How to Structure your Value Story | 7-Step Template

A forceful sigh escapes me. On my computer screen is my video editing software. And I’m staring at a timeline that’s 4 hours and 35 minutes long.

Needless to say, my excitement for this project has long since waned. All I feel now is mounting anxiety.

That’s four hours and thirty five minutes of interview footage that I need to turn into a 4.5 minute video (give or take).

I have to step away and get my second cup of coffee when I realize: this will take me over half a day to do a single pass.

This situation isn’t unique. It’s just part of the process. Depending on how many interviews I captured, and how long they are, my 3-6 minute videos usually start as a batch of interview footage anywhere from 1 to 3+ hours long. That’s usable interview footage, that’s already chopped and color coded by topic.

A screen shot of the timeline. Each of those colored blocks off to the side represents an interview clip. And I’ve color coded them based on topic.

The audience will only ever see 1-2% of this content. Thank goodness. Before I even start, I know about half of it is junk, and a third of what remains is repetitive. But, there are some serious gold nuggets in this haystack.

But, where do you even start? Which information is important? What order does it go in? How do you make sense of it all and craft a story that connects with the audience?

Luckily for me, I’ve told this story hundreds of times. This is an overview of a program, or offer. It’s the kind of brand story you generally find in a promo video: the value story.

In the past, I’ve referred to the value story as the marketplace story. They’re the same thing. This story communicates the value your brand/offer adds to the marketplace.

While there’s a level of subtlety and nuance in crafting a meaningful and engaging story, I start with this basic structure in mind:

1. WHY would I need this?

2. WHAT is this offer, and WHO is it for?

3. HOW does it work?

4. WHAT does that practically look like?

5. WHAT benefit can I expect to receive?

6. WHY should I commit?

7. WHERE do I go next?

In a way, this format follows the upside down pyramid of journalism. You front load the most necessary, immediate, and important details, and then provide further explanation as the story continues.

It’s worth digging into each question to understand what each section is doing and why it’s necessary.

1. Why would I need this?

This is your hook. The goal is to build intrigue. You’re saying to the audience “Hey, this is for you. Keep them watching.” To do that, you’re either doing one of two things: communicate the need (the problem they face), OR give them the promise (transformation they want).

2. What is this offer and who is it for?

This section is pretty self explanatory. You’re stating the value proposition:

”Our offer helps this person solve that problem in order to experience this transformation.”

And you follow that up with a brief, high level introduction to the offer.

3. How does it work?

This is what I call the “brass-tacks” overview of your offer. Now that the audience knows what the thing is, you pop open the hood and show them the nuts and bolts. If it’s a service, you explain the details of the process. If it’s a product, you list out the notable features.

4. What does it practically look like?

This is where you give those nuts and bolts context. The audience knows what’s going on, or what the thing does, but, what does it feel like? What’s the user experience? Take time to make sense of the details by fleshing out what they mean and look like.

5. What benefit can I expect to receive?

You naturally flow into this section. As you begin to speak about the experience, you flow immediately to the benefits, the results, the improvements your user will achieve.

6. Why should I commit?

Now that you’ve mentioned the results, it’s time to drive it home with an inspiring sendoff. So in this section we circle back and restate the promise by painting a picture of their desired transformation.

If you’re wondering, “What’s the difference between this question and question #1?” Exactly.

They’re pretty much the same question. I often find that the quotes that work really well at the beginning could work equally well at the end, and vice-versa. They’re both communicating the promise. However, a good opener will communicate desire, while a great closing line solidifies the promise as a certainty.

7. Where do I go next?

Again, pretty self-explanatory. This is your call to action. What is the next step the viewer needs to take? And clearly direct them to that next step.

Now, as I mentioned, these are the general buckets I sort my clips into. There’s nuance in selecting the right clips and knowing how to transition between the sections, but this is a bullet proof first step to organizing the chaos and building a strong story that will properly communicate your value.

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