All you need to know about

The Hero's Journey

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This process forced us to think more deeply about the value we offer, and to think in terms that a customer might use.

Greg

Publio

What is the "Hero's Journey"?

The Hero’s Journey is a framework of questions that elicits the right information to help you identify the perfect customer and formulate a winning brand message. A clear brand message will promote your product or service in a meaningful way to your ideal customer. Without a clear brand message your customers may be confused and end up doing business with another brand that “spoke their language.”

If you're like most people you probably come up with a lot of great ideas about your brand or business. These ideas likely come sporadically and not always at convenient times. So we built this tool to pull out the right info your customers need to know about you, and put it all together in a meaningful way.

For this exercise, your customer is the Hero in their own story. Yes, that's right, you are not the Hero, you are the Guide for your Hero, which is better in your case because the guide gets paid.

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Without a clear brand message your customers may be confused and end up doing business with another brand that “spoke their language.”

It was healthy to try to put the brand message into words. I realized that I was catering to the wrong person and that my value proposition wasn’t as good as I want it to be.

Bobby

Karma Beacon

IMPORTANT

You are not the Hero. You are the Guide.

OK but why should I do this?

Excellent question, and the answer is simple: brands that tell a story win more business. Every business that’s not Google or your power company knows they need to diversify to survive. But they end up diversifying by focusing small on a niche or most actually just compete on price. What’s the real cost of competition?

If your brand tells a story, you'll be able to speak to the hearts of your customers, offering them a deeper reason than just a basic value-cost decision. You can help them achieve goals, overcome unbearable challenges, and discover opportunity that was not even an option before they met you.

This is why you should do the Hero's Journey, to bring your brand to life.

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Get the most of your Hero's Journey.

Get Creative
Relax and let the creative juices flow. The more you do this, the more you’ll be able to get in the mind of your Hero.
Set Aside 30-45 Minutes
Set aside the time, and do your best to eliminate distraction. The true cost of a bad brand message results in an unknown amount of lost business.
Do Not Edit Yourself
Just get it down, unfiltered, straight from your mind. Get an idea? Make a note quickly. Treat this as a rough draft. There are no wrong answers.
Click Finish At the End
If you can’t finish in one sitting, that’s OK. Just make sure you skip to the end and click the “Finish” button.

If your brand tells a story, you can speak to the heart.

NOTE: Be sure to click the Finish button at the end. If you do not click the Finish button, your responses will not be saved.

Progress

First Name

Last Name

Company

Website

Your Hero's Mission

Your Hero's Mission

You serve your Hero - let's talk about why they need you. With respect to your product/service, what does the Hero want? Hint: Think on your singular ideal Hero, and if you have multiple, start with your primary one.

Your Hero's Problem

Pain Point

Your Hero struggles but doesn't know how to fix this. By defining the problem your Hero has as it relates to your product or service, you illustrate that you understand their struggle and earn their confidence. If you're a startup in hospitality/travel, a pain point for the Hero might be unavailable destinations, or poor customer service. If your business offers education materials, a parent's pain point might be their student struggling to pass a class.

Emotional Journey

Your Hero is experiencing pain. How do you think this makes your Hero feel? How would your Hero feel if the worst case actually happened to them?

Be Your Hero's Guide

Empathize & Position Authority

Realize your Hero is struggling and you hold the key to their relief. Address the pain and commiserate with them; show them you understand and care about them and you know what to do. How can you demonstrate empathy for your Hero? How can you show them you know the way forward?

Roadmap Ahead

This is your Call To Action - the pivotal point of your sales process. What specific steps should your Hero take that results in a sale for you? Walk your Hero step-by-step and navigate their journey ahead. Give them a list or plan for how you can help them, or how they will use your product/service. Hint: this plan should include a purchase/sale/signup.

If All Else Fails

Things don't always go according to plan. Some companies offer guarantees, others a good return policy. What can you offer, say, promise or assure to help your Hero feel comfortable with their purchase?

Nurture Your Hero's Transformation

If your Hero uses your product/service...

How does your Hero change, grow or improve if they choose to use your product or service?

If your Hero does *not* use your product/service...

What is your Hero stuck with, if they don't use your product or service? Consider both missed opportunity and the pain points from above.

Who was your Hero before they met you?

This is about identity, and you've already shared about the Hero's pain points. Now who were they before they met you?

Who will your Hero become?

This is also about identity. Your Hero will experience a transformation to a new, better identity. Talk about who they will become after using your product or service. This should be exciting! ________________

Hero Name

Distinguish this Hero from your other Heroes and customer types. Keep it short and unique.

Guided

This Hero's Journey is Guided.