Are You Saying the Right Things to Prospects? How Storytelling Helps Deliver Your Message to the Right People

In capital markets, companies have a tendency to lead with features and functionality, when in reality, what prospects want is to understand the relevance of your product to their problem. Storytelling is simply the bridge between what you do and why it matters to the person interacting with your content. 



A common issue with B2B brands, particularly in financial markets, is that they see storytelling as a B2C function. This is not the case. There are professional ways in which a B2B firm can tell a story, captivate its audience, and build credibility. And the reality is that B2B buyers are still people. They have careers on the line, internal politics to navigate, and a need to feel confident in their choices. 

Why does messaging so often miss the mark in capital markets? 

Storytelling needs to be built on a foundation. This is your brand’s and product’s messaging, which can often miss the mark from the get-go. A lot of vendors build the messaging by describing the product inside out. But remember that the buyer’s journey does not start that way. They often have a problem they need to solve and are looking for solutions. If your messaging doesn’t reflect their reality, they won’t pay attention.

What is storytelling in a B2B context, and what isn't it? 

In B2B, stories are not and should not be around fluff or creative writing. It is about building powerful messages for the audience. These can centre around a particular problem, a credible solution, and a tangible outcome. A capital markets audience does not want abstract claims. They can only make decisions on tangible data that builds credibility. 

How do you identify the story your prospects actually need to hear? 

One blockage or mistake for many businesses in the FinTech space is not being clear on what a prospect would resonate with. Start with the buyer, not the product. Once you understand the person/people behind the decision, your messages should hit home every time. 

• What pressures are they facing?
• What problems do they need to solve?
• What is the number one priority for them?
• What does failure look like to them and the company?
• What would make their decision easy to defend internally?

Once you have the answers to these, you can start to shape the message in a way that resonates. The more you speak their language, the more they will listen.

How does storytelling support PR and content marketing? 

Everything that comes out of PR and marketing should tell a story. If you already have well-constructed narratives for all your target audiences, the foundation on which they work on is that much stronger. Consistency across channels and content is what builds familiarity and trust over time. 

PR and marketing use storytelling to hook a buyer with a recognisable situation (a regulatory change creating pressure, a legacy system slowing down execution) and helps prove a brand’s value with tangible results. B2B brands also have the opportunity to use these functions to shift the focus to the buyer, showing that the right technology can lead to increased improvement.

Storytelling is the foundation that sits at the bottom of every piece of content and campaign. It shapes what angle a blog takes, how a sales deck is structured, and what a spokesperson says in an interview. If you have a consistent story and messaging, it will build an identity for the brand over time, driving familiarity and trust. The brands that have invested in truly understanding their customer are the ones that can reflect their reality back at them instead of leading with features and letting the buyer connect the dots.

If you are looking to build your messaging and story to connect with buyers, contact us.