Businesses are created to address unmet needs. Professional services businesses often come out of a desire for a service that doesn’t yet exist or an innovative idea about how to do something better. Most likely, they developed out of the personal experience of the founder and their passion for solving a problem.
As businesses grow and evolve, they sometimes lose touch with their original purpose. Their origin story gets lost in the expansion of services and increasing number of employees. And the messaging becomes more about what a business can do as opposed to where they came from. However, at Sentinel Way, we believe that maintaining a connection to the origin story can be an important part of growth strategy. Let’s explain why.
Leveraging Empathy & Competency
A good origin story demonstrates empathy and competency.
Let’s say your business was created to address an unmet need in a professional services company. The founder worked in the field for a long time and was consistently frustrated by this missing piece of the puzzle. Eventually, they started a business to solve the problems they’ve faced and create unique and effective solutions. As a result, they are deeply aware of the challenges faced by their potential clients and know exactly how to solve their problem (because they’ve done it themselves), and now (as an established business), they are experts at creating solutions.
Empathy
In this example, the founder not only understands what the customer has been or is going through but actually went through it themselves. As a growing company, not every employee will have worked with the same challenges as the founders and customers do, but they can have a deep understanding of the business’s founding and use that story to connect with clients.
Competency
And now, because the customer is connecting with the business through shared experience, the business can demonstrate its competency in solving the specific problem the customer is facing. The business is positioned as the expert at creating solutions for their customers precisely because that is the reason the business was created.
Telling your Story
All of this to say, we don’t recommend that businesses talk about themselves all the time. We wholeheartedly believe that the focus should be on the customer and understanding their needs. The origin story should be shared with the intent of building connection and trust with customers and prospects so that they feel understood and ready to move forward.
An effective origin story can be shared through marketing campaigns, sales teams, and customer service reps. All customer-facing employees should have a deep understanding of the true purpose of the business (and customer challenges), so that can establish relationships with customers and increase sales as a result.
What makes an effective story?
- Include elements of empathy and competency. You don’t have to tell the business’s origin story over and over. Instead, consider using specific examples from the founder’s experience that demonstrate understanding of the customer and the business’s ability to address issues.
- In writing, consider the journey of the reader. Marketing should capture the attention of the audience by identifying with them, and then offer something of value (an insight, idea, or solution).
- Be intentional. Remember you are sharing your story to connect with customers, not just to talk about yourself or tout achievements.
Sentinel Way’s Origin Story
In his career, Sentinel Way founder David Williams worked alongside leaders of professional services groups who were more tactical than strategic in pursuing growth. The leaders were very good at the technical aspects of their consultation roles but didn’t know how to build a growth engine or commit to growth initiatives. David understood the importance of effective growth strategy, so he eventually left to build Sentinel Way, which is focused on helping companies with both strategy and execution of growth activities.
Beyond the Storytelling
Empathy and competency go beyond storytelling and origin stories. They are important pillars in customer service, sales, leadership, and growth strategy. If you’re interested in discussing more about how empathy and competency can be integrated into your growth strategy, please reach out!
