I'm a big fan of "Lord of the Rings." I read Tolkien's work long before the film versions were conceived. Peter Jackson and his team did an outstanding job of adapting this epic fantasy for the screen.

I purchased the set of extended DVDs and Blu-ray discs several years ago. Sometime over the holidays my daughter and I are planning a day to watch the entire collection: "Fellowship of the Ring," "The Two Towers," and "Return of the King." About a 12-hour commitment.

My daughter is trying to get me to also do a marathon viewing of the "Star Wars" original trilogy: "A New Hope," "The Empire Strikes Back," and "Return of the Jedi." The problem is I'm not a big fan of the series (GASP!). I know, I'm not sure exactly why — I've tried to watch them, but I'm much less passionate and invested in these films as I am with "Lord of the Rings."

She can't accept that I can be so into "Lord of the Rings" yet have such little interest in the "Star Wars" saga. The argument is always the same. She says it doesn't make sense since both stories essentially follow the same story arc. It's true, but it's really true for most good stories if you think about it. There's a framework formula.

Basically, the main character, or hero, desires something that's difficult to come by. At the point where the hero is on the verge of throwing in the towel, a wise guide appears. The guide has been down this path before and knows the way. The guide provides a plan and calls the hero to take action. The hero comes to a near-fail point but ultimately succeeds and gets that thing they initially desired. And let's not forget that our story must always have a villain.

If you know anything about "Lord of the Rings" or "Star Wars," I don't have to tell you who represents the characters in this framework. It's the same structure used in countless stories: "Jerry Maguire," "Taken," "Moneyball," "The Karate Kid," "The Bourne Identity," "Tommy Boy," "Toy Story," and the list goes on and on.

Donald Miller, a business owner, public speaker, and author of the book "Building a Storybrand: Clarify Your Message so Customers Will Listen" uses this framework while harnessing the power of storytelling as a road map to sell your product.

This StoryBrand framework is structured around the seven most common components of a story: hero, villain, guide, plan, calls to action, failure, and success.

Let's break down this StoryBrand Framework in a little more detail.

Your Customer Is Always the Hero of Your Story

The first question you need to ask when creating your story is, who's the hero? Most people marketing a product would like to think they're the hero of the story. And that's a big mistake. The hero of your brand story isn't you — it's always the customer.

Focusing exclusively on the needs and wants of your customer is critical in creating your brand story. Donald Miller drives this point home by using an example of a luxury resort's marketing message.

The resort's website showcased great photos of the building, the front desk, and the restaurant, and it listed all of the services offered. It's almost as if they were selling the property. They included lengthy blocks of text about the resort's story. It was all focused on them rather than on how they could fulfill the needs of their customers. Consequently, they weren't realizing the success they were aiming for.

At some point, someone realized that the customer simply wanted relaxation and comfort. They completely overhauled their website to feature things like an inviting bath, massage sessions, tasteful towels, and robes.

All of the confusing text was slimmed down to a simple line that focused on relaxation and luxury. And guess how this story ends? The hero's desires are met. It's a success story.

Who Is the Villain in Your Brand Story?

People like to be understood and to know that somebody can understand their problem. Demonstrating that you understand the customer's internal problem will immediately engage them with whatever solution you might be offering.

Focusing on your customer's "villain" — their internal problem or inner frustrations — might be enough for them to decide to choose you over the competition. Always keep in mind that your customer is the hero. And all story heroes must have a villain to vanquish.

If you run a house painting business, for example, a customer might not choose you over your competitors simply because their house needs painting. But if you vilify some internal concern, like the embarrassment they might feel as the owner of the ugliest house on the block, you've not only exposed the villain, but you've made yourself the wise guide in your customer's mind.

For Frodo It Was Gandalf — for Luke It Was Yoda…

Did you ever notice that with most great stories there comes a point of despair and hopelessness for the hero? But just when the situation appears most bleak, along comes someone who provides wisdom, support, and encouragement. They put the hero back on the right path.

A guide can take any form — a football coach, music teacher, barkeeper, writing pro, or business leader. In your brand story, your company is the guide. You'll assume the role of that wise and supportive guide who helps the customer overcome their problem. And being an effective guide requires two attributes: empathy and authority.

Empathy demonstrates your understanding of the frustration your customer feels. It also helps to cultivate a trusting relationship between hero and guide. It's difficult to be taken seriously without this foundation.

Authority is crucial. This doesn't mean that you need to be bossy, overbearing, or condescending. This kind of authority is about competence and expertise in your area and the assurance you provide your customers. Testimonials from past satisfied clients are one powerful means to communicate these qualities.

The Plan

And now your customer trusts you as the guide, but it's still a risky proposition to commit to the purchase. We've all been there — standing at the bank of the river or edge of a chasm, we want to cross but there's no bridge. We can take a step of faith the way Indiana Jones did in "The Last Crusade."

Let's be realistic, though — most of us won't take that next step. We want to know that there's a solid bridge or stepping stones to cross the river.

So, as a guide, you'll want to place some big stones in the water. This way, your customers can hop across from stone to stone. And this is the making of your plan.

Donald Miller outlines two ways of doing this. You need to show your customers exactly what to do, or you need to make purchasing your product or service absolutely risk-free.

The process plan

Miller calls the first method the "process plan." This involves showing your customers exactly how your product will work and how they can use it. It's important to be crystal clear about the process.

I recently converted our wood-burning fireplace to a vented-gas type. This was a costly decision and I was a bit nervous about the whole transition. The guy who ended up doing the work was not only equipped with outstanding reviews, but he walked me step-by-step through his process.

He shared videos of what the final product would look like with the fake logs and flames. It even had realistic looking, glowing embers in the bottom. He showed me where he was going to connect the gas line from the basement, drill up into our firebox, and locate the shut-off and control valves. When he finished walking us through his plan, I knew for certain this was the company I was going to award the work to.

The agreement plan

The second method is called the "agreement plan." This plan is all about offering customers an agreement that eliminates any fear of the unknown when buying your product.

Finding reasonably priced parking in Downtown Chicago can be challenging, especially when you want both convenience and a good price. I found a parking app called SpotHero.

With this app, I can find the best parking options nearest to my destination. I can secure it days or weeks in advance. I know what I'm going to pay. The parking space is guaranteed, and I don't need to mess with cash as it's linked to my credit card. I just swipe a barcode on my mobile device to pay. The fear of the unknown is completely removed. I'm sold!

The Call to Action!

As trusted guides, we can't be timid with this one. If you consider that the average consumer will see thousands of advertisements per day, you really have to stand out from the pack. Calls to action can be executed in two ways: direct or transitional.

Direct

You know those big bold buttons that are placed in website ads and say things like "Register Now," "Purchase," or "Click Here?" Often times, they're in multiple places as you scroll through an advertisement. Your website should make use of them, too. They work and are proven to be very effective. This is a good way for customers to encounter multiple calls to action as they explore your product site.

Transitional

Often times, customers aren't quite ready to press that purchase button, but they might consider it later. The transitional call to action serves to maintain a friendly relationship with the prospective customer in the event that they decide to revisit their options later.

It's a means to ensure that the next time they think about this service or have a problem that your product could solve, they think of you and not the competition.

Offering something that's memorable and free is an excellent way to achieve this. A free webinar loaded with tips and directions is a good way to do this. Creating a PDF that customers can download and reference for valuable tips also works well.

These gestures can go far with prospective customers, and it's also a good opportunity to showcase your expertise. They'll be much more likely to transition back to you at some point down the road.

The End

We all like good stories with a happy ending. Nobody wants their own stories to end on an unhappy note. It's a good idea to reinforce in your customer the happy endings that your product will produce. It's also not a bad idea to remind them of the not so happy consequences they might experience by not buying your product.

And most importantly, make use of the key component of storytelling to make your marketing efforts pay out — character, problem, guide, plan, calls to action, failure, and success.

"If no mistake you have made, losing you are. A different game you should play." — Yoda, "Star Wars"

"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost" ― J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Fellowship of the Ring"

Reference: Building a Storybrand: Clarify Your Message so Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller