AMA: Iterable Head of Product Marketing, Gray Hardell on Storytelling

I am a fan of keeping it simple and understanding how it will be used - my typical messaging/positioning decks/docs will have the following in them:  Narrative <500 words, but ideally <300  ----> this is your anchor  ICP - key personas, firmographics, size, etc. -----> this is who should read the narrative and feel seen.  Elevator pitch - <25 words & <50 words ----> this is your forcing function for clarity Value props - limit to 3 ----> this is what you want on repea ...Read More

Easy - when working on storytelling, the framework I find most helpful is:  Define the 'before state' - what was life like before / what was the normal  Define the catalyst - what changed to alter the ^ before state^  Define the challenges/pain that have arisen since the catalyst  What is the 'boiling over' point - When does it get so painful/anxiety-inducing that the person who holds power must act  What is the solution? - How does what you provide directly fix/solve the pains you described  Wh ...Read More

You have to help them internalize the deeper meaning. Here's what most people forget - as PMMs/enablement folks, we've had weeks/months to develop thinking on a subject, and we often have sales to consume and use it in 30 minutes or less. So here are a few things I've found to be helpful:  Tell them how you got to your story - what research did you do, who did you test it with, what didn't work.  Give them the same message in a few styles - some sellers are extroverted, some are introverted, and ...Read More

The reality is, this happens more often than not. Messaging is all about how people internalize it and how they repeat it back in their own words. Over the years, I've learned that it's nearly impossible to get it 100% as you intend. As an example, a few years ago, I was working on a joint value prop exercise with an important partner (who was much bigger in the industry), and it showed in the messaging. While the initial thought was to be seen as a critical component of the larger infrastructur ...Read More