What’s Their Story?

If you want to become a business partner who matters, you need to get to know your customers. Go deep. Study their companies every way and every where you can. Start on your computer. Google the companies. Read articles about them. Set up Google Alerts to get trending articles about them. Study their industries. Read their trade publications. If you can arrange it, go to their trade shows too.

Now, what about the person you want to hire you to be the company's branded merchandise consultant? What does he or she do every day? What does it take to do his or her job? What are the problems he or she faces? How does he or she spend the day?

When you have thought through those questions, you can start to write his or her story. Now it’s time to introduce the hero: you. You and your products, services and company. Now you can write the hero’s story. How can you solve his or her problems? What difference can you make in his or her life? What successes can you deliver?

Writing a best-seller takes research. It takes work. It takes creativity. Write the story and be the hero.