Everybody wants to be a hero! We all want to be the shining star that our family, friends, peers, industry, and customers look up to!
However, to be that hero, a business leader must take a counterintuitive step backwards and become a supporting character.
Our customers do not want to hire a hero, they want to be the hero!
The best thing we can do for our businesses and careers is to make the customer the hero. In doing so, we will accelerate our business and career and, in a round about way, become heroes ourselves!
What does this supporting character look like? Well, Luke Skywalker would never have succeeded without Yoda by his side to equip and guide him. James Bond would have died in his first movie if Q had not outfitted him with state of the art gear. This theme repeats over and over again in movies, comic books and in real life!
No great leader has ever risen to the top without being supported and guided along the way by a cast of supporting characters. We all have teachers, mentors, coaches, and advocates in our personal and professional journeys that have shaped us into who we are today. This applies to world leaders, business people, innovators, athletes and entrepreneurs. It applies to Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Michael Jordan, and to you, me and our customers!
So, how do you become the supporting character and make your customer the hero?
Making Your Customer the Hero
In my opinion, Donald Miller’s “Building a Story Brand” book is business book of the year! It defines a simple yet powerful framework that assists any organization in defining; who their customer is, what need their customer has, and how this need can be met. It is the roadmap to making your customer the hero!
Essentially, Donald Miller’s “StoryBrand” model has seven parts that I have outlined below and in the diagram:
- A character (your customer) who
- has a problem (the need that your product/service solves) and
- meets a guide (you).
- The guide gives them a plan (your product or service)
- and calls them to action (you make the sale and equip them to properly apply the tools).
- The guide helps them avoid failure (a vivid picture of what happens if they don’t use your product/service)
- and ends in success (a vivid picture of what the future looks like after they use your product/service and successfully solve their problem)
Take Action
Remember that every business is looking for a competitive advantage but in today’s hyper-competitive world, it is becoming harder and harder to define! The business that clearly understands who their customer is and the exact need that customer has will have a definite advantage.
The business takes this a step further and positions their customers to be heroes is the business that will excel well into the future!
Do yourself and your business a favor and read Miller’s Building a StoryBrand. Then, review your business model and define each component of the 7 step model. Determine who your customers are, what their needs are, and how can you be the guide that positions them to be a hero!
Finally, take a look at these related posts:
- How to Provide Customer Service That Wins Customers for Life
- How to Boost Customer Experience and Improve Your Business
- 10 Ways to Provide Sensational Customer Experiences
- Do Your Employees Care About Your Customers
- How to Wow Your Customers and Increase Your Sales
- What are the 5 Most Dangerous Words in Business
- Be Amazing or Go Home
“Think one customer at a time and take care of each one the best way you can.” Gary Comer
What experience do you have truly understanding and meeting your customers needs? Leave your comments below!
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