| Since the first caveman figured out how to | | | | will ever see. And what does he read?XYZ |
| tie a sharp rock to the end of a sturdy stick | | | | Company is a leading communication solutions |
| with a piece of vine, and hack off slabs of | | | | provider with a world-class portfolio of |
| mastodon meat with it for fire roasting, | | | | Connectivity, Infrastructure Management and |
| storytelling has been the way knowledge has | | | | IT Services. Because your thoughts, ideas and |
| been passed from one person to another.Around | | | | business requirements are entirely unique, |
| the campfire blaze, the tribal members would | | | | XYZ Company believes our role is to equip |
| gather, the little children gazing cautiously | | | | your business with leading-edge communication |
| out from behind their parents, their eyes | | | | solutions specific to your goals. XYZ Company |
| shining wide like silver dollars, | | | | collaborates with you to better understand |
| listening... The grizzled old witch | | | | your business, its challenges and how it |
| Doctor-can you hear his crackling voice, as | | | | operates. Not until then do we determine what |
| he spins a yarn of bygone days?There is | | | | you need - and what you don't. Our three main |
| learning in the story-how to surround and | | | | areas of business are:"Can't you see that |
| kill a wholly mammoth, the cunning exploits | | | | poor sod?", I said. "With your sales letter |
| of the ancient clansman, how the old man | | | | in his hands he lets out one last horrible |
| survived a vicious storm. There are stories | | | | scream, throws your stuff into the fire, and |
| of love and war, of the discovery of magical | | | | is about to jump in after it when, just in |
| potions and incantations, of the wicked | | | | time, he is rescued by a big burly fireman |
| cannibals to the east.Since the dawn of time, | | | | who smashes down the door to his office and |
| stories have been the conduit of learning... | | | | rushes in... Why not save the poor man's life |
| the sacred baton, passed from one generation | | | | in the first place by beginning your sales |
| to the next... without which, human | | | | letter with a benefit riddled story?"I could |
| development would stand still.We are | | | | have said to my client, "Your copy is too |
| creatures of story...Just the other day I was | | | | formal and traditional and somewhat lacking |
| reviewing a lead generation campaign a client | | | | in originality." He would likely have |
| sent me for critique. He had also sent me | | | | forgotten all about it the next time he sat |
| some of his competitors marketing materials, | | | | down to write. But he will never forget the |
| and I looked at them too.My young marketing | | | | story of the mad purchasing agent burning his |
| friend had taken the same lifeless approach | | | | office down.Telling stories and listening to |
| as his opponents. He had begun as most | | | | stories are the behaviors that most |
| corporate advertisers do, with a lifeless | | | | distinguish us as a species. We discriminate |
| litany of meaningless platitudes. It was | | | | as adults, in many ways, based on our primary |
| about as interesting as warmed over oatmeal | | | | experiences-the stories of our childhood. |
| gone cold."Suppose you were the customer, " I | | | | They are forever implanted, in both our |
| said to my friend. "Be him for a minute. | | | | conscious and unconscious. The drama of |
| Realize that he faces stacks of these things, | | | | movies, TV, and the theater are storytelling. |
| they're piling up to the ceiling in his | | | | Jokes are short stories. The parables of the |
| office, these dry institutional marketing | | | | Bible are stories.Storytelling is in our |
| pieces he must read on his employer's time. | | | | blood. So is listening to stories and |
| No wonder he hates sales people and | | | | relating to them. Ergo, story is the most |
| marketers. He is drowning in their paper | | | | powerful structure you can possibly use to |
| excrement. Can you see him? He wants to burn | | | | build any sales argument.When you open your |
| the piles up.Suddenly something snaps...He | | | | copy with a story, you disarm your prospect's |
| goes mad. He grabs the brochure on the top of | | | | natural aversion to being sold, and engage |
| the pile, rips off the top sheet, lights a | | | | them in a way "ad speak" never can. This in |
| match to it and now, laughing, slobbering all | | | | turn dramatically increases the odds of |
| over himself, he feeds the little fire, a | | | | having them actively consider the reasons why |
| page at a time.He drops the burning marketing | | | | they should want your product, and moves you |
| package to the floor, and adds others to it | | | | dramatically closer to making the sale.Daniel |
| until he has a large fire roaring in the | | | | Levis is a top marketing consultant & direct |
| center of his office. You can see him madly | | | | response copywriter based in Toronto, Canada |
| feeding the flames with sales letter after | | | | and publisher of the world famous copywriting |
| sales letter until he comes to yours. He | | | | anthology "Masters of Copywriting" featuring |
| picks it up. It's the last one left. By this | | | | the marketing wisdom of 42 of the world's |
| time the drapes have caught fire and the | | | | greatest copywriters, including Clayton |
| place is turning into an inferno. He stops | | | | Makepeace, Joe Sugarman, Joe Vitale, Bob Bly |
| for a moment to read the last sales copy he | | | | and dozens more! |