In this episode of the GrowthTLDR, we talk to Andy Raskin, who helps companies with their strategic messaging and positioning.
It's not easy standing out from the competition today. To do so, you need to have a story that separates you from everyone else. Andy helps companies do just that.
We talk about why a companies sales deck is the best test of being able to construct a story that works for your prospects. It gives you the most immediate feedback. We talk about Andy's framework that he uses to help companies build a winning story and examples from Andy's clients on how they've successfully created that narrative.
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Spotify[1:50] - Andy talks about what it means to create a strategic story for CEO's and why they find that service valuable.
[4:20] - What's the difference between positioning vs. a strategic narrative? Andy takes us through them; in particular, a strategic story helps add urgency to your sales process and reframes the reason to buy the product in the minds of your prospects. Andy uses an example from Salesforce to highlight those differences.
[8:15] - Having a strategic story helps all teams have one cohesive story they're telling across all channels.
[9:55] - A companies sales pitch is a crucial instrument in how a company can align around a brand's story. It's almost like the minimal viable version of your strategy story. Andy walks us through the framework he uses to develop the companies sales pitch using a client he's currently working with.
[18:30] - A critical part of creating the strategic story is mapping out how your industry is shifting from the 'old game to a new game.' Andy used to call this what's changed in the world. To help understand this, he asks customers what's changed in their world that made the product more valuable for them.
[24:00] - One of the ways you know your customer story is working is when prospects agree with how you frame the shift in the world. Andy talks about the book Never Split the Difference and that your aim is getting people to say "that's right" vs. "yes."
[28:10] - Andy's requirement is the CEO both builds and signs off on the companies story/narrative. He sees the story as being a deliverable that the CEO owes the company - marketing, sales, product, etc. Other teams contribute, but the CEO is the person responsible for delivering it.
[31:15] - Adding urgency into the sales process means you need to show there are already companies playing the new game and winning. Companies find this a challenge because it means showing winners who aren't yet using their product. Andy gives examples of how companies make this story work.
– Andy on Twitter / LinkedIn
– Kieran on Twitter / LinkedIn / Medium
– Scott on Twitter / Linked / Medium
