58Twelve

What’s your story?

We all love a good story: something with which we can engage, something that draws us in and resonates with us on some level, conscious or unconscious, right? But what makes a story good? What is it that draws us in, hooks us, makes us keep reading, keep watching or keep listening? Is it the plot? Is it the romance, the drama, the twists and turns?

No. The plot, the romance, the thrills and the twists and turns are the fluff around the edges, the icing on the cake; the thing that keeps us engaged is character – maybe just one character, or maybe several. At the heart of every good story is a character with whom we can connect. Sometimes we connect through empathy, sometimes through disgust, and sometimes we can’t explain why we connected, we just did.

I guarantee that for every story you have ever thought to be good, if I asked you why you would talk about characters in that story. Take movies – we buy because the pitch (the trailer, the blurb, the write-ups) persuades us it’s worth a look. Whether we watch to the end depends on what we find inside. The best car chases, the most spectacular effects, the steamiest romances will only hold our interest so far. We may stay sat down to the end if for no other reason than we bought the ticket so we’ll damn well get our money’s worth, but we’ll only be engaged to the end if we connected with a character in the story.

And the same is true in business: at the heart of every great business is a great story; and while the story may be one of triumph over adversity, or the journey from rags to riches, or of struggle and breakthrough, at it’s heart will be a character with whom we connect. Potential investors will look through the numbers, they’ll assess the product, they’ll review the market; but even if every box is ticked the answer is still in the balance. The same is true of potential clients: the slickest pitch, the most elegant of solutions will not guarantee you the business. Ticking boxes simply gets you through the door.

Featured Project

Incorporation for local Partnership

A South Shropshire partnership had enjoyed fifteen years of successful trading in rehabilitation and recovery, building a reputation as the UK’s premier provider of those services. However, throughout those fifteen successful years it had consistently struggled to access external grant-based finance to support its projects.

At 58Twelve we have built a broad base of experience, and we are passionate about sharing it with others. We are also active networkers of like-minded world-changers, and it has been a privilege to learn from our friends and connections, and to share that learning with others.

Visit the articles archive, where you will find challenging and informative pieces on vision, strategy, communication, leadership and productivity.

Improve the web with Nofollow Reciprocity.

Why Work with 58Twelve?

People who understand, believe in, and invest themselves in the vision of their organisationwill achieve way beyond those who consider themselves to be on a hamster-wheel, working to pay bills while other people profit from their efforts. Where people engage with the organisation's vision, they share its successes and its failures, and they strive to see that vision achieved.

Our approach to your business begins with an understanding of your vision - the heartbeat of the organisation. From there we work with you to help you achieve your dreams, developing strategies and tools that will build an unstoppable momentum that will propel your business towards its goals. We don't focus on profit as a motivator, we focus on it as an outcome.