How does Brian Clark get his point across so well in this post about communication? Once you read it, I think the answer will be obvious. The age-old art of storytelling is just as important for sales and marketing materials as it was for Homer and the ancient Greeks.

Companies often forget that. Web content and brochures are often nothing more than a laundry list of features. Or not much better, a laundry list of features and benefits.

Companies complain their Web content and brochures don’t bring in any business. To tackle the problem, they add more features and benefits.

But why should the customer care about your features and benefits? Dry information with no context is neither stimulating, memorable, nor persuasive (to most people, anyway).

Engage your customer in a story–and give him the starring role.

1. What is your customer’s problem? Where is the pain? What does it feel like?

2. Reveal how your product or service makes the pain go away.

3. Describe how wonderful life becomes for your customer when he buys your product or service. People like happy endings.

Think about direct mail. Sometimes you’ll get a ten-page letter (lots of copy–right?) asking for a charitable contribution. The letter describes the horrible life of a poor child living in a Third World nightmare. As detail upon horrid detail adds up, your sympathy and anger and frustration build. Then the letter tells you that you can make a difference. You can change this child’s life. If only you will act. If only you will act now. The letter closes with thanks and praise, confirming your decision to help. The letter is ten pages long, but you read it. The letter is effective. You feel bad as you read it. But you feel joy when you respond to it.

Would you respond the same way to this letter if it were ten pages of statistics? Ten pages of average per capita income, health care data, education trends, etc.?

Personally, I’d rather help the child. That’s something I can do. It’s something I can be involved in. Putting a dent in all those statistics would strike me as a hopeless task.

How does your customer respond to your message?