Listen to the blog here.
When have you gone out of your way to choose someone or something? I wait longer and pay more for a book from my local independent bookstore rather than buy from Amazon. I’ll wait in line for an hour for a table at a favorite restaurant when I could be seated immediately at the empty restaurant next door.
I bought a dress 20 years ago for $220 at a Patagonia store, which at the time seemed like a lot of money for a dress. To this day, I can wear the dress and feel great. It hasn’t worn out; it is a timeless and effortless style, and I have received more value from this dress than any other piece in my closet.
This leads me to one of my favorite brands to talk about, and as I’m re-reading Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard’s Let My People Go Surfing.
I believe the most powerful stories shift people from thinking rationally to thinking emotionally – they’ll go out of their way to choose you. These stories have three qualities: Real, relatable, and riveting. Let’s look at how Patagonia’s story embodies these three qualities.
Real
Stories give us the power to anchor our message in evidence because they show instead of tell.
When Patagonia experienced growing pains early on, Yvon Chouinard created “philosophies,” which are basically stories built on their values. He credits these stories and the training and conversations around them for being a big part of surviving those growing pains. One of his management philosophies is the Let My People Go Surfing flextime policy, which allows staff to take advantage of a great powder day or good swell to ski or surf.
“Each benefit makes good business sense in order to attract serious athletes to work in our retail stories. (p. 171-172, human resource philosophy)
…Patagonia is consistently included in lists of the hundred best companies to work for. Why on earth would anyone run a company that was hard to work for?” (p. 176)
Relatable
Often, how we talk about our products and services differs from how people experience those same products and services. When you speak to me about camber and sidecut of skis, my eyes roll into the back of my head. I am interested in what skis will help me turn quickly in the trees. Others are interested in which ones are great carvers on the days when it hasn’t snowed in weeks.
There was once a wine store that merchandised its displays not on varietals (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, etc) but on descriptors like “dry reds,” and “fruity whites.”
People experience you in different ways, and to make our stories relatable, we need to understand that and shift our messages to that experience. When you do that, you make your people feel understood and valued.
“People have too many choices these days. They are tired of constantly having to make decisions, particularly when it takes a major effort to make intelligent decisions, i.e., knowing the difference between all the breathable/waterproof fabrics (or choosing among a hundred pairs of seemingly identical skis).” (p. 95, product design philosophy)
Each product has a distinct purpose.
Riveting
People crave belonging and purpose. If you can help them satisfy that craving, you are riveting. Rivet is to fasten. Riveting stories bring people to you. Not everyone. Your story isn’t for everyone. And that’s OK. Focus on the love, not the haters.
Being riveting requires a clear idea of who you are, not who you think you should be.
Yvon Chouinard calls himself a reluctant businessman. He just wanted to build better tools for his climbing addiction that didn’t hurt the environment. It started with the pitons, which were “destroying the very rocks we loved.” (p. 31). The alternative was aluminum chocks that could be wedged in rather than hammered in. The company grew and scaled, and the reluctance was rooted in the fear of having it scale to a point that costs the environment.
Instead, they found a way to do things their way.
“…making a profit and being socially and environmentally responsible are not mutually exclusive.” (p. xI)
That’s their purpose, and you see it in everything they do from making things that last forever, like my dress, asking you “not to buy this jacket,” and their reuse and recycle program to name just a few.
It’s pretty real, relatable, and riveting. And, I don’t know about you, but that’s why I’ll pay more for a pair of running shorts than I need to.
For your reflection:
- What’s something you want to brag about but makes you feel icky to do so? How can you show with a story?
- How can you reduce the mental distance between your message and idea? And frame it in a way that others can grasp more easily.
- What do you care about beyond profit?
Take care out there.
PS. Get your stories together! November, December, and January are perfect times to prepare for 2025 with my Storycoaching program. I have only a few openings for this one-to-one engagement that lasts three months.
If you are a senior or emerging leader, entrepreneur, or technical and service professional, this is a great opportunity to get an outside perspective and to craft a stable of 3 to 5 stories you can use in your upcoming presentations or meetings. Comment below or contact me if interested, and I can send you the details.
SOME WAYS I MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU AND YOUR TEAM:
LEAD YOUR WAY: This mentoring/coaching program is designed to help you step into your leadership and show up as your best self so you can communicate to connect and amplify your impact.
COMMUNICATE TO CONNECT: In my storytelling workshops, I teach leaders of all capabilities how to engage authentically with their teams, community, and stakeholders to create meaningful connections that build trust, increase team engagement and lead to better fundraising and revenue generation.
Did you have something else in mind? Let’s talk and see how I might be able to help. Contact me and we’ll schedule a chat.
Stay in touch.
Sign up for our newsletter and receive a digital version of my book From So What? To So Funded! for free.
Leave a Reply