they doing differently? What’s your client’s industry reputation? Are they established? Are they a start-up and trying to find a foothold? Are they somewhere in the middle?
The more you learn about your client’s ideal customer, the more you can uncover the inciting incident.
It all starts with research.
Going deep into forums, Help Desk tickets, and competitor research can help you discover an inciting incident that motivates buyers to take action. As you research, ask yourself about your client’s solution’s most relatable, urgent, and dramatic possibilities. What happens if the customers don’t solve the problem — what are the repercussions?
The more you know about your customer’s roles and responsibilities, the more you can build a relevant, urgent story with a sense of drama.
