Clarify, simplify your message on practice website

Donald Miller

ATLANTA – “You have to have a message that someone doesn’t have to burn calories to process,” Donald Miller, CEO of Storybrand, told attendees here at SECO’s MedPro 360.

Miller co-wrote the book and movie, Blue Like Jazz, and shared his lessons learned from story writing with attendees at this program, which was partially sponsored by Healio.

“People buy products because of the words we use,” Miller said. “When you’re trying to sell someone something, their brain first strives to survive and thrive. Saving time and making money, which helps you stay alive and gain status, is also a survival mechanism.

“The second thing your brain does is conserve calories,” he continued. “When you’re processing information and there’s nothing to help you survive and thrive, you’re going to check out.”

Miller said there are three levels of problems: external, internal and philosophical.

“External is the physical problem that you resolve,” he said. “But the purpose of the external problem is to manifest the internal problem. The third level is philosophical. People shouldn’t have problems with their eyes, not with the technology we have out there. Everybody deserves to see clearly. That’s a philosophical idea.”

Miller continued, “When people click ‘buy now’ or ‘schedule an appointment’ on your website, you want to address the three levels.”

There are seven plot points in every story, Miller added, and, “If you don’t communicate everything in this grid, you’re just putting noise into the marketplace.”

He said to ask yourself seven questions, which mirror the plot line of a successful story or movie:

Have we defined something the customers want?

Have we defined the problems our customers face?

Have we positioned ourselves as the guide or hero our customer has been looking for?

Have we spelled out a simple plan our customers can follow?

Have we clearly called our customers to action?

Have we painted a vision of their success?

Have we defined what’s at stake for our customer?

He suggested evaluating your website to see how many of these questions are answered. When looking at a website, customers look first to the top left, then to the top right, down to the bottom left, then across to the bottom right, in a backwards “z” pattern.

“Above the fold (like a newspaper) is the stuff that hooks the reader easily,” Miller said. Here you should answer: “What do you offer, how will it make my life better and what do I need to do to buy it?”

The second page should address the external and internal problems, and the third page should display empathy.

“Three pages is powerful,” Miller said. “Four or five is OK.”

Incorporate the seven messaging categories into not only your website, but your emails, in-office monitors and TV commercials.

“The message must be the same,” Miller said. “All of your employees should be able to explain what you do the exact same way. It’s free. It’s just words. You burn the calories to plan the message so your customers don’t have to.” – by Nancy Hemphill, ELS, FAAO

Reference:

Miller D. Storybrand. Presented at: SECO; March 4, 2018; Atlanta.

Disclosure: Miller is CEO of Storybrand.