1. The Character (Your Customer)
Principle: The customer is the hero of the story, not your brand.
Prompt: "Act as a StoryBrand certified guide. My business sells [product/service] to [describe customer]. What is the one primary thing my customer wants more than anything else as it relates to what I sell?"2. The Problem (The Villain)
Principle: Companies sell solutions to external problems, but customers buy solutions to internal problems.
Prompt: "Now, define the 'villain' of my customer's story. What is the external problem they are facing? What is the internal frustration it's causing them? And what is the philosophical problem at stake (the 'why it's just plain wrong' part)?"3. The Guide (Your Business)
Principle: The hero is looking for a guide, not another hero. Position your brand as the expert with a plan.
Prompt: "My business is the 'guide.' To position myself correctly, generate two statements: an 'empathy' statement that shows I understand their frustration, and an 'authority' statement (like a statistic or a short testimonial) that proves I'm qualified to help."4. The Plan
Principle: The guide gives the hero a simple plan to follow. This removes risk and builds trust.
Prompt: "Create a simple, 3-step 'process plan' that shows how easy it is to work with me. The steps must have clear, simple names (e.g., 1. Book a Call, 2. Create a Strategy, 3. Launch and Grow). This is the plan I will show on my website."5. The Call to Action
Principle: The hero won’t act unless they are challenged to. You must call them to action.
Prompt: "Generate two types of calls to action for my website: one direct CTA (e.g., 'Buy Now,' 'Schedule a Consultation') that is bold and clear, and one transitional CTA (e.g., 'Download the Free PDF,' 'Watch the Demo') for people not ready to buy."6. The Stakes (Failure)
Principle: If there’s nothing to lose, there’s no story. What happens if they don’t buy from you?
Prompt: "What are the negative stakes? Write 3-5 bullet points that gently describe what will happen if the customer doesn't take action. What is the cost of them not solving their problem?"7. The Goal (Success)
Principle: Tell people where you’re taking them. Paint a picture of the happy ending.
Prompt: "What does success look like? Write 3-5 bullet points that paint a vivid picture of the successful 'after' state the customer will experience after using my product/service. This is the aspirational outcome."Learn this faster:
Stop making your customer burn calories to understand what you do. When you invite them into a clear story where they are the hero and you are the trusted guide, they will listen. This framework turns your entire marketing message into that simple, powerful story.
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