Share Your Process

Customers want to see the magic: Your ‘behind the scenes’ work is as important as your finished product.

Please Note: This is a preview slidedeck that I’m still working on as I build out my component slidedecks. As such, it’s a work in progress, but it still contains information that I hope others will find useful.

Magicians and Muggles

Whatever you do – be it physical or digital – you have a special kind of magic. Sharing your magic with your customers (muggles) is an essential part of your product storytelling. It helps to paint a picture of the product you’re selling.

Let your customers look behind the scenes…

In a world saturated with mass market products, often created in conditions that aren’t ethical, customers are crying out for authentic stories. There is a hunger for brands with stories and a deeply held conviction.

Share your products’ backstory…

Customers are hungry for meaning, provenance and backstory.
They’re eager to look behind the curtain and see process.
They want to see the story behind your products.

The Often-Hidden Details Matter

Tell your customers:
- who made the product;
- how it’s made;
- what it’s manufactured from; and
- why it was made.

In an era of cheaply manufactured goods, customers are eager to know the provenance of your product.

Case Study: Blok Knives

The emergence of businesses like Blok Knives, which are focused on provenance, process and product storytelling, can be seen as a reaction to the commoditised world of the late twentieth century.

—‘Start! Stop Procrastinating and Pursue Your Passion’

Blok Knives share their behind the scenes story, showing how their exquisite knives are made.

Video paints a picture…

This video isn’t solely focused on the knives, it’s focused on the story and the people behind the knives.

I’m currently seeking permission to share this video. Watch this space.

Blok Knives’ Hybrid Woods

Blok Knives encourage customers to look behind the scenes, sharing the process of making their ‘hybrid woods’.

This page shares the secrets of the process by which, “pieces are placed in moulds and surrounded by dyed resins.”

The result: “Half wood, half resin.”

All the wood we use is stabilised. This is a process in which wood is soaked in resin, vacuumed, pressurised then baked. It’s a way of impregnating the wood to thoroughly harden it, meaning it’s much better for kitchen environments.

—Blok Knives

This is the kind of process imagery that most don’t share, thinking it’s ‘messy’ and ‘unnecessary’. (That’s a mistake.)

Investing in professional photography pays off many times over.

The finished knife with a hybrid wood handle.

Social Storytelling

The story continues on Instagram: “We’re a ruddy social bunch.”

Social platforms, like Instagram, offer the opportunity to share work in progress.

Instagram – and other forms of social media – offer an opportunity to share stories around your process.

When you’re selling knives for £370 (an investment), storytelling is critical.

£370

You might think £370 is expensive, but these knives are designed to last a lifetime.

Place an order (and wait four months) or take your chances in the Friday Knife Sale.

The waiting list time for a bespoke knife is 4 months, largely due to captivating product storytelling.

Blok have produced something I’ve wanted for several years… our own British knife, made in Britain, by a British craftsman.

—Sat Bains, Restaurant Sat Bains

Sat Bains has two Michelin Stars. (Testimonials like this are like pure gold.)

The details matter…

Forced Patina Finish
Mosaic Pins
Stabilised Wooden Handle
5” Handle

This language is critical: “A 9.5” D2 tool steel blade; 3.2mm flat ground stock, tapering to the tip.”

Share your behind the scenes…

Hybrid Wood
Angle Grinders and Sparks
Forced Patina Finish

Stories Are Memorable

And it’s the memorable stories that are often the most shared via word of mouth.

The story you tell shapes how your customers perceive your product. Put some thought into it and the return on investment can be considerable.

Other helpful resources…

I co-wrote these two books for Five Simple Steps on the topic of words as a critical design component. You might find them useful.

Get both books for the price of one with discount code ‘onefree’, for less than the price of a coffee.

If you found this deck useful, follow me on Twitter: @fehler. I’m in the process of breaking down 15+ years of workshop content into small, easily consumable components. I’ll be tweeting as I’ve finished and shared these components. Cheers!

@fehler