The Baker Story, Once Upon A Time…

The Baker Story…How to Turn A Biscuit into A Dollar.

Once upon a time, long ago, there was a baker. There were many others, but he was different…this one had truly exceptional baking skills. He would have been legendary, except that he was completely unknown – but this didn’t deter him. He knew that if he kept focusing on the quality of his product, then eventually he’d become the wealthiest and most respected baker man who ever lived.

One day, after hundreds of experiments with dozens of ingredients, the Baker finally came up with what he believed was the ultimate chocolate biscuit. It was revolutionary he thought. And his whole family, upon tasting it, confirmed immediately, that indeed, this was the tastiest biscuit ever made.

Mr Baker was ecstatic… “finally” he said to himself “I will soon be the wealthiest and most respected baker in the whole wide world. People will come from near and far for a taste of my biscuits – Muuaaaahahahaha (insert evil laugh here)!

The next day he joined the other bakers at market and shouted much the same message as they… “Buy my biscuits, they are the tastiest ever… hurry while stocks last”.

That same day, while he was doing this, an unknown man rode into town with his family. He went immediately to the center of the market place, right where the other bakers were, and shouted to gather a crowd… he had an important announcement to make. The crowd, eager to hear the news, forced the noisy bakers with their usual slogans to be quiet.

The stranger, with his daughter by his side, went on to tell the people a truly captivating an moving story.

He told that he was from a far away kingdom and a baker by trade. For years, because of his great talent, a cruel king had kept him captive as a slave…baking every day. The Kings vast wealth availed to him rare ingredients, far too pricey for the average baker. He explained how after 27 years as a slave to the king, he’d finally conjured up a biscuit so delicious that the King in a drunken moment, promised to grant him any wish – even he’s freedom, in exchange for 1001 of such biscuits.

The listening crowd was angered at the thought of such a cruel king and marveled at the thought of how tasty such a biscuit must be.

The stranger story went on…delighted by the kings promise of freedom that he’s daughter would not have a terrible life in captivity, he baked day and night – without rest. He was careful to observe every detail, careful to ensure that every biscuit was fit for a king.

3 days later, the night before he was to present his biscuits to the king, His dreams for freedom were shattered when he got wind of the Kings dishonesty. The cruel and wicked King had promised freedom only to motivate the Baker to produce these tasty biscuits once again. In reality, he planned, now more than ever to keep the baker for life and worse – having seen the exceptional beauty of the bakers only child – he would force her to become his 10^th wife!

Unable to bare this, that very night, the baker and his wife risked their lives and escaped the castle They took with them their beautiful daughter and all 1001 biscuits! By the time the evil found out, they were long gone.

He told the story with deep emotion and great sincerity. Besides him stood his daughter. The men of the market saw that she was in fact more beautiful than the story had suggested. They could see how the King would desire to marry her.

The baker man had come to the market to sell these biscuits, “fit for a king”. Never before had royal food been affordable to the common folk. His daughter, grateful for her freedom, would grant a kiss to the man who bought the most biscuits from her father.

“Every man who despises injustice, loves beauty and desires food fit for a king must taste these biscuits”. He also mentioned from time to time, that his amazingly beautiful daughter, so grateful for her new life would grant a kiss to the man who bought the most biscuits and a free batch of biscuits if it was woman.

• Who do you think sold the most biscuits that day – The guy with the most talented baking skills and the best tasting biscuits or the guy with the best story?
• Who do you think got the most word of mouth?
• Who do you think people remembered the next day?
• How does this apply to YOUR business?

If you think it doesn’t, you’re probably that first baker. You shout “Top Quality”, “Discount Prices”, “Best Prices” to a crowd that just isn’t listening. You actually believe that ‘best selling’ and ‘best quality’ are the same thing. You probably buy into the hype that the top 10 lists are a measure of the best products when in fact they’re not…they’re just the measure of the best marketing.

That story that you keep telling your customers and prospects (the one in all your marketing pieces), is that the best you can do? You’d be surprised by just how many true stories they are that would be just as unique, captivating and profitable as the stranger’s story. I’ve yet to meet an entrepreneur without an interesting TRUE story that could differentiate them and make them more memorable, differentiated and profitable.

Stories are the most powerful type of communication there is. Ask any good teacher. Why do we still remember The Three Little Pigs, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the beanstalk”? Why do you still remember “The Matrix, Terminator 2 or Batman” – all from years ago – yet you can’t remember 99.9% of the businesses that are marketing to you every day?

Go ahead… tell us a story about your product or service. If it’s good enough, we’ll buy and tell all our friends about you.

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