Telling Your Customer Company Story: Writing a Book to Connect with Your Customers

Expertism: Writing a Thought

Leadership Book to Connect With Your Customers

Fernando Pizarro

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Housekeeping

©2015 QUALTRICS LLC.

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Fernando PizarroAuthor


Who, me?


image that conveys surprise

My new job.©

2015 QUALTRICS LLC.

My new job.©

2015 QUALTRICS LLC.

If you asked your customers and employees what your company stands for could they respond?


o No one remembers mission statements

o Everyone remembers stories


Now. Think about the brands that mean

something to you…what do you remember?


Apple and Steve jobs

WALMART


Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg


Nike and Phil Knight


Starbucks and Howard Schultz

What do these all have in common?


Story —you know where they came from and what they stand for.

These brands have spent a lot on advertising…but what you remember are their stories.


Story is the new currency in an information economy — what makes your company’s story unique?


oWhether consumer or B2B — success = differentiation = your story

oCompanies with a mission have a story, and stories are what binds you to your customers

Even in B2B – Marc Benioff and the Salesforce.com story


o Coming from Oracleo The war against software licenseso David and Goliath

ALERT: You control your story


o Your story doesn’t just happen. You define it. You emphasize it. You choose its conclusion.

o The conclusion should be that you are unique, human, and above all . . . a thought leader in your space

How do you get your story out there?


…one guess…

The best way to convey your philosophy is with one of the oldest media possible — the

longform book


How many words a day did Ernest Hemingway write?

Question:

500 words a day

Answer:

Everyone in your company writes as much as Hemingway


o 500 words a day

o You, personally, have written more at your age than Hemingway ever did!

o You don’t need to hire an expensive writer like me — the book can come from anyone in your firm.

Why a book and not a website?


o Websites provide information — you are trying to get people to relate to your story

o Websites are designed for snacking, not understanding

o Humans understand linear stories — simple ones!

You may think that your company does not have an interesting enough story


o Wrong! — The process of writing a book reveals your story!

o Wrong! — Your company is an expert in its industry — to a far greater extent than your customers.

o Wrong! — Somewhere in your company history, old or new, is a relatable story . . . use that as the kernel of your book.

You have to make your book interesting


This forces you to think about how you are unique.

One of the most important things you can do to define the relationship is to define the terms – the vocabulary


SomeGuidelines


o Focus on the human elements of your story

o Make the book short and simple

o Make the messages memorable

Examples of successful books that defined companies


o Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh — Zapposo The Hard Think About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz — Andreesen

Horowitzo Rework — Basecampo Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman —

Yvon Chouinard, Patagoniao #GIRLBOSS — Sophia Amoruso, Nasty Gal

Key steps to writing a book — the movie analogy


image here

Pre-production


oSelf awareness

oMain ideas

oOutline

Production


oWriting hacks

o The Email Hack

o The Power Point Hack

o The Recorder Hack

Post-production


o Editing – it’s not all about you.

o The Six Secret Screenso Personalo Unexpectedo Controversyo Humoro Social proofo Data

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Conclusion


oOnce you have told your story you can share it with your customers, employees and the broader world to start establishing yourself as a thought leader in your space.oYour book can also become the basis for speaking engagements by your company at conferences and other events.

Write The Book On It: An Expertist’s Guide to Becoming a

Thought Leader

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www.fernandopizarro.com@pizarrowrites