Your first story after the business name, a value proposition, has to do a lot of heavy lifting.
And there may be a temptation, driven out of desperation, to merely state what you do.
But a business (or an individual for that matter) should always try to move beyond such a ‘what’ statement.
Potential customers want at reason to engage with you beyond the rational.
We need to be moved, to feel a visceral connection beyond your product or service.
One of the best ways to trigger an almost instinctive reaction is to include a metaphor in your value proposition.
A metaphor is a word or phrase applied to an action or object to which it is not literally applicable.
Put another way, a metaphor creates a picturable image around an abstract idea.
If we say something hits the target from say a product design point of view, we also see in our mind’s eye an arrow, bullet or dart centering on a bullseye.
There’s a mental synergy, a story enhancement, over and above the words themselves that multiplies the value of metaphors.
An insurance broker may not literally ‘help you sleep better at night’, but it’s a heck of a powerful emotive message to reinforce the protection gained from paying premiums.
So, if you can, get heart and soul words into your first story.
Emotion sells.