Everyone Loves a Good Story

Here in the Twin Cities, (and I imagine in several other markets), auto manufacturer Volvo is running some very interesting radio ads. In one 60-second spot, someone relates a humorous story about Internet dating. Just when the quirky story builds to describe the first-time meeting between two people who have so far only chatted online, the voice trails off. The announcer then comes on and says that the best thing about a good story is you want to know how it ends. The announcer then directs the listener to visit the local Volvo dealer website to hear the rest of the story.

I contrasted this form of advertising to the way real estate firms market and sell their services. We tend to throw everything against the wall and see what sticks. Some of us continue to believe that the thickest RFP response will win the business. We all know that most of the information in responses to RFPs is neither interesting nor compelling. Statistics are dull, case studies are trite, and fluff is, well, fluff.

But how do you put your clients and prospects on the edge of their seat during your presentation? How do you leave them wanting more? How do you leave spaces in your written proposals for them to imagine and develop their own conclusions? Here are some thoughts: