174 storyteLLIng desIgn 174 Making Business Models Tangible? The goal of telling a story is to introduce a new business model in an engaging, tangible way. Keep the story simple and use only one protagonist. Depending on the audience, you can use a different protagonist with a different perspective. Here are two possible starting points. Employee Observer Explain the business model in the form of a story told from an employee’s perspective. Use the employee as the protagonist who demonstrates why the new model makes sense. This may be because the employee frequently observes customer problems that the new business model solves. Or it may be that the new model makes better or different use of resources, activities, or partnerships com- pared to the old model (e.g. cost reduction, productivity improvement, new revenue sources, etc.). In such a story, the employee embodies the inner workings of an organiza- tion and its business model and shows the reasons for transitioning to a new model. Customer Jobs The customer perspective provides a powerful starting point for a story. Cast a customer as the protagonist and tell the tale from her point of view. Show the challenges she faces and which jobs she must get done. Then outline how your organization creates value for her. The story can describe what she receives, how it fi ts into her life, and what she is willing to pay for. Add some drama and emotion to the story, and describe how your organization is making her life easier. Ideally, weave in how your organization gets these jobs done for the customer, with which resources and through which activities. The biggest challenge with stories told from a customer perspective is keeping them authentic and avoiding a facile or patronizing tone. customer perspective company perspective bmgen_final.indd 174 6/15/10 5:43 PM