#22 Mum + Boy + Zoo = ?

Good Day Brewers - Pang here! ☕

Recently, I got the chance to chat with another fellow local!

Guess what?

We decided to COLLABORATE in our newsletters and do a story swap!

Cause why not?

It’s the best way to get interesting stories from other creators!

This issue is brought to you by my friend, Ruth.

You’d certainly enjoy this short and crisp issue!

Estimated reading time: 1,133 words - 4 mins 46 secs

Missing the Mark

The audience buzzed with excitement.

OOH! The otter deftly picked up the plastic bag and brought it to the animal trainer.

My children clapped in delight as I leaned back, smiling with satisfaction at my husband. This is why we braved the sun and packed our bags for war.

The hour flew past in a blink of an eye.

As the crowds hustled towards the exit, I picked my 4 yo up and asked, “So what did you learn today?”

Here's what a normal human being derives from an animal show at the zoo:

• Wild animals cannot be domesticated

• Animals can do some pretty cool things

• It is important to conserve the world around us

Here’s what my 4 yo learned from the animal show:

• If you do a trick, you can get treats

• Mommy doesn't give me enough treats, that's why I don't do enough tricks.

"I am a good boy. I just don't get enough treats."

Child: 1, Mommy: 0

My kids are my best and worst customers.

Sometimes, we completely miss the mark on what our customers are focusing on. That’s because we don’t have perfect knowledge. We (and our customers) interpret the world according to our focus.

For my son, at the back of his mind, the greedy little bugger is always thinking about getting treats - a scarce commodity controlled by his annoying parents.

When we build our product or offer, we have our expectations of what our customers SHOULD understand or respond.

In reality, our customers can react very differently.

That’s why customer insights matter!

Now think about your customers…

• Are you making any assumptions about their expectations?

• Have you done any research to understand them better?

• Have you tried looking at the world from their lens?

Don’t waste time missing the mark. P.S. For more fun stories like these, subscribe to Ruth’s newsletter.

Looking to collaborate? Your cool story could be shared with 570+ subscribers too! Simply reply to this email in this format:

I’ll get back to you soon!

How is this story even possible!?

The StoryBrewer breaks it down.

Well, a few things connected at one moment in time.

• Ruth brought her family to the zoo.

• She attended an animal show there.

• An otter was demonstrating its intelligence by picking up plastic bags.

• The animal trainer gave the otter some treats to reward him for his splendid performance.

(The animal trainer was trying to make an important point about recycling.) - Not relevant to the story.

• Her boy was enjoying the show.

This sequence of events struck her!

Relatable Moments…

This story might have triggered a story idea in these aspects:

• A past moment that happened in the zoo

• Quality time spent with family

• Interaction with your kids

• Being a parent

Be sure to capture these ideas in your StoryBank!

Here’s how you can craft a story about PERSPECTIVES.

#1 Dive into Action

Let’s tap into sensory details to bring out the action.

• What was going on?

• How did you react?

• How did others react?

Ruth started the story with a line that drove curiosity. It made you question, “Why did the audience buzz with excitement?”

The audience buzzed with excitement.

OOH! The otter deftly picked up the plastic bag and brought it to the animal trainer.

My children clapped in delight as I leaned back, smiling with satisfaction at my husband. This is why we braved the sun and packed our bags for war.

The hour flew past in a blink of an eye.

#2 Common Perspective

Let’s reflect a little.

• How would the average person think in this situation?

Here's what a normal human being derives from an animal show at the zoo:

Wild animals cannot be domesticated

Animals can do some pretty cool things

It is important to conserve the world around us

#3 Unique Perspective

This is where the conflict arises.

• What was the conflicting perspective here?

• In what way was it different?

Ruth used an interesting and fun technique called the “Scoreboard” to contrast who won in this situation.

Here’s what my 4 yo learned from the animal show:

If you do a trick, you can get treats

Mommy doesn't give me enough treats, that's why I don't do enough tricks.

"I am a good boy. I just don't get enough treats."

Child: 1, Mommy: 0

#4 Explanation

Explain why we should take into account the unique perspective.

• How do both perspectives come into context?

• Why did what you shared matter?

My kids are my best and worst customers.

Sometimes, we completely miss the mark on what our customers are focusing on. That’s because we don’t have perfect knowledge. We (and our customers) interpret the world according to our focus.

For my son, at the back of his mind, the greedy little bugger is always thinking about getting treats - a scarce commodity controlled by his annoying parents.

#5 Takeaway

Finish with a clear lesson and conclusion.

• What can you derive from this?

• What would you like to share with your readers?

When we build our product or offer, we have our expectations of what our customers SHOULD understand or respond.

In reality, our customers can react very differently.

That’s why customer insights matter!

Besides being a fun storyteller, Ruth has over 10 years of experience in strategic communications!

I’m not gonna blabber on non-stop about what she does.

But in summary, she’s all about attracting customers through The Right Vibes!

Subscribe to her newsletter now!

That’s pretty much it for this issue!

I had fun reading this one!

P.S. To check out my story, she’s publishing it on 26 July, so be sure to subscribe to her newsletter!

I’ll see you guys next week!

Oh, and if you miss out on our very first spaces, don’t worry…

You can listen to the recording in the link below!

And don’t miss out on our upcoming space!

Your Barista,

Pang

Enjoying the warm stories so far? Share this link with friends.

Looking to collaborate? Reach out to me here.

Unlock your inner storyteller with The StoryBrew Master Course!