Page 180 -
P. 180
Making Business Models Tangible?
The goal of telling a story is to introduce a new business model in an engaging,
tangible way. Keep the story simple and use only one protagonist. Depending on
the audience, you can use a different protagonist with a different perspective.
Here are two possible starting points.
STORYTELLING
174174 company customer
perspective perspective
DESIGN
Employee Observer Customer Jobs
Explain the business model in the form of a story told The customer perspective provides a powerful starting
from an employee’s perspective. Use the employee as the point for a story. Cast a customer as the protagonist and
protagonist who demonstrates why the new model makes tell the tale from her point of view. Show the challenges
sense. This may be because the employee frequently she faces and which jobs she must get done. Then outline
observes customer problems that the new business model how your organization creates value for her. The story can
solves. Or it may be that the new model makes better or describe what she receives, how it fi ts into her life, and
different use of resources, activities, or partnerships com- what she is willing to pay for. Add some drama and emotion
pared to the old model (e.g. cost reduction, productivity to the story, and describe how your organization is making
improvement, new revenue sources, etc.). In such a story, her life easier. Ideally, weave in how your organization gets
the employee embodies the inner workings of an organiza- these jobs done for the customer, with which resources and
tion and its business model and shows the reasons for through which activities. The biggest challenge with stories
transitioning to a new model. told from a customer perspective is keeping them authentic
and avoiding a facile or patronizing tone.
!"#$%&'(%)*+(%,,---198 /012013---2485-67
