Brand Story: Three Questions a Malaysian SME Answers First

Learn these skills in the course Brand Strategy and Storytelling (MC-BS), module 3.

Who This Is For

Owners and marketers of SMEs who need a brand story. They use it on the website, in the deck and in calls.

Question 1: What Problem Do You Fix?

Start with the moment the customer feels the problem, not with your product. A pest control firm does not fix “pests”. It fixes a restaurant owner’s fear of a health inspection. Write that moment in one sentence. Use the words the customer uses on the phone.

Question 2: Why Should They Trust You?

Proof beats promise. List three facts a customer can check. Choose the one fact that matters most in the problem moment. Put it first.

• Years in the trade, or a number of jobs done.
• A licence or a certification.
• A client who will take a call.

Question 3: What Happens After They Buy?

Describe the first week after the purchase. Who calls them, what arrives and what changes at their site. A customer buys the result, not the product. If you cannot describe the result in plain words, the story is not ready.

Put It Together

1. Write three short paragraphs: problem, proof, result. Keep it to 120 words in total.
2. Read it to two customers. Change the words they stumble on.
3. Use the same story on the home page and in the sales deck. Tell it in the first minute of each sales call.

One story, told the same way by everyone, makes the brand.

Try It This Week

Write your answer to question 1 in one sentence. Read it to one customer. Note the words they use back.

Frequently Asked Questions

Next Step

Read the full outline of Brand Strategy and Storytelling (MC-BS). It runs as in-house training for your team. It follows Brand Management (MC-BM). For a group from your company, get a quote for in-house training. More Work Tips are in the skill area Brand. Read also:

• Map Your Brand Touchpoints and Keep One Brand at Each
• Write a Brand Positioning Statement: A Template With Examples