Personal Storytelling Makes a Difference

We talked earlier this year about the importance of including the patient perspective in corporate messaging.

In last week’s Comm Convo, our guest speakers reminded us, albeit from a different vantage point, why this is important.

They said the most effective way to get our stories across is at the human level.

And especially with audiences like government officials who have contrasting perspectives flying at them from every which way, it usually takes more than once.

What we also heard from our panelists was that, more broadly speaking, consistent and human-centric storytelling is the key.

Yes, this certainly includes working hand in hand with smart and credible patient advocacy organizations.

But it also means tapping into the personal stories that propel our industry forward.

For example, why is your leadership team focused on a particular disease area or modality? What’s the tie-in with their personal experiences or motivations?

Or, what experiences can your lab staff or manufacturing team draw on to provide the full picture to external audiences?

Or, what about the job creation or workforce development story in the local economy? Are there new and different kinds of jobs your company or client is creating that maybe didn’t exist 10 or 15 years ago?

Of course our industry has its challenges and there are bad actors just like every other sector out there, but as our guests said last week, there’s a LOT to be celebrated.

We should be proud of the work we’re doing and proud to tell our story.

It can make a difference,  from Wall Street all the way to Capitol Hill.

Why Include the Patient Perspective in Corporate Messaging?

For this week’s video, I’m going to riff on one of the excellent points that Jen Helfer shared in last week’s Comm Convo: Misconceptions around downsides of including patient perspective in corporate materials.

You’ve probably heard it before: This is an earnings press release. Or, this is a slide deck for an important business development meeting. Besides the photo of patients on the cover of our corporate deck, the patient voice isn’t appropriate for this setting.

Here are five counter-arguments that you can slip into your back pocket for the next time this comes up with your company or client:

Including the patient perspective …Humanizes the messaging. Let’s face it; investors aren’t the only ones who see your corporate deck nowadays.

Emphasizes the unmet need and provides validation for your value proposition.

Engenders confidence that the company understands the market.

Supports commercial projections by being able to say “We’re hearing that…”– there’s nothing like first-hand anecdotes to support hard numbers.

Inherently demonstrates strong relationships with the patient and care partner communities.

Remember, being in a position to truly reflect this perspective results from a patient-centric culture and operating model.

What are other benefits of incorporating the patient voice in corporate messaging?