Problem to solution

We know what you sell.

But which big problem do you SOLVE? 

We’ll commit to the following exercises:

Current state

• Big kick off - getting everyone ready for, and excited about, the Storytelling system 

• What does success look like? Outline specific metrics aligned to business KPIs that the story messaging aims to directly impact. Whether boosting consideration conversion rates or accelerating deal cycles, defining precise evaluation criteria sets clear expectations.

• SWOT analysis

• Solution stack

• Competitive differentiation audit. Prior to developing core messaging, conduct an audit evaluating how competitors position their solution story and value proposition. This provides contrast points to better showcase your unique approach and helps call out overused industry jargon to avoid.

These tasks are a snapshot of where you are right now. You might find you’ve conducted some of these exercises, in which case, pull them into the process. You’ll be saving some time and pulling out business documents that no one’s seen in months is always a good opportunity to remind ourselves that we should have done this earlier, and that we work in a surprisingly grown-up organisation.

Community deep-dives

• Colleague chats

• Client chats

From these conversations we’ll surface all the qualitative insights to identify that big problem you solve today, and how it might evolve to serve your people and profits, tomorrow.

You may be surprised from these discussions that your biggest business opportunity isn’t what you thought it was. It might take some deep breaths and beginner’s mind to accept what’s needed isn’t what was planned. The solution story you create in the next phase will guide your entire business to accomplish whichever objectives are now needed.

Future state

• Solution stack

• SWOT

• Competitive differentiation audit

You might be wondering why I’ve suggested doing these exercises twice. 

Let’s have a reality check. The biggest problem you can solve for clients will be different to what you thought it was. Probably, significantly.

Doing these canvases and analysis before and after your community chats is crucial to the formation of your solution story.

Insights uncovered at this stage often expose significant gaps between leadership assumptions and reality. Do the work.

Example of current and future states

Look how fundamentally different Logisticks becomes through the research phase and the lens of SWOT analyses:

• Today’s SWOT

• Strengths - Omnichannel visibility, Proactive updates

• Weaknesses - None identified 

• Opportunities - Growth into B2B/intl markets

• Threats - Competition replicating capabilities

Tomorrow’s SWOT

• Strengths - Data intelligence, CX centralization

• Weaknesses - Lack of customization and vertical personalization 

• Opportunities - Personalized customer triggers, DIY configuration 

• Threats - Rising user experience expectations amongst consumers

Ideally you’ll be convinced at this point. If not, just do these three exercises once, and to plot out your future direction rather than the current state.

The outputs will be hugely important in sculpting your solution story - so please at least run through them once.

The big kick off

"United We Grow" Storytelling Initiative Kick-Off

Objective

Generate enthusiastic company-wide buy-in, momentum and sense of ownership around codifying Logisticks's integrated continuity experience vision and messaging through the Solved to Sold Storyselling system.

Key campaign elements

• Upbeat Announcement Email. Fun framing positioning project as gearing up for company's "next chapter"

• Highlight cross-functional collaboration opportunities. Tease mysterious upcoming activities building momentum

• Attention-grabbing visual teasers. Place intriguing, cryptic posters around offices tagging #UnitedWeGrow alluding to exciting workshops, contests and events that will soon be revealed...

• Curiosity-sparking swag. Randomly surprise colleagues across departments with branded swag including mugs etched #UnitedWeGrow conversation starters to spark organic buzz.

• Cross-department storyboarding workshops. Host interactive sessions guiding contributors from R&D, Marketing, Sales etc to co-create future vision narratives onboarding everyone onto messaging co-creation.

• Upbeat all-hands meeting. Crescendo campaign excitement with a kick-off all hands led by dynamic CEO positioning the storytelling initiative as instrumental for accelerating Logisticks's next level of category-leading growth through claims rooted in continuity.

• The multi-touchpoint roll-out events will drive your business bonkers with buzz and intrigue, carrying colleagues over the tipping point into active co-collaborators amplifying Logisticks's integrated experiences messaging both internally and externally.

What does success look like?

To get people excited about Storyselling, you're going to need to sell the dream.

And for your business, the dream is numbers.

Every task in business is about driving growth through:

• Revenue, or

• Efficiency.

Storyselling isn't about making your business look good.

It's about making it succeed.

Let's be honest - few organisations have yet grasped the value of story in acquiring and retaining clients and colleagues.

No matter how many times we present them with evidence.

The good news is the effects of getting good at Storyselling are quickly manifested.

That's when you present your senior leaders with a cake in the shape of a hat, and a fork with which to eat it.

As a reader of Solved to Sold, you're already invested in making this work.

So what you and I need to decide, are the success metrics on which we're going to hang our Storyselling hat cake.

While resonant messaging and a differentiated brand narrative are crucial foundations, the true test of an effective story lies in measurable business impact aligned to strategic goals.

Assigning KPIs to this work will reassure all our sponsors and stakeholders that this is a step worth taking.

To overcome negativity and scepticism, we can define concrete success metrics upfront to help everyone see the immense value in the Storyselling system.

So, select 3-5 core KPIs reflecting priorities showcasing how polished messaging aims to deliver value.

Metrics you might consider, are:

• Increased lead conversion rates

• Faster sales cycle times

• Higher customer lifetime value

• Stronger repurchase rates

• Higher satisfaction/NPS scores

Metrics should connect to current challenges felt across the organisation that compelling messaging can influence through prompting desired actions among your target audiences.

Tracking performance on defined success metrics provides crucial proof points that the Storyselling framework directly accelerates commercial outcomes.

And comparing results before and after implementation spotlights the brand narrative’s impact quantitatively for leadership teams.

This element turns strategic brand development into a tangible growth lever measured beyond vanity metrics alone.

You might already have organisational KPIs that Storyselling can support. Why reinvent the wheel when you already have a perfectly roadworthy vehicle?

I'm pretty sure Logisticks' would already have high-level KPIs around these areas:

• Customer satisfaction - measured through surveys, net promoter scores (NPS), or customer reviews

• Order tracking adoption - such as the percentage of customers who use Narvar's order tracking features

• Return and exchange rates - the number of returns and exchanges processed

• Customer lifetime value (CLTV) - average amount of revenue generated by a client over their lifetime with Logisticks

• Revenue growth

• Cost savings - the amount of money Logisticks helps businesses save on returns, exchanges, and customer service.

Here are 5 KPIs I would choose to measure the business impact of Logisticks' solution story:

1. Post Purchase Net Promoter Score (NPS). A score assessing brand loyalty and likelihood to recommend/endorse Logisticks serves as a leading indicator of multiplier effects through word-of-mouth referrals. Success Metric: Increase of 8+ NPS points

2. Repeat Purchase/Retention Rates. Analyse the percentage of customers continuing relationships with Logisticks yearly given expanded continuity improvements. Success Metric: Achieve 85%+ aggregate annual retention rate

3. Customer Lifetime Value (LTV). Connecting longer retention to higher lifetime spending showcases expanded wallet share earned thanks to differentiated continuity positioning. Success Metric: Increase average 3 year client LTV by 40%+

4. Sales Cycle Time Reduction. Faster sales velocity indicates stronger brand gravity and messaging resonance accelerating deal progressions. Success Metric: 30%+ shorter average sales cycle length

5. Annual Contract Value (ACV) Growth. Growing average annual recurring business demonstrates continuity value translation into elevated commercial expansion. Success Metric: Increase ACV by 25%+ year-over-year

The blend of customer health scores, behaviour retention stats, and financial return figures provides a well rounded indicator set assessing quantitative business impact across the integrated continuity strategy.

Using AI?

Here are some suggested prompts you can use when researching an existing business to understand what success might look like with Storyselling in the mix:

• You are a retail analyst. I want you to describe the value proposition of [BUSINESS NAME]. Here is the business' URL for you to research: [BUSINESS URL]

• What are the most likely success metrics used by this business to measure its health and growth.

• Can you suggest the KPIs they may use to track these success metrics?

SWOT analysis

Strengths

Industry-leading technology: Logisticks offers a robust and feature-rich platform with innovative solutions like Visual Timeline, Marketplace, and Predictive Analytics.

Strong customer focus: Logisticks prioritises understanding customer needs and tailors solutions to specific industries and verticals.

Proven track record: Logisticks boasts a successful client base with notable names like LVMH, Sephora, and Dollar Shave Club, showcasing the effectiveness of their solutions.

Scalability and flexibility: The platform caters to businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises, and offers flexible integration options.

Data-driven approach: Logisticks utilises data analytics to predict potential issues and personalise the customer experience, improving efficiency and satisfaction.

Weaknesses

• Brand awareness: Compared to established logistics players, Logisticks might have lower brand awareness, particularly in new markets.

• Pricing: The platform's pricing structure might be perceived as expensive for smaller businesses or those with lower order volumes.

• Competition: The post-purchase tracking and delivery space is becoming increasingly competitive, with new players emerging and established logistics companies expanding their offerings.

• Reliance on partnerships: Logisticks's success relies heavily on partnerships with carriers and fulfilment providers, which can introduce complexities and dependencies.

Opportunities

• Expansion into new markets: Logisticks can tap into new geographic regions and industry verticals with high growth potential.

• Strategic partnerships: Partnering with key players in complementary industries like e-commerce platforms or payment processors can expand reach and offerings.

• Developing new solutions: Continuous innovation and development of new features like AI-powered chatbots or omnichannel communication tools can further differentiate Logisticks.

• Sustainability focus: Integrating sustainability features like carbon footprint tracking or eco-friendly packaging options can attract environmentally conscious customers and businesses.

Threats

Economic downturns: Reduced consumer spending during economic downturns can negatively impact businesses that rely on e-commerce and delivery services.

Data privacy regulations: Evolving data privacy regulations can create compliance challenges and limit access to valuable customer data.

Technological disruptions: New technologies like autonomous delivery vehicles or blockchain-based logistics solutions could disrupt the current market landscape.

Acquisition by competitors: Larger players in the logistics or technology space might see Logisticks as a strategic acquisition target, potentially impacting its independence and innovation.

I’m guessing SWOT analyses are bread and butter for every organisation so I don’t anticipate you’d need to go out of your way to develop one for the Storyselling exercise.

But if you’re in any doubt about the legitimacy of the SWOT you were given - it may have been superseded in value through product launches or changes of leadership, for example - then there’s no harm in conducting one. You might choose to incorporate a SWOT session in the lean business canvas or problem framing canvas workshops.

What can we learn from this SWOT?

Maintaining strengths

Continue investing in cutting-edge technology: Stay ahead of the curve by developing innovative features and solutions that address evolving customer needs and industry trends.

Prioritise customer-centricity: Double down on understanding your customers' deep dive into their specific needs and expectations across different industries. Tailor your offerings and messaging accordingly.

Leverage success stories: Showcase positive impact on established brands to build trust and attract new customers.

Addressing weaknesses

Increase brand awareness: Implement targeted marketing campaigns to reach new audiences and establish Logisticks as a leader in post-purchase experience.

Explore flexible pricing models: Consider offering tiered pricing options or pay-as-you-go models to cater to businesses of all sizes and budgets.

Differentiate through partnerships: Forge strategic partnerships with complementary players to expand your reach and offer more comprehensive solutions.

Capitalising on opportunities

Expand geographically and vertically: Enter new markets and industries with high growth potential, adapting your offerings to specific needs.

Develop AI-powered solutions: Utilise AI to personalise the customer experience further, predict issues proactively, and offer more efficient support.

Embrace sustainability: Integrate eco-friendly features and options to attract environmentally conscious customers and businesses.

Mitigate potential threats

Stay ahead of regulatory changes: Proactively adapt your data practices to comply with evolving privacy regulations.

Monitor technological disruptions: Be prepared to adapt and innovate to stay relevant in the face of emerging technologies.

Consider strategic acquisitions: Explore acquiring complementary companies to expand your offerings and strengthen your market position.

Additional recommendations

Foster a culture of innovation: Encourage colleague creativity and experimentation to develop new solutions that meet evolving customer needs.

Invest in colleague training and development: Ensure your team has the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver exceptional customer service and utilise the platform effectively.

Measure and track key performance indicators (KPIs): Monitor metrics like customer satisfaction, adoption rates, and churn to measure progress and identify areas for improvement.

Let’s carry forward some of the juicier bits from our SWOT.

There are always tons of insights from SWOTs that are more operationally-inclined.

Our story will not be affected by regulatory changes - we will of course need to heed them, but the story should be inclined towards delivering the best possible customer experience, not getting tied in knots by the next GDPR disaster movie.

It’s much easier to tweak the story because it’s too creative, than bring new creativity to a story whose narrative has been shrunk by fears for what the future might hold.

Sustainability is a hot topic and will continue to be so. Can we weave our sustainability ambitions into the story?

We should look for ways we are doubling down on customer-centricity. We’ll make a mental note of this for when we work through our customer chats for case study concepts.

Success stories are clearly important to marketing the human authenticity of this organisation. This is in the bank.

We know data is super important to this business. So we need to make sure that our story goes out its way to showcase our data obsession. This is something we need to remember, no matter our organisation or industry. If our DNA is infused with a specific way of working, then we need to make sure our story reflects that in every possible way.

We’re off! We have some great concepts for our story. Let’s now get stuck into the customer chats.

Using AI?

Conducting a SWOT analysis on a business is relatively straightforward using AI.

To create a powerful and insightful SWOT analysis, search for publicly-available business data - such as annual reports, and data from Companies House - and upload those files to either Perplexity or Claude.

I have created two AI prompts to get into the details. The first one will create a robust SWOT analysis, while the second reflects on that analysis to provide some basic concepts as to how client and colleague communication can be improved to focus on the business' growth ambitions:

• This is [BUSINESS NAME], a [BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE BUSINESS USING THE VALUE PROPOSITION]. Based on this/these report/s, create a SWOT analysis of its challenges and opportunities. Additionally, please provide any helpful insights and highlights from this report that might help us to better understand this organisation as a retail analyst.

• Reflecting on the report and your SWOT analysis, how do you think Dyson could improve client and colleague communications to build a stronger business more likely to achieve ambitious growth targets in coming years?

Solution stack

There are no end of frameworks and formulas in the business world.

All of them make my head explode like that amazing emoji.

I needed something similar for Storyselling. Something that even I could understand.

That’s why I came up with the Solution Stack.

It’s four steps to know just enough about the big problem, unique solution, client, and your business.

Here's the Solution stack template:

Big problem

What's the biggest problem we solve?

Describe the problem and primary pain points it causes.

Why does the problem exist?

What's the cause of the problem? Is there a shortage, or lack, of something in the business? Is it a hardware issue, or a people problem? Be as descriptive as you can.

What's the cost of these problems?

Quantify the impact of these problems on our client businesses.

Solution

What are the products and services forming this solution?

Outline the core elements of your solution (products, services, processes) that directly tackle the problem.

How do we deliver the solution?

Specify how you deliver the solution to your clients (such as direct sales, subscriptions, partnerships).

Share a sentence explaining this big problem you solve - in three different ways:

Direct and simple - just the basics

Logisticks examples:

"We eliminate post-purchase anxiety by providing transparent and proactive delivery tracking & returns management.”

"We bridge the gap between retailers and customers, ensuring a seamless and stress-free post-purchase journey."

Focusing on customer emotions

Examples:

"We turn 'where's my order?' into 'oh, my order is arriving soon!' for happy customers and loyal brands."

"We replace shipping updates with peace of mind, empowering both retailers and shoppers to relax knowing their deliveries are under control.

Highlighting specific benefits

Examples:

"We boost conversion rates by offering accurate delivery estimates and increase customer satisfaction with personalised communication."

"We reduce returns and improve operational efficiency by providing self-service options and streamlining the returns process."

Notes

• Keep it concise (one sentence).

• Focus on the benefit to the client, not just the features.

• Use clear and understandable language.

• Consider the specific audience you are targeting

Client

• What's the market size for this solution?

• What's our current market share?

• How do we eat a bigger slice of this market?

• What's the size of the parent market? Through complementary solutions reaching the parent market, or expanding our marketing efforts to the market requiring our current hero solution?

Our business

• What makes us the best solution provider?

• How can we solve it cheaper/quicker/faster to create a wider moat to stay ahead of our competition?

• What's our unique value proposition?

• What's unique about the way we solve it? Clearly articulate how your business uniquely addresses the client's biggest problem, differentiating itself from competitors

• How do we measure success? List the success metrics showing we're on track

• Resources and activities: Identify the essential resources (e.g., people, technology) and key activities your business performs to build and deliver the solution.

By providing thoughtful and comprehensive answers to these questions, you have created a manifesto for your future success that extends way beyond the value of any vision or mission statement.

The Solution stack gives us everything we need to move Storyselling to the next stage - whether that’s having analysed the current state of your operations, or finishing this section off by looking at the future state having considered all your community chats with colleagues and clients.

If you have bags of time, you could also apply the Solution stack to three of your closest competitors. That would really set cats among pigeons, and give you intense clarity on the macro picture.

Why is the Solutions stack important?

Say you were about to take a road trip, or sail around the Greek islands. I’m assuming you’d have some kind of mapping device, right? Or would you just strike out and see how long it took for you to run out of petrol, or get eaten by sharks (it’s more likely this would happen if you were sailing, rather than driving).

If you just grabbed the wheel (that’s the same for a yacht, right?) then no one - very much including me - would ever speak with you again. Probably because you’d never be seen, or heard from, again.

If you rely on instinct and chance, keep begging outside the casino.

Can you think of a business operating without a clear, concise understanding of their current state and future goals? 

Thing is, you can. And that’s why I say this Solutions stack is such a great piece of work.

If I told you to write a new business plan, you’d punch me in the face. And I would deserve it.

But telling you to get this Solutions stack done, makes total sense and ensures we stay pacifists. Why?

• It’s stupid simple. Forget sprawling documents – the stack forces you to distil your business essence into nine key blocks, promoting clear thinking and prioritisation.

• It becomes a communication tool - facilitating discussions and alignment among team members, investors, and stakeholders.

• It’s dynamic. Use the canvas to brainstorm, experiment, and iterate on your strategy. This actually drives agility and adaptation - something us humans tend to rally against.

• It generates invaluable insights. By visualising your value proposition, customer segments, and revenue streams, you identify opportunities and areas for improvement.

Solutions stack workshop resources

Some really quirky drinks that get people going ooh (kombucha regularly works, as does kefir, and basically anything energy-giving without artificial sweeteners; if all you have is tea, coffee, and water, realise you’re losing at life and this is clearly unacceptable, but it’s gonna have to do. Try harder, next time)

Your existing company vision and mission documents. Chances are they’re literally awful - like, as readable as your privacy policy, and modern slavery statements; but it’s a fun exercise to compare your impressive Solutions stack, a democratic and legitimately actionable output, versus whatever nonsense that consultancy put together at huge expense about five years ago).

Getting started

Chances are you already know the people who are best placed to crack the back of this stack:

• Aim for no more than six people. If you’re in a big company, choose people at all levels of the organisation. Ideally, 50% of them should be from your customer-facing crew.

• Find someone motivated, to facilitate. Ideally, this should be someone from your internal comms team. Because they’re reliably the best people in your organisation (proof available on request) and have the widest exposure to all the important stuff happening that can fill in gaps if you’re struggling at any point during this workshop.

I like to warm up the room with a funny but serious set of 10 questions:

1. What are people buying, that you are selling, and why?

2. Who is buying what you sell, from where and from who?

3. Who is buying stuff similar to what you sell, from where and from who?

4. Who isn't buying either, but doing something else instead?

5. Why would people buy you instead of the similar stuff, or instead of doing something else?

6. Is that clear and compelling enough to them?

7. Is it clear and compelling enough of them?

8. If enough of them buy you instead of something similar or something else, will that make you money?

9. Is the money you make more than what it costs to achieve all of the above?

10. If it is not, what would need to change in which questions above so that it does?

Depending on your business, each of the sections of the canvas will need different amounts of time. But in a nutshell, here’s what you’re looking for:

We mentioned before about tweaking the template - which I encourage you to do. I really feel like there should be a separate section in here about Team growth, which talks about the steps you’re currently taking to fully immerse every colleague in all your critical business communications.

• How will you get them amped up on their OKRs?

• How can you inspire them to achieve more in contributing to your success metrics?

• How do you get them more commercially-minded and feeling a visceral sense of ownership for the numbers?

The template is intended to be the bare bones of what you’ll need. Customisation, and not content, is king/queen, here.

Using AI?

With some patience and coaxing, you can totally fashion a reasonable attempt at the Solution stack using AI. The secret is thinking about AI as an intern. It won't have the specificity of response you need unless you feed it a detailed prompt with as much evidence as it needs to make an informed response.

For example, when it comes to developing solution messaging to seduce your prospective clients, use a prompt such as:

We're [ENTER BUSINESS NAME] and the biggest problem we solve is [THE PROBLEM]. Thinking about our target audience, which is [BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF KEY CLIENT PERSONA], create one-sentence marketing messages promoting the solution we offer, which is [EXPLAIN SOLUTION]. The messaging should be focused on solving key clients' business problems that are currently a barrier to their growth. Think about three different aspects of their busines that will benefit through this solution, and create inspiring messaging for each growth opportunity through this solution.

Competitive differentiation

Prior to developing core messaging, conduct an audit evaluating how competitors position their solution story and value proposition. This provides contrast points to better showcase your unique approach and helps call out overused industry jargon to avoid.

Here is a mock competitive differentiation audit analysing key positioning and messaging elements from Logisticks' main competitors:

Competitor A: TalkTrack (post purchase communications)

• Value Prop: “Conversion boosting post-purchase communications”

• Key Messaging: "Drive sales by reducing buyer anxiety and delays"

• Audiences: Retail/ecommerce CMOs and CRO leaders

Flywheel review:

• Highlights functional capabilities and conversion optimization but not strategic differentiators  

• Technical value prop matches other players vs brand distinctions

• Messaging centres sales impact rather than modern customer journeys  

Competitor B: SendLync (experience automation) 

• Value Prop: “Seamlessly connect post-purchase experiences automating real-time triggers”

• Key Messaging: “Reduce cost of customer confusion and inquiries through journey transparency” 

• Audiences: Retail operations leaders, customer service heads, COOs

Flywheel review:

• Calls out experience connectivity and automation strengths focused on inquiries

• Lead with operational efficiency gains over distinctive vision  

• Heavily emphasise cost savings over loyalty building  

Competitor C: PostBuy (delivery experience suite)

• Value Prop: “Deliver exceptional, personalised last mile experiences at scale”

• Key Messaging: “Obsess over the final moments that colour entire customer relationships through data-driven interactions”  

• Audiences: Retail CEOs, chief digital officers, chief customer officers

Flywheel review:  

• Zone in on ownable last mile niche differentiating lagging legacy players  

• Still centred largely on fragmentation reduction  

• Thought leadership positioning stands out targeting executives

In summary, Logisticks has an opportunity to distinguish themselves by leading with a bold vision around transforming sterile transactions into dynamic lifelong relationships rooted in mutual understanding beyond fragmentation reduction or conversion improvements.

Competitors currently fail to fuse both the functional and emotional elements of integrated experiences at scale powered by AI.

Different ways to differentiate

Customers and colleagues will give you the start you need.

Then it's a case of diving deep into your business and its strengths and figuring out which aspects of what you do can be further enhanced to develop a winning proposition.

Different ways to differentiate include:

• Excel at one key aspect - such as quality, speed of use or fulfilment, or customisation to your customers’ exact needs. But always avoid “cheapest”, as you'll face mounting competition to the point where your margins will be eroded altogether (RIP).

• Highlight benefits, or needs, that competitors overlook - no matter how subtly different they are. This is the cornerstone of storyselling - accentuating the positives, and making them the reason why people need to know about you.: Even slightly different features can be valuable. Look for ways your product caters to specific needs or offers unique benefits competitors lack.

• Be the strongest at selling the solution. Selling the outcome is critical to your success. Improving your customers' lives in a unique way is the bedrock of your story.

• Offer exceptional customer service: Build a reputation for going above and beyond, prioritising customer satisfaction, and creating a positive experience at every touchpoint.

• Personalise the experience by poring over data and customer insights to provide tailored experiences, recommendations, and offers. This is how you move from seduction to sales. Make customers feel valued and understood.

• Build a community: Foster a sense of belonging around your brand by creating communities, loyalty programs, or exclusive events.

• Target a specific niche: Instead of competing in a broad market, focus on a specific sub-segment with unique needs and cater your offerings to them.

• Create a strong brand identity: Develop a brand that stands out, resonates with your target audience, and conveys your values and differentiators.

• Tell your story: Share your solution story, mission, and values in a compelling way. Differentiate yourself through your company culture, values, and social responsibility initiatives.

• Innovation: Continuously innovate and improve your product or service to stay ahead of the curve. Offer unique features or functionalities your competitors lack.

• Partnerships: Collaborate with complementary businesses to offer bundled packages or reach new audiences.

• Content marketing: Create valuable, informative content that educates your audience and establishes you as a thought leader in your industry.

Using AI?

Competitive differentiation is easy with AI. But make sure you get specific with your request - because agents have a tendency to hallucinate when your prompt presents few guard rails.

Suggested prompt:

You're a business analyst. I want you to identify three of the closest competitors to [NAME OF BUSINESS] whose website is at [INSERT BUSINESS URL]. Explain each of these competitors' value propositions and differentiators, their primary client audiences, and key messaging. For each competitor, also conduct a brief marketing flywheel review, providing a list of strengths and unique approaches in how this business creates and retains clients.

Client deep dive

We’re looking for five customer chats.

This is a perfect way to get the story concept aired across your organisation.

You’re looking for five customers who are already considered long-term clients.

Their problems have been solved by you for the past 3+ years.

Good customer lifetime value. You’ve been around the block together. They can talk about the early days, and what it’s like to work with you.

When you're creating your business story it's vital you spend time fully understanding how you currently service customer needs.

And there's nothing customers love more than attention.

That's why I recommend to my clients they schedule 10 calls to check in and find out how their products meet expectations.

These conversations follow a standard case study framework. This way, anyone on your team can host the chat.

In an ideal world you'll want to record the conversation - and, even better, have an AI agent on the call to produce the transcript and, with some prompting around your needs, 'write' the finished case study to share with your team immediately afterwards.

My prompt would request the best bits from the transcript be funnelled under these headings:

The success story framework is simple:

1. Challenge

2. Solution

3. Result

Record the call. That's your number one priority.

Use an AI notetaker. I recommend Fathom because it’s free for the just-enough features.

Exercise done, you’ll be in no doubt where you're matching up to expectations, and work needs to be done.

And you're a huge leap closer to getting your solution story straight.

Bonus points - repeat this task at least every six months. It’s all part of enhancing the story.

Here are the success story snapshots from five synthetic customer calls:

Retail giant boosts post-purchase transparency

• Industry: Retail

• Challenge: A major clothing retailer struggled with customer complaints regarding order visibility and delivery updates. Frustrated customers felt left in the dark, impacting brand loyalty.

• Solution: Logisticks's post-purchase tracking platform provided real-time order updates, shipment notifications, and estimated delivery windows. Customers received proactive communication via email, SMS, and the brand's app, increasing transparency and satisfaction.

• Result: Customer complaints regarding order visibility dropped by 50%, while positive NPS scores related to delivery experience jumped by 20%.

Food delivery app enhances on-demand visibility

• Industry: Food & Beverage

• Challenge: A popular food delivery app faced customer anxiety due to unclear delivery timelines and lack of driver communication.

• Solution: Logisticks integrated its platform with the app, offering real-time order tracking, driver location updates, and estimated arrival times. Customers received push notifications when their food was prepared, dispatched, and nearing delivery.

• Result: Customer wait time anxiety reduced by 30%, leading to increased repeat orders and improved app ratings. Driver efficiency also improved due to optimised routes and reduced customer inquiries.

Manufacturing company streamlines B2B deliveries

Industry: Manufacturing

• Challenge: A manufacturing company managing complex B2B deliveries across multiple distributors faced challenges with tracking and communication.

• Solution: Logisticks's enterprise solution provided a centralised platform for tracking shipments across various carriers, offering real-time visibility to both the company and its distributors. Automated notifications kept everyone informed of delivery status, reducing delays and improving collaboration.

• Result: On-time delivery rates increased by 15%, while communication and collaboration between the company and its distributors significantly improved.

Ecommerce startup personalises post-purchase experience

• Industry: Ecommerce

• Challenge: A young ecommerce startup lacked the resources to offer a personalised post-purchase experience, impacting customer engagement.

• Solution: Logisticks's scalable solution provided customizable tracking pages with the startup's branding and messaging. Customers received personalised email and SMS updates based on their preferences and purchase history, fostering brand connection.

• Result: Brand engagement post-purchase increased by 25%, leading to higher customer lifetime value and repeat purchases.

Pharma company ensures temperature-controlled deliveries

• Industry: Pharmaceuticals

• Challenge: A pharmaceutical company required a reliable solution for tracking and monitoring temperature-controlled deliveries of sensitive medication.

• Solution: Logisticks's platform integrated with specialised sensors to track temperature fluctuations throughout the delivery journey. Real-time alerts notified the company of any deviations, ensuring product integrity and regulatory compliance.

• Result: The company achieved a 99.9% success rate in maintaining required temperature ranges, safeguarding product quality and patient safety.

Go deeper

You may find that the results of your discussions go deeper. If so - congratulations.

There’s no such thing as TMI when it comes to learning about the big problems faced by your clients - and how you solved them.

Here's an extended success story snapshot framework with additional sections. This is a really nice case study, and with the additional information it's easy to use these stories in your future marketing campaigns.

• Overview

• Challenge

• Solution

• Integration

• Results

• Next steps

• Verdict

Customer 1: Regional department store chain

• Overview: This 50 year-old company operates 125 retail stores across 6 states. They sell apparel, footwear, accessories, home goods both in-store and online. 

• Challenge: They struggled with a fragmented post-purchase experience between retail channels. In-store customers had no visibility into online order status. Online orders lacked in-transit visibility and delivery ETAs. 

• Solution: Logisticks provided one seamless branded tracking experience across web, email, text. Customers now receive proactive status updates, delivery ETAs, return assistance, and surveys.

• Integration: API connections were made between the company's ecommerce platform, order/shipping systems and Logisticks in just 3 weeks. Custom UI was styled to match their brand.

• Results: In the first month alone the company saw a 28% increase in online conversion rates due to improved confidence during checkout. Customer service inquiries about order status were reduced by 65%.

• Next steps: Roll out Logisticks surveys to understand customer preferences better. Identify VIP customers across channels to offer personalised post-purchase care. 

• Verdict: "Logisticks has unified our currently fragmented systems and given customers the experience they expect from an integrated, innovative retailer."

Customer 2: National CPG brand  

• Overview: This leading consumer packaged goods company sells skincare and cosmetics DTC through their website that sees 1 million monthly visitors.

• Challenge: As a digital-first company, they struggled to replicate the high-touch customer experience shoppers would receive in physical stores. 

• Solution: Logisticks CommerceCX gave them scalable tools to delight customers such as interactive order tracking, proactive customer service through pre-defined triggers, predictive delivery communication, and post-purchase surveys.

• Integration: Logisticks APIs integrated with their custom built shop in 2 weeks with minimal engineering resources needed. They easily customised the styling and messaging to reinforce their fun, playful brand persona.

• Results: In 6 months since implementation average order value has increased 19% and subscriber retention is up 22%. Customer feedback scores the post-purchase experience 4.8/5 stars.

• Next steps: Use Logisticks's CX Insights to identify highest value customers and outliers to nurture. Develop personalised journeys and tailored outreach campaigns.

• Verdict: "Our customers are highly engaged throughout their experience thanks to Logisticks's ability to scale memorable post-purchase moments."

Customer 3: Emerging DTC jewellery brand

• Overview: This 3 year old startup creates affordable, customised jewellery sold solely online. They are innovating how millennials shop for fine jewellery. Revenue grew from $1.2M to $5M in 2 years.

• Challenge: Many customers ran into issues customising pieces and lacked visibility into their made-to-order item's production. High customer anxiety was leading to cancelled orders and returns.

• Solution: Logisticks provides customizable production to delivery tracking. It alerted customers when items entered quality assurance stages. Customers also received texts and emails reinforcing where their order stood in steps towards completion.  

• Integration: With Logisticks Concierge APIs the production and shipping platforms integrated smoothly in just 5 business days with no additional hires.  

• Results: In the first 3 months after launching Logisticks order cancellations decreased by 33% and returns dropped by over 20%. Customer feedback improved as more visibility relieved buyers' anxieties.

• Next steps: Further reduce returns through Logisticks-automated email recovery campaigns when at-risk delivery addresses appear invalid.

• Verdict: "Our small team is now delivering white glove service at scale while focusing more on jewellery design vs customer hand holding."

• I'm happy to refine or add any other details to these fictional success stories! Please let me know if you would like me to modify or improve them in any way.

Rollover - how these success stories are a lottery win for your business

Aside from the obvious benefit of five case studies you can carry forward into your marketing campaigns and on to your website/repurpose as webinars, videos, share at customer events, and a million other tactics - these case studies have also informed 10 more themes you can milk through your story:

1. Highlight industry-specific solutions: Showcase how Logisticks caters to diverse industries like retail, food, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals. Tailor messaging and case studies to resonate with specific industry pain points and successes.

2. Emphasise customer-centricity:  Position Logisticks as a partner in creating exceptional customer experiences. Feature quotes and testimonials from satisfied clients throughout marketing materials.

3. Focus on unique features:  Showcase innovative features like Visual Timeline, Marketplace, and Predictive Analytics that differentiate Logisticks from competitors.

4. Quantify the impact:  Use data and metrics from case studies to demonstrate the tangible benefits Logisticks delivers, like increased conversions, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction.

5. Create targeted content: Develop content formats like blog posts, webinars, and infographics appealing to specific decision-makers and industry challenges.

6. Leverage storytelling:   Share compelling narratives from real customers, showcasing how Logisticks transformed their post-purchase experience and business outcomes.

7. Utilise emotional triggers:  Tap into emotions like trust, transparency, and convenience in marketing messages to connect with potential customers on an emotional level.

8. Build a strong brand community:  Create a space for customers and industry professionals to connect, share best practices, and learn from each other's experiences with Logisticks.

9. Partner with industry influencers: Collaborate with thought leaders and key figures in relevant industries to amplify your reach and gain credibility.

10. Offer free trials and demos:   Allow potential customers to experience the platform firsthand and see the value Logisticks offers before committing.