storybrand-messaging

# StoryBrand Messaging Framework

Clarify your message so customers will listen. Customers don't buy the best products — they buy the ones they can understand the fastest.

## Core Principle

**The customer is the hero, not your brand.** Your brand is the guide who helps the hero win. Position yourself as the hero and you compete with your customer; position yourself as the guide and you serve them.

## Scoring

**Goal: 10/10.** Score any marketing copy or brand messaging by the Quick Diagnostic: 1 point per satisfied row (7 rows) plus up to 3 points for a one-liner that passes the cocktail party test (clear + repeatable in one hearing). Bands: 9-10 = customer is the hero, all three problem levels named, empathy + authority both shown, a 3-step plan, one obvious Direct CTA, and both success and failure stakes painted; 5-6 = SB7 partly applied but the internal problem, stakes, or CTA is missing; <=3 = brand-as-hero, feature-led, or no clear ask. Always state the current score and the specific changes needed to reach 10/10.

## The SB7 Framework

Every compelling story follows the same pattern. Use this structure for all messaging:

### 1. A Character (The Hero)

**Core concept:** The customer is the hero, and your job is to define the ONE thing they want. Be specific about that single desire.

**Why it works:** Naming a desire opens a story gap — the distance between where the customer is and where they want to be. That tension pulls them in because they feel understood and want the gap closed.

**Key insights:**
- Focus on ONE desire per message — multiple desires dilute the story gap
- Tie the desire to survival (physical, financial, relational, or spiritual)
- Aspirational identity is powerful ("become the leader everyone respects")
- Different segments have different desires — write separate messaging per role, stage, and pain intensity

**Product applications:**

| Context | Application | Example |
|---------|-------------|---------|
| Homepage headline | Desire as outcome | "You want a beautiful smile" (not "our dentistry is excellent") |
| Landing page | One desire per page | "You want to retire early" |
| Segmentation | Tailor desire per segment | CEO: "Scale without chaos" vs. IC: "Do your best work without friction" |

**Copy patterns:**
- "You want [specific desire]..."
- "Imagine [aspirational identity]..."
- "What if you could [single clear outcome]?"

See: [references/brand-script.md](references/brand-script.md) — fill out the BrandScript worksheet here when you need to draft all seven elements for a client from scratch.

### 2. Has a Problem

**Core concept:** Define the problem at three levels — external (tangible), internal (emotional), philosophical (the injustice) — and personify it with a specific villain.

**Why it works:** Companies sell solutions to external problems, but customers buy solutions to internal ones. Naming how the problem makes them feel — confused, overwhelmed, embarrassed — taps the emotional driver behind purchases.

**Key insights:**
- External: "my investments are scattered"; internal: "I feel overwhelmed"; philosophical: "people shouldn't need to be experts to retire well"
- A good villain is specific and relatable, not abstract — "Wall Street jargon designed to confuse you", not "complexity"
- Most brands stop at external problems, missing the internal ones that drive purchases

**Product applications:**

| Context | Application | Example |
|---------|-------------|---------|
| Website problem section | Name all three levels | External: "Scattered tools." Internal: "You feel overwhelmed." Philosophical: "Teams deserve clarity." |
| Email nurture | Lead with internal problem | "Tired of feeling like you're guessing?" |
| Ad copy | Personify the villain | "Stop letting confusing software steal your evenings." |

**Copy patterns:**
- "You're tired of [internal problem]..."
- "[Villain] has been keeping you from [desire]..."
- "It's not right that [philosophical problem]..."

### 3. And Meets a Guide

**Core concept:** Your brand is the guide, expressing empathy AND authority. Empathy shows you understand the pain; authority proves you can solve it.

**Why it works:** Customers are looking for a guide, not another hero — think Yoda, not Luke. Empathy makes them feel seen, authority (testimonials, logos, statistics) makes them feel safe, and together they create trust.

**Key insights:**
- Show empathy with "we understand" language; show authority with testimonials, client logos, statistics, awards
- Never make your origin story the centerpiece — that is hero behavior; brief, relevant credentials suffice

**Product applications:**

| Context | Application | Example |
|---------|-------------|---------|
| About page | Empathy first, then credentials | "We know what it's like to feel lost in financial jargon. That's why 10,000 families trust us." |
| Homepage social proof | Empathy headline + authority logos | "You're not alone. Join 5,000+ teams who found clarity." + client logos |
| Sales call | Open with empathy, close with authority | "I hear you — that sounds frustrating. Here's what we've seen work for teams like yours." |

**Copy patterns:**
- "We understand what it's like to [empathy statement]..."
- "We've helped [number] [customers] achieve [result]..."
- "You don't have to figure this out alone..."

See: [references/sales-conversations.md](references/sales-conversations.md) — open when scripting a sales call or discovery session; covers discovery questions, objection handling, and full SB7 sales scripts.

### 4. Who Gives Them a Plan

**Core concept:** Give two plans: a Process Plan (3-4 steps showing how to work with you) and an Agreement Plan (commitments that remove risk).

**Why it works:** A clear plan acts as stepping stones across a creek — it reduces cognitive load and perceived risk. Without one, the path feels murky and customers stall.

**Key insights:**
- Process Plan: 3-4 numbered steps max, action verbs, memorable names ("1. S