A short story for you to read!

Jim Stevens, a press photographer, is down on his luck. When a easy opportunity to spend a few days in the country taking some photographs arises, he takes it. But things are not going to be quite that simple. Will he be able to save the day?

Find it for free on WattPad, or, if you prefer, read it on your Kindle.

You need to tell your customers WHY.

Your “About” or “Meet the Team” page is the most important page of your website.

Read that again. THE MOST IMPORTANT PAGE IS YOUR “ABOUT” PAGE.

How could that possibly be? Surely it’s the wonderful products and services you supply, or the amazing places that you have been, or the cool photos you have showing you looking young and vibrant and hip? Surely?

NO!

IT’S THE “ABOUT” PAGE.

Why?

Because business is competitive and these days there are very few truly unique offerings. But even the unique stuff is rarely unique because it looks or functions differently.

You know those amazing Kickstarter projects? Things like amazing backpacks with a GAZILLION POCKETS THAT WILL REORGANIZE YOUR LIFE? Yes. Those. Well, they all start with the reasons why the guys started in the first place. They have a little story to tell.

The strong impression created is that they do not care if no one at all buys their backpack. It’s like they just want to share their hard-wrung solution to a very personal problem they had at some point while travelling in eastern Europe while, actually what where they doing, spying? I mean who needs that many gadgets anyway? I digress…

The point is, at some point, you’re hooked on their story and if that resonates with you, they’re half way to signing you up.

So, their reason WHY, becomes YOUR reason WHY!

You buy the why, not the how and certainly not the what. It’s a backpack for crying out loud.

Back to About pages. If you run a business and especially if you’re in an established field, like real estate or gold mining, then I know as well as you do that the core of your business is the same as everyone else’s.

Hard truth right there.

Your business is, essentially, on an even keel, product- or service-wise, with your competitors' business.

I know you’re stressing now. Something in your brain is saying, “BUT I GOT INTO BUSINESS TO CHANGE ALL THAT!”

And you’d be absolutely right. But it’s still gold bars or suburban homes, right?

Look again at that question: “Why did you go into business?”

Forget money or income (that’s merely an outcome). Forget “being your own boss” – that’s a platitude. And everyone works to provide for their families – that’s universal.

What part of your life’s mission was served by going into business. Why are you doing it? What gets you excited about going to work in the morning?

I’m not going to answer that for you, because we all have different answers. It’s emotional.

It’s personal, and that’s the point. Our personal drives shape our lives. Your next customer very well might choose you because your reasons why resonate with hers or his.

How are they ever going to connect with you without knowing ABOUT you?

Hence the ABOUT page. It really is that important.

In many ways, my ABOUT page is all about YOURS – telling that side of you is hard, because translating the emotional side into words is hard. But doing that is one of the things I like to do. It’s why I’m here writing this…

Get in touch!

Why Sport; Not Science?

Given the huge and predictable excitement surrounding the sporting congregation in a certain South American country, it was an interesting time to listen to a panel of scientists, business leaders, and one comedian speak about the unfortunately low status of science in Australian society last night at the ACMD Research Week public debate.

Sport in Australia is, well, the national religion. And we're not just tunnel-visioned towards one code, such as Soccer, as many countries are. Oh no, here in the Land Down Under, sport of any kind is celebrated, and sporting success is the stuff of myth and legend. In some parts of the country we even race cane toads and place bets on the outcome. So it's hardly surprising that sport garners more attention on the pages of the news and in public life generally.

Science on the other hand, an area in which Australia excels and has been a world leader over the years, suffers from 3rd or 4th rate status. Strike that--it really doesn't have status. A lot of money and effort is put into scientific research here, but it is losing its market share. Why is that? Why aren't people interested in science? Why don't they follow scientific progress like they follow sport?

That last question is ridiculous, is the short answer. The two aren't the same thing. Not even remotely. Sport is a community event and a competition. It has a clearly defined goal, set rules, and a definite outcome. Science pretty much has none of these attributes. Goals, as close as they come to goals, that is, are simply tests of hypotheses. Rules? Not really! Science is remarkably fluid, changeable, and prone to revision. As for outcomes, well, as they say, you can only disprove a hypothesis, never prove one. In other words, even the victories are negative, in a sense.

But science does have fabulous stories and fantastic people, just like sport does. It has heroes and heroines, and it has long, trying and amazing journeys. Finding those people and telling those stories will be the key to raising science's status.

Ultimately, what really hooks people into something is the narrative. We just love a good story. So does the media. Science has all that, but it needs more storytellers. Raising science's status is genuinely important, because in this day and age, high profile equals dollars. Science needs more. Scientists and administrators everywhere need to realise that having a continuing conversation with the public is how other fields got so big in the public eye. So, science, remember--it's no good having a great story if you don't tell it.

If you are a scientist, or a manager of scientists, and you would like help with telling these stories, don't hesitate to drop us a line at articul8.com.au  -- an actual degree qualified and experienced scientist wrote this piece and he's ready to help you!