AMA: BILL Head of Product Marketing - Platform Products, Charles Tsang on Storytelling

[Insert shameless plug for the my template that is being shared for this AMA]. :-) Kidding aside - the template does reflect my thinking on the framework for good storytelling: Intentional focus on crystalizing core "story inputs" --> e.g., personas, function and emotional pain points, market / industry / competitive context, etc. Using this to fill out core story components such as: Every story needs a protagonist and antagonist, so mapping the persona and pain points to these elements helps ...Read More

I think about my strategy in three steps: Objective Facts Product: Collaborate closely with the product team to conduct feature-by-feature comparisons. Dive into the technology to identify what’s truly unique. Sometimes, depending on the product area or space, you might be lucky enough to be able to test out your competitor's product yourself through freemium accounts or trials to gain firsthand experience! Sales Insights: If you work in a space with a meaningful sales motion, leverage win/loss ...Read More

I haven't worked in a space where the differentiators were algorithms or what I would describe as extremely technical or proprietary. BUT - I think my experiences and perspective still apply. The short story is to anchor on value (not the specifics of the secret sauce) and use analogies. So here's my thinking (mostly drawing from my experiences around API platforms and developer tools/technologies): Anchor in Value, Not Just Tech: Ultimately the differentiator should result in something concrete ...Read More

It's difficult. I don't think it's something you can solve for differentiation immediately and in one go. Certainly there's a lot you can do around making sure you distill the value prop and message in a story into its core emotional and practical impact - but differentiation comes over time, with consistency and should also be supported by the realized promise of the actual product / solution. A couple key things based on examples from a previous company: Focus on a key value that resonates imm ...Read More

The short answer is yes, it can become a differentiator but it has to be intentional, aligned with the audience's needs, and relevant to the company / brand. But it's extraordinarily difficult to do and most companies aren't able to break through. I think most people would point to Apple's "Think Different" campaign as the most obvious example of a company that did this effectively. The story effectively transformed and framed the company / brand as a champion of creativity and nonconformity and ...Read More