Storytelling: A/E/C Edition
Posted by [email protected] on Feb. 9, 2021 / Subscribe 0
Key Takeaways from SMPS’s Storytelling in A/E/C Firms Event
Author: Caitlin van Joosten, CF APMP
When I moved to Florida, I was thrilled to discover the Sunshine Law. You mean I can request a copy of my competitor’s proposals after 30 days, and I can watch all the evaluation committee meetings to hear what the client has to say about all the responses?
Coming from somewhere without this beautiful public records law, I thought I’d hit the jackpot. So much information, so much intel! Now I can see exactly how we measure up against the competition and what they may be saying that we maybe aren’t.
Then, I quickly learned… we are all essentially saying the same thing.
I knew this industry was competitive, but I didn’t realize just how close the competition was. In reviewing other firms’ proposals, I thought to myself, “You could take out the names and branding of each one of these and they would all look and sound almost exactly the same.”
We all have “extensive experience” and “a team of professionals” who can “consistently deliver on time and on budget.”
Blah, blah, blah. My next thought: “Man, I’d hate to have to read all of these all the time.”
Then I started watching evaluation committee meetings. The comment I heard on each one? “We have three very qualified firms and it’s going to be so difficult to select one.”
So, then I thought… how can we make it easier for our clients? Our poor clients, who must make such tough decisions between such similarly qualified firms.
Our poor clients, who read through pages and pages of qualifications, experience, and expertise. Where the same commitments are promised to deliver a high-quality project on time and on budget are promised over and over.
How do you stand out from the competition?
Read: Storytelling.
I recently attended the SMPS event, Practical Applications of Storytelling in A/E/C Firms hosted by Everest Marketing Services President Barbara Shuck, who is a StoryBrand Certified Guide and 25-year A/E/C marketing veteran. Her three-part learning series provided proven storytelling principles for engaging clients in a compelling way to help firms stand out.
So how do you write a compelling story? Well, I don’t want to give away all of Barbara’s tips and tricks, but I will give you my top three takeaways from the event that can help you get started on developing your firm’s story.
KEY TAKEAWAY #1: Focus on the client.
When writing your firm’s story, it seems to make sense to, well, write about your firm, right? Yes, but have you ever met someone who talks constantly about themselves without ever asking you any questions or trying to learn anything about you? You end up checking out and losing interest in the conversation and, in turn, the person.
It’s common to want to write all about your experience and expertise because it’s necessary to build authority and trust so your client feels that you can in fact deliver what they need. And often in proposals we are required to provide some sort of corporate history and relevant experience, yet there is a way to do this with compliancy and in a compelling fashion.
In addition to authority, you should also demonstrate empathy. Show the client that you understand them by making them the focus of your writing. One trick is to use one color to highlight every time you mention yourself in a document, then another color to highlight every time you mention the client. If you talk about yourself way more than you talk about the client, the client will lose interest. Try replacing “I” with “you” and your client will surely stay engaged.
KEY TAKEAWAY #2: Problem first, not last.
Storytelling can be applied to all types of communication, whether it’s proposals, emails, websites, social media, and more. What is the story you should be telling? You are the guide who can help your client solve their problems.
It’s not necessarily about being different or offering different services and ideologies because, of course, we ultimately do the same things as our competitors. The key is to talk about the services offered in a way that makes the client pay more attention to your firm. And the way to do that is to frame it toward the specific problem they have and then tell them how you can help solve it.
The basic formula: The Problem + The Solution + The Results
Often, we write our firm’s story in a way where we first talk about our history and all the great things we have done before eventually providing our approach to the client’s problem. In Barbara’s framework, simply reverse it. Always open with talking about their problem. If you aren’t talking about it, they will lose interest and you will lose the work.
The most memorable stories are ones we can relate to, so your client is much more likely to pay attention to your story if they can say, “Yes, that’s exactly the problem I’m having! You get me, tell me more.” As Barbara repeatedly drove home, “If you stop talking about a client’s problems, they stop paying attention to you.” And of course, we want to keep our client’s attention!
KEY TAKEAWAY #3: Keep it simple.
The reader of your communications could be any number of people, from project managers to procurement staff to prospective employees. The one thing all readers have in common: they are people. So, write in a way that appeals to all people, which is to keep it short and sweet.
The human brain is not meant to process lots of complex information at once so your reader will appreciate you getting to the point instead of having to make them work to figure out what you’re saying. A few tips to make your writing clearer and more concise:
- Use less adjectives – not everything needs to be this and
- Cut out the commas – which will be easier when you start using less adjectives.
- Short, shorter, and shortest – write these three drafts to hone in on a concept and get to the heart of your message.
In this industry, we often write about complex and technical ideas but even the smartest people don’t want to have to do extra work to wade through your blah blah blah-ing. So, tone down on the “professionalism” in your writing and write more how people speak. Read your writing out loud to see if it makes sense and sounds natural. It will help you keep it simple while also creating a connection with your client.
Ultimately, the goal is to make it as easy as possible on your client to understand your message. As Barbara so succinctly put it, “If you confuse, you lose.”
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