WTF is Value-telling Content and why should you care?

Let me start with why you should care?  Here’s the hook – Having spent 20 years grinding it out, hustling, trying to deliver highly persuasive performances to win decisions, like securing promotions, getting buy-in from hard to please clients, achieving a place on PSL’s and so much more, the biggest and most profound lesson I have learnt is that Value-telling Content is often the key to capturing the hearts and minds of the people I am trying to inspire.

Boom! Have that.

Now, if you are not in the business of inspiring, influencing or persuading anyone (and if you’re not, I have no idea what you do and I’d love to learn more), then stop reading now. But if you seeking to win decisions, have an open mind and 3 minutes, then this is for you.

OK, back to WTF is Value-telling Content?  One thing you won’t need to do is Google it, because I made the word up!  Trade-marked.  Filed away!

But, even though the word may be new, the concept is a mash-up of a handful of powerful concepts you are likely to be familiar with.  There is a good chance you are capturing Value-telling Content already.

The first part of my mash-up is focused on the straight-line relationship between functions-benefits-value.  For those that don’t know, if you are trying to inspire, influence or persuade someone and deliver a highly persuasive performance, you MUST NEVER stop at function and ALWAYS shine a light on the benefits and value of whatever you are pedalling (which is tough because value can be really personal – more on Win Themes and how to work them out another time).

For example; – here is a quick and dirty sell of this blog…

The function of this blog is to share an insight into what Value-telling Content means. So if I were to say “read my Blog on Value-telling Content, it’s insightful”, this is OK, but not exciting enough. We need to shine a light on the benefits to capture the hearts and minds.

The benefits to some readers will be they gain a new perspective from a re-framing of a few important concepts, triggering some self-reflection and they get to learn something new. The value to some if the message resonates so much it triggers action to capture Value-telling content that is used to super-charge their persuasive power, winning a promotion with more working from home opportunities, giving them more time at home with their new born baby.

So now if I said “read my Blog on Value-telling Content, it’s insightful.  You will learn about a new perspective and great way to super-charge your persuasive performance, winning more decisions you deserve, like that well over-due promotion”.  Loads better, right?!

I still see regular faux pars on this stuff.  So, there’s work to be done here.  This is a real example I had emailed me from a Sales Director recently.

Would you be interested in featuring into the XXXXXXXXX Publication with a 2 Page Interview? Inclusive of a Quarter Page Advert for £1300 + VAT?

Needless to say, after I finished rolling my eyes, I did not take them up on their offer.  Be better people.

The second part of my mash-up is the power of Storytelling.  I am pretty confident, I won’t need to explain the power of story-telling and the ability for a great story to captivate its audience, trigger emotion and be memorable.  This is the other part of Value-telling Content.  Using stories to amplify benefits and value.

OK, so nothing particular new so far. The final part is focused on the word Content.  It’s about capturing examples, evidence, proof, facts of the all the important stuff you do.

In summary, Value-telling Content is examples of proof and evidence you can use to tell an amazing story that shows exceptional value to someone. Social proof lives here too.

But, now here is the secret sauce – the exciting bit that makes Value-telling unique.  It is the magical combination of these 3 ingredients in a very particular way, which super-charges your persuasive performance and we have cracked the code.

Our blue-print has been built from decades of experience, trial and error, late nights and it has been battle-hardened from loads of applications over the years. It is under-pinned by Rhetoric and purposefully linked to the way the human mind works.  To learn more about the clever bit, pop over to our website and see our blog about Why Value-telling Content is important?

If done right, Value-telling Content can Super-charge your persuasive power.  Collecting these memories, experiences or achievements can be so much more than ‘dust-gathering’ case studies, fading memories, tatty notes, or a lonely social media posts. A carefully curated collection of Value-telling Content can become your next compelling bid answer, a persuasive sales pitch, part of a potent performance review and so much more.  They can even become a legacy of a business well run or a life well lived.

We fast forward through life and don’t realise how strong or great we have been and is a real missed opportunity if we don’t capitalise on these achievements.  We believe people should unpack and record the moments they were triumphant, even the difficult times you pulled through.

Those moments you do recall in a mental movie reel can become blurry and distorted over time.  (Oh and don’t think this is not the case for you, it’s fact).  We recommend you storyboard your triumphs as and when they happen, maximise their value and use it to convince people.  Make proof and not promises.

I’ve known the pain of hard to find, generic, unconvincing, poor proof and I’ve been evangelising about the value of having instant access to white-hot examples of the great things people do, primed and ready to help deliver a high persuasive performance.

If you fancy something a bit more social, you can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn – simply type in @valuetelling and you will track us down.