Participate in Their Transformation

These are my notes from reading Donald Miller's book on Building a StoryBrand. Chapter 11 goes through the final part of the Framework which is about affirming to the customer that they've finished their transformation.

If you want to check out the other parts of this series, the links are below:

1. Overview
2. Identify the Character
3. Create a Villain
4. Introducing a Guide
5. Give them a Plan
6. Call them to Action
7. Prevent Failure
8. End with a Win
9. Participate in Their Transformation
10. Brandscript your Website
11. The Narrative Void
12. The Marketing Roadmap

The Principle: Participation of Transformation

People desire to transform

When a brand participates in a person’s transformation create brand evangelists because they will keep telling other people about it.

Heroes are designed to transform

Who does the customer want to become?

What kind of person do they want to be?

What kind of identity do they aspire to be?

Define an Identity to Aspire to

The pull of good branding makes even conscious marketers gravitate towards it.

Look at how customers want their friends to say about them.

E.g. he’s really adventurous

Use the desired identity as the language for your communications with them:

• Emails
• Blog posts
• Copy

Your Heart to Change Lives

When your brand commits to changing people’s lives more than the number of products that sell, you do way better.

Dave Ramsey’s Example:

• Never positions himself as a hero
• Listens to the customer’s journey
• Notes the external, internal and philosophical problems they face
• Makes the customer feel more bold in creating with them an identity to aspire to
• Helps them execute a plan
• Once the customer has completed the journey, Dave announces that they’ve changed

Affirmation

The guide always comes back to affirm that the transformation has been completed.

Baseline of competence

The way the you frame the customer journey sets you apart from the others.

Identity Transformation

The result is so transformative that people around the customer notices a difference.

Practice Time

Business Name	Site	Business Name	What do they do?	From	To
Kingsgrove Cats	https://www.kingsgrovecats.com/	Kingsgrove Cats	Boarding house for cats	Begging	Empowered travellers
Mane Painters	https://manepainters.com.au/	Mane Painters	Hair colouring	Feeling Meh	Bold
Little Leaves Piano	https://www.littleleavespiano.com/	Little Leaves Piano	Piano teaching	Intimidated	In control
Austral Bricks	https://australbricks.com.au/	Austral Bricks	Styled bricks	A standard home	A styled talking point
Hot Tyres	http://hottyres.com.au/	Hot Tyres	Sell Wheels and Tyres Wheel Services	Uncertain	Certain
Duo Duo	https://www.duoduo.com.au/	Duo Duo	Ice cream and Donuts	Craving	Satisfied
Uturn Outlet	https://uturn.com.au/	Uturn Outlet	Second hand fashion	Focused on money	Focused on style