Quotes tell the story at Michael Graves' studio

Years ago my first editor shared a bit of advice I’ve never forgotten: Fill your story with quotes. She suggested a reader experiences the essence of any article from whatever transpires between quotation marks.

It was a challenge I embraced. Back then, as a journalist, I relished the opportunity to write human interest stories. I looked for the human face behind even the most tedious hard news issue. I knew a strong interview can break a story wide open. When people talk about what they do and why they do it, there’s often a subtle invitation: “Come closer, I have more to share.”

I was reminded how the human side of a story connects us in unexpected ways when hearing Tim Girvin speak recently. Girvin notes “every brand is for a human. Brands are made by humans for humans.”

Consider Michael Graves. His brand is rooted in architecture. It shows up through products sold at Target and Disney World. It is expressed now in art where we come to know Graves more intimately. His story unfolds in a recent New York Times profile through quotes from the subject and his observers:

“The paintings just go on and on.”

“I think it will surprise people. There’s his beautiful color sense, but it’s also interesting how his space is almost cubist, rahter than going back in classical Renaissance perspective.”

“I thought it would be interesting for me to arrange my buildings in a landscape that would be not unlike [Giorgio] Morandi rearranging his bottles every week to paint them.”

“These are my memories of things seen and reinventions of things seen and understood.”

“Quite a few architects have painting up their sleeves … and for Michael, because color is so important to him, it’s especially appropriate.  At the same time, his architecture has become hugely popular on the global scene — he’s achieved a measure of international fame that, quite honestly, takes him out of the architectural sphere altogether.”

“When you’re painting, you start with the sweep of the landscape, but then as you start to recompose it and fill it in, you often find yourself painted into a corner.  The escape from the corner — that’s the best part of it, the most exciting moment.”

Listen for how people describe the value of the work they do. Listen for the quotes that tell the story. At the beginning and end of every thing made is a human. What happens in between is a story. Keeping the story human makes it worth telling.

Last week I received an email from a holiday card website about my recent order. Typically I’d scan such an email and then file it quickly for future reference if needed.  This time I did a double take. Here’s the message with a few thoughts on why it worked:

Create great expectations with just the right words

“This is just a quick little note to let you know that I have completed your order and submitted it for printing. As you may know, our designers work on every single order with care instead of sending them straight from the computer to our presses.”

This company packs a punch within two sentences to set the tone of our relationship. The familiar voice caught my attention. I didn’t know the designers were so hands-on with the product. That’s a nice reminder, making me wonder about the competitors I had considered before placing the order.

“To help ensure that your finished product looks great, I have reviewed your photo(s) to ensure they will print well, reviewed the layout of the design to best suit your personalized order and proofread the text for grammar and spelling.”

This is where I saw the designer at work, checklist in hand, looking at my photo and layout with genuine care. I could picture people, not machines, processing my order.

“Thank you for entrusting xxx with your special moment. We hope you love the finished product as much as we do!”

With four sentences in a routine yet thoughtfully constructed note, the company built my expectations for a superior product. Upon opening the box I could see they delivered.

I placed another order. I bet they’re not surprised.

The power of purpose gets lots of bandwidth on the talk show circuit, in book titles, with motivational bloggers on the web. Perhaps it’s because “why” is an easy question to pose. Anyone with young children certainly has heard it often. But answering “why” at the office is not so easy unless you’ve done some good hard thinking about why you show up for work everyday.

The season's first snow beckons -- "Get Outside!"

That brings up a story on the issue of answering  “why” a business exists:

A few years ago a group of us interviewed Sally Jewell, CEO of REI, as part of a leadership project. Sally recalled a management exercise in which groups of executives were asked the reason for REI’s existence.  The input was distilled into a purpose statement you’ll see REI share on the web: “To inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship.” But Sally recalled that statement grew from a singular passion: To help people get outside and play. “Get Outside” is an anthem in REI’s advertising, store signage and even in an email I recently received:  “Get outdoors with REI …”

Sally’s words came back to me recently when a colleague in Oregon told me a story about a family road trip through the Northwest. The vacation took an abrupt turn after a stop at the REI flagship store in Seattle, a building as widely known for its spectacular architecture as for its offerings of gear and apparel. After a shopping binge, the family loaded up the car and returned to Oregon. They decided to go camping with their new purchases for the rest of their vacation.

Determining the “why” of your business need not be a tiring existential exercise. There’s power in distilling the answer into a simple memorable phrase. It becomes an anthem for why you do what you do — a simple idea that attaches itself to everyone you meet, every person who works on your behalf.

The “why” keeps working long after you’ve put it into words. That photo above? It was taken on our walk in the woods this week. We welcomed the first snow of season with an inclination to grab our gear and “get outside!”

There’s no doubt message development is a vital skill in every marketer’s toolkit. Well-constructed messages communicate business strategy, inspire the workforce and drive sales. The process of assembling a strategic message appears simple, yet all too often every brand attribute, solution and market differentiator is bundled into a jumble of words that fails to stick. Another lost opportunity to connect with the intended audience.

LEARN – Law 4. “Knowledge makes everything simpler.”

This year I hit the books to refresh my research on best practices in message development. This body of research is the foundation of a training program I originally created for the marketing communications practice of a global consulting firm. Over the years this training program has been streamlined. The models have become simpler, yet I found the core principles of message development remain unchanged:  Clarity, consistency and credibility are essential if you want your message to be heard.

To update the research I compiled a list of 11 favored references, both old and new, to help address this ongoing dilemma. At the top of the list is:

The Laws of Simplicity (Design, Technology, Business, Life) by John Maeda

The MIT Press, 2006

John Maeda is the founder of the SIMPLICITY Consortium at the MIT Media Lab.  He’s a graphic designer, visual artist and computer scientist who developed a helpful construct for distilling complex concepts into simple imperatives. He offers Ten Laws and Three Keys to achieve Simplicity (otherwise known as Sanity!).

REDUCE – Law 1 – “The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.”

Creating messages is like that trick we use in packing for a trip: Lay out everything you think you need — clothing, shoes, accessories, toiletries. And then pack half.  Or less. Once you’re on the trip, you’ll never miss the rest. So it goes with messages. Strip out all the superfluous words. Keep the essential, memorable phrases. You end up with a stronger message, just enough to get your point across.

How simple is that?

“It’s profoundly important that every single American child should leave school knowing how to cook 10 recipes that will save their lives.”

Jamie Oliver

As someone who loves to cook, my first reaction was to consider if I even had 10 recipes that fit the goal. As a message consultant, I was enthralled with dissecting the statement.  Known for Food Network appearances and several popular cookbooks, Jamie Oliver was at the podium for winning the 2010 TED prize for his grassroots campaign against obesity.

Several phrases in Jamie’s quote point to a much larger story about his mission to inspire people to change the way they eat. I decided to break down the sentence to see how Jamie made such an impact with just a few words:

• “profoundly important” – a declaration. It’s the set-up to the value of what’s to follow.
• “every single American child” – the target audience. He wants every parent or guardian to take heed of his words.
• “leave school”- timeliness.  The clock is ticking. Start counting the years to graduation and that’s the amount of time to learn those recipes.
• “how to cook 10 recipes” – specific call to action. Jamie proposes a task that demands attention.
• “save their lives” – emotional appeal. Jamie brings the sentence full circle to his heart-felt mission.

Every speaker strives to be memorable.  Packing a sentence with phrases that point to a more robust story is a good way to keep your listeners engaged.

… could be a blank sheet of paper. It can happen when you’re challenged with a dire business imperative but lack inspiration. Or perhaps you’re inspired to act by a charismatic chief executive but not sure where to bring all that energy back to the day’s work. Momentum comes to a screeching halt.

Going back to the drawing board, per se, is not such a bad idea. Get the right people in the room, ask the right questions, and see what happens.

There’s hope, yet. What about the first few words that tumble from your mouth when faced with that proverbial ice-breaker: “What do you do?” As Daniel Pink notes in his new book about motivation, it’s all about figuring out what’s driving you. He asks: WHAT’S YOUR SENTENCE? Well, that’s not so easy, you snort. Think again.

The way I see it, “What do you do?” is really three questions in one. Consider the answers to all three to help you build YOUR SENTENCE:

What do you do? Why do you do it? How does it make a difference?

I know I’ve botched this in the past. ”What do you do?” I’ve been asked at networking functions. ”I’m a communications consultant.” Pause. “Oh, so you fix phone systems?”  Oops.  Let’s take another look.

A CEO answers the question as part of a marketing presentation.

“We manage an artisanal brand that is ‘found’ by people who appreciate the quality of our product.” YES!

A stay-at-home mom chats with a stranger at a cocktail party.

“I’m raising the next generation.” BINGO!

When someone asks “What do you do?” take the opportunity to respond with a sentence that represents your passion and impact. Move like a kick-boxer. Sway and jab. Don’t just answer the question. Surprise them with a verbal punch that brings them back for more.

Footnote #1: Listed #5 in the 64 books on elevator pitches in amazon.com is one of my all-time faves: How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less. The book was written in 1990. We may have only 10 seconds or less to snare someone’s attention these days, but Milo Frank’s thinking is timeless.

Footnote#2: What do I do?  I help organizations get their story straight!

A handful of senior executives at a large professional services firm pondered the question recently during a quick interview to update marketing plans. Their responses carried a consistent theme:

“Help me articulate what our industry is all about in North America and what we are doing in a differentiated way.”

“Help me tell the consumer story and package our offerings both externally and for the sales force.”

“Marketing can help me refine our messages for a really good client presentation.”

“I need a basic tool kit — case studies, points of view, packaging of our offerings.”

This year’s volatile economy has thrown a lot of business plans into a tailspin. It’s likely your message – and what you’re selling – have shifted a bit. Getting back to basics is top of mind.  Now’s the time to step back and articulate who you are, what you do, what differentiates you. And to make sure everyone agrees before you take the message on the street.

These executives’ marketing wish list includes a tool kit — a set of basic marketing communications materials. So far we’ve scoped out a customer presentation, point of view paper, and case studies. (And that presentation aims to feature an incredible shrinking story that hooks the customer at the onset.)

Every organization has different needs and preferences. I’m curious: What’s on your wish list for the ideal marketing and sales tool kit?

Bento box - Haruo Iida via Flickr.com

I questioned the relevance of the nutrition claim. And considered a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup – my favorite comfort foods – for lunch. My nostalgia for the brand was stronger than the potential benefits of a natural sodium booster.

What makes proof palatable? I vote for a variety of essential ingredients to make a compelling story. Let’s call it the Bento Box Effect.

Making a bento meal, imaginative food displays in sectioned boxes, goes back centuries in Japan.  National contests are held in the craft of creating a colorful box lunch in a container about the size of book. Deciding what colors, textures, flavors to feature must be a big part of the design challenge.

Kenya Hara, who designed the opening and closing ceremonies of the Nagano Winter Olympics, weighed in on the beauty behind bento box lunches.  While the Japanese are known for an aesthetic sense, Hara notes they also have an incapacity to see ugliness:

We have a special ability to focus fully on what’s right in front of our eyes. We tend to ignore what is not an integral part of our personal perspective.

We ignore that our cities are a chaotic mess, filled with ugly architecture and nasty signage. And so you have the situation where a Japanese worker will open a beautiful bento box in a stale conference room or on a horrendous, crowded sidewalk.

Each compartment of a bento box presents a different taste sensation. Collectively, the compartments add up to an alluring and satisfying diversion. A story with the right ingredients has the same appeal for routine business dialogues.

What if you packed a bento box of proof to enliven today’s conversations?  Here are three ingredients sure to bring a richer dimension to an otherwise mundane communication:

• A dose of humanity — Tell a story from the point of view of a real person who matters to your company’s success.

• Genuine differentiation — Share the truth about one thing you’re doing better than your closest competitors.

• Winning practices and principles — Your company is strong. Describe a company practice that makes you proud.

Too often we rely on statistics alone to support marketing and sales messages. Numbers make an impact but they’re difficult to digest quickly. Try packing a bento box of proof that’s real, true and strong. Add the points to your next presentation, conversation or collateral draft. That’s enough to make anyone pause right in the middle of their tuna sandwich.