#44 The Negative Result

Hello, friends.

I have two things to share this edition. I hope they'll get you thinking as much as they have me this week. Here we go:

My buddy and Honestly collaborator, Bill Pasnau, came to town this week to discuss StoryBrand. I've read the book, but he's a certified StoryBrand guide (and one of the writers on the team). One topic discussed was that marketers often only talk about the benefits of using their product or service and neglect communicating the negative effects their products or services help their customers avoid.

These admittedly are delicate waters to navigate. However, done with empathy and in service to your customers, showing them what they'll "lose" is truth. Every story's hero knows what happens if they make the wrong choice; fortunes are lost, the rival team wins, the monster destroys the city, and so on.

As marketers, product managers and entrepreneurs, we must help our customers know how to get what they want by making sure they know what they don't want.

Until next time,

Honestly,

- David

P.S. I watched Too Funny to Fail last week. It's a documentary about the failed Dana Carvey Show. It's funny and tragic, and a great reminder that failure is a part of the process. One aspect of bravery is putting something new in the world knowing it might not work.
P.P.S. My generation is called "Xennials". Real clever. Let's just combine Generation X with Millennials. Yeah, that's it! (picking up the sarcasm?). Bad name – great article about the forgotten ones (born 1978 - 1984).
P.P.P.S. Here is a fun video showing Wes Anderson movie color pallets.