“In a world where people have a lot of choices, the story may be the deciding factor.”
—Nick Morgan
One of the most common questions people ask a business owner: what does your company do? It’s true that your company may provide a service or product, or deliver a solution. But while many business owners focus on what their organization delivers, it’s important to remember that at the end of the day, the goal is to impact people.
When you remember the human element of your business purpose, a new question arises:
Are you connecting with the people you want to reach?
At Inspired Results, we know that the best way to connect with our clients – and even our employees – is to tell a story. Instead of simply describing who we are and what we do, our story gets at our identity and what we stand for.
Read more about how storytelling can showcase your brand more powerfully than any other method – and how we’ve used it successfully at Inspired Results!
Business stories that stick with us
From as far back as we can recount, storytelling has been part of our culture. Whether we pass down traditions and customs through oral history, engage kids with stories of fantasy, or look to the news to inform us what’s happening in the world – the phenomenon is woven throughout nearly every element of our lives.
Anthropologists tell us that storytelling is central to human existence: it’s common to every known culture. It involves a symbiotic exchange between the teller and listener – and is a powerful tool to help people relate to each other. In the United States alone, there are countless stories of men and women who have brought great companies to life – and their stories continue to captivate us.
What ice cream and office supplies have in common
Take Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield: famously, these men started a high-end ice cream movement from a gas station. But from the beginning, they also made a conscious decision to be a different kind of company that integrates social and environmental concerns in the day-to-day business. That foundational story, combined with two loveable bearded hippies made us love Ben & Jerry’s back in the ‘70s, and our kids still love it today.
A lesser-known story I love is about the Mistake Out Company. In the 1950s, Bette Nesmith Graham was a secretary supporting two young sons as a single mom. Seeking a better way to cover up typing errors, she concocted a solution of tempera water-based paint, and took it to her office. Other secretaries saw how well it worked and demand instantly soared.
Bette started putting the solution in green bottles labeled “Mistake Out” and selling it to her colleagues. She knew she was onto something: Bette kept refining Mistake Out, and in 1958, she renamed her ingenious product to Liquid Paper – and the rest is history. (Little known fact: her son Michael would go on to start the Monkees!).
Though Liquid Paper and Cherry Garcia ice cream couldn’t be more different products, they stand out from the crowd due to the inspiring and memorable stories that are a part of their company’s foundation.
Forming a human connection
At Inspired Results, we have invested time and resources into forming our own story – in our eyes, we can’t properly service our clients without one. Because our mission is Partnership, we believe that we can work most effectively with others when they know our identity and what we stand for. From there, we can find common ground, thoroughly understand goals, and help communicate why we’re remarkable.
Show, don’t only tell
Too many businesses communicate the same message: “We’re different – want to do business with us?” That approach is not a recipe for success. Instead of simply telling your clients that you’re different, you need to have a story to show why.
Our Inspired Results story is made up of elements we think are really important: the tenets we live by, the beliefs we make decisions by, and the value we deliver to our clients. It’s not one simple idea – it’s an amazing patchwork of ideals, processes, and values.
Explore the elements of our brand story and the pieces that make us who we are:
- Inspired Results – Our story is in our name. It doesn’t say the word brand or management or printing or promotion. It says how we do what we do, not what we do. You can’t play in the big leagues and not provide results. And, whether you are a CEO, the head of department, or just getting started at your company, inspiration is what resonates at the end of the day.
- Join The Movement! – This is our mantra at Inspired Results. What the hell do we mean by it? We embrace the changing landscape that our clients face, and we’re ready to bring fresh and innovative ideas to the table. By banding together, we can help you navigate the evolving world of brand management.
- Partnership - Partnership is the epicenter of our business. We listen to each client, wowing you with remarkable service. We’re fanatical about anticipating and delivering comprehensive solutions that will help your company thrive.
- Our One-Line Purpose – What does Inspired Results do in a nutshell? We simplify the execution of clients’ brand through print, promotional, fulfillment, and IT solutions. This gives meat to the bones of our beliefs, and helps us to pinpoint how we can best serve you.
Let the story showcase your “Why”
At the end of the day, it’s crucial to ask yourself: why am I doing what I do? What is my company’s ultimate purpose, and are we communicating it effectively with our clients? At Inspired Results, our “WHY” is to lead the brand management revolution. We know this is a bold statement – but when integrated with our story, we know it can inspire our clients for years to come.
While you have the power to write your brand’s story, we offer the tools to support and maintain consistency of that story. Learn more about why brand management matters, and how to build a strong brand story through brand management solutions.
