StoryVesting is a business transformation framework that equips businesses with the ability to align employee and customer experiences for maximum growth. By leveraging this framework, organizations can operate more intelligently, efficiently and poised for maximum growth no matter the macroeconomic backdrop.
StoryVesting is grounded in the idea that companies can push well beyond mediocre experiences to memorable customer interactions. This more enhanced approach to business operations requires a data-driven approach to making more refined decisions and solving problems more effectively.
The framework infuses two concentric circles — employee experience and customer experience. The blend of each layer, and the impact one has on the others when touched, is unlike any other framework out there. The constant movement between the various aspects of the business operations and customer experience best represents how organizations and people move through this world.
We ebb. We flow. By honoring those energy transfers, organizations can leave far bigger impacts on the people they touch — both employees and customers. It’s that impact that will drive faster and more sustainable growth through deeper cognitive associations, more intelligent operations, and greater organizational alignment with the market.
When wielded correctly, each layer of these circles will move closer together to create a massive competitive differentiator for the organization that leverages the framework. By focusing on aligning the organizations why, internal operations and deliverables with the customer’s emotional and logical needs, companies can cut through the noise and create a more ingrained experience for the end customer and the employees alike.
StoryVesting was developed by RocketSource’s co-founder, Buckley Barlow, after years of research regarding success. What started out as a personal quest to understand the qualities of a successful person or individual turned into a deeper understanding of organizational growth and business transformation.
In his research, he discovered that the biggest determinant of success is having a solid business idea or vision, followed closely by having a business model that aligned with that vision and people who are vested in that vision.
After years of research and thousands of interviews, Barlow started to visualize how his findings could mold together into a framework that could be leveraged to scale organizations at mass.
The first attempts at this visualization were too linear. Because people are at the heart of organizational success, and people do not think linearly, he knew he had to go deeper.
After studying the important psychological principles behind personal and organizational success, he shifted his focus towards aligning both experiences. In doing so, he determined the importance of cultivating loyalty through each unfolding story — the business’s story and the customer’s story.
Today, StoryVesting consists of two concentric circles with layers that ripple across each area. This modern experience framework showcases the human decision-making process that drives business transformation strategy.
Each component of the business experience side of the StoryVesting framework blends together to create a harmonious experience from top to bottom.
At the core of everything created through the organization is the why. This core value must be infused in every circle that ripples outward from there, from the business model chosen, the 3 P’s, — people, processes and platforms.
— the products and services offered, the channels used to market your offerings, and the end experience that the employees and customer feel as your business comes to life.
One change in any of these elements will send ripples upward and downward through these concentric circles. Viewing them together in alignment this way allows everything to remain balanced and stable in your organization.
The customer’s experience is the sum of their emotional and logical needs. Hitting on each of these needs is critical as your customer moves through their purchase decision with your business.
Research deems that ever purchase decision starts with some sort of an emotional trigger. That emotional trigger sets the customer on a trajectory to find logical answers regarding their desire for a specific product or service.
If the customer determines that an organization’s offer checks enough boxes, they will ultimately make a purchase. When they do, they reconcile both the emotional and logical triggers into one end experience.
Understanding how the customer processes purchase decisions can help you better position and sell your offerings, leading to a better experience and higher retention rates long-term.
The growth of an organization is shaped by the way each of these two circles comes together.
When the Business Experience drifts apart from the Customer Experience, you’re in no man’s land. There’s no connection between the organization and the customer’s needs, which makes it nearly impossible for the organization to stay relevant.
However, as the two circles come closer together, you move towards Brand Euphoria. This state occurs when the why of the organization aligns with the why of the customer’s internal beliefs. They become immersed in your company’s culture and core values, which builds a type of loyalty that only a few organizations have achieved.
No organization can grow on guesswork alone. Although intuition can get you far in life and business, it doesn’t build the type of longevity needed to sustain a brand through all stages of the S Curve of Growth.
When creating more interconnected and aligned experiences, organizations must take a data-driven approach. This requires digging deep into nuanced areas and finding where there are gaps and opportunities to bring the two experiences closer together.