The Partner Channel Magazine_Winter 2018

2. A Clear Mission
Based on their life experiences, the hero has developed a mission, vision, and values. She is going to eradicate evil
or stop the alien invasion. Her mission gives a purpose to the story and serves to get others excited and engaged.
What’s your WHY? Do you believe every business should embrace lean manufacturing principles? Are you
passionate about eliminating data silos? Do you do everything in your power to avoid failed implementations?
In Simon Sinek’s book (and video) “Start with Why”, he makes a great case for why you want to help people discover
their why. The WHY creates a driving reason for people to feel fulfilled in their jobs and driven to go the extra mile.
Your company’s mission should be the central driver of all your marketing messaging. And I don’t mean, “To
provide good services at fair prices.” Disney delivers happiness. What’s your purpose? Create a mission statement
your team can rally around!
3. A Bad Guy
You may not be facing dragons, evil pirates, or a wicked stepmother, but you are still overcoming adversity with
every project you sell and implement.
In our space, the bad guy might be:
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The competition
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The economy/budget constraints
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Fraud and embezzlement
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Lack of knowledge/insight
The bigger and badder your “bad guy” is, the stronger your story becomes. I wrote a winning Microsoft Partner
award submission for a client whose business “rose from the ashes of the Enron scandal.” Paint the picture of how
big and ugly this challenge was. When you write a case study, push your clients to let you expose some of the ugly
“before” issues. “Good to great” is not as interesting as “zero to hero.”
4. A Clear Goal
As you take your reader on a journey, right up front, be clear about the objective. Where are they trying to go?
Why would this company spend thousands of dollars for new software?
In a case study, it might be that the client wants to:
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Find the source of their profit leaks
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Close the books faster
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Tighten up their security
And remember, your software and services are only the means to an end. Often the goal is more strategic than tactical:
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Expanding operations to serve more people
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Increasing workplace harmony and efficiency
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Keeping workers safe
5. High Stakes
What will happen if the hero doesn’t persevere? What is the risk of doing nothing? Talking about the consequences
of inaction – or ineffective action – is a great way to add more drama to your story.
A good prompt for this section is to say: Without this ________, the company was facing ___________, which
may have caused ___________.
6. Unexpected Obstacles
Few journeys go smoothly. And those that do don’t make good stories. Bad weather, robbers on the road, and
angry townspeople are common themes in children’s stories. You may have to push to get permission to tell these
details, but they do make a story more interesting.
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Last-minute changes – mergers, acquisitions, key personnel
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Newly discovered regulatory requirements
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Technology gone wrong
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Budgetary issues
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Unexpected opposition
Companies can be reluctant to tell these stories for fear they’ll look bad, but what they really serve to
do is to show credibility. There’s no such thing as perfect delivery in professional services. Showing how
you step up when things get messed up is a great way to build trust and rapport with your reader/viewer.
40 WINTER 2018 | THEPARTNERCHANNEL.COM