How can you leverage storytelling techniques to make complex product features relatable to customers?

One thing I swear by is the good old “So what?” test—a tip I picked up from the one and only Harry Dry. 🙌 It’s simple but powerful. Let’s say your product can "ship content to 20 different channels." So what? Why does that matter? Asking “So what?” forces you to think like your persona and dig deeper until you hit the real value. By asking this question, you get out of your own head and start seeing things from the user’s perspective. It helps me strip away the fluff and get down to the core of what really matters to them.

"Complex product features" could mean that your interface isn't designed well for the current user. In that case, go to the market to find out why it's failing. Help design & engineering create a better user experience. It could also mean that the feature does complex analysis, but the value is hard to understand. In that case, ask yourself what problem the feature is solving? Find users who've experienced those problems or solved them using your feature. Understand and practice their stories, so you can tell them in a compelling way whether you have 30 seconds or 5 minutes. Use the stories of other users' struggles and successes to help the rest of your target users understand why this feature, while complex, is valuable.

One of the case studies which acts as the best testament for the success of Humanizing data is from Oct'2001 - Steve Jobs introducing iPod to the world. In 2001, the cultural, technological context and the awareness levels of features in the prospects' mind like (Storage, ram, etc) wasn't as sharp as they are today. Hence the team at Apple had to simplify their messaging and tailor it to how it'll be represented / perceived. Instead of 2gb of storage, Steve said 1000 songs in your pocket! No doubt that Steve Jobs was a charismatic leader with an impeccable stage presence, but the product marketers at Apple did a wonderful job too. Knowing what language your audience speaks is imperative to connect and gain trust.

To make complex product features relatable to customers, I leverage storytelling techniques by crafting narratives that highlight real-life scenarios and customer success stories. I focus on illustrating how these features solve specific problems or enhance everyday experiences, using relatable characters and situations. By presenting the features in the context of a compelling story, I make them more accessible and engaging, helping customers easily understand their value and relevance. This approach not only simplifies complex concepts but also emotionally connects customers with the product.

In my experience, simplifying concepts is the key to making complex product features relatable. I once worked on a product with advanced features that left customers puzzled. By breaking down these features into simple, everyday analogies, it was like turning on a light bulb for them. Think of it as explaining a complicated recipe in just a few steps—suddenly, it all makes sense. Simplification turns confusion into clarity, making the product more accessible and appealing to customers.

To make complex concepts more accessible, use analogies and metaphors that relate to familiar experiences. For instance, if your product involves an advanced algorithm, liken it to a skilled chef who blends ingredients to craft a perfect dish. This analogy demystifies the algorithm, presenting its sophistication in a relatable way and avoiding overwhelming your audience with technical jargon.

One of the most common patterns that I have had the chance to inculcate in my basic of approaches is to think, simplify and speak with first principles. It allows one to explain it to someone who doesn't carry the same context. The best of leaders speak with fundamental clarity vs the people who pretend to know-it-all, often hide behind jargons. My knowledge acquisition mainly came from attending conferences & exhibitions where the top-most leaders from the global orgs. represented their companies' values & culture at public stages. After religiously observing and working for 6+ years as a marketing generalist, and exposing myself to multiple industries, allows me to collect various 'dots' from all across, it truly gives me the edge!

The art of simplification never fails. Often, we think using complicated terms or jargon will make us sound more intelligent or efficient, but it usually leaves the user confused. For example, when I was working on Sponsored Ads for restaurant owners, I knew from research the sentiments they had about ads. My job as a PMM was to build their confidence in creating ads successfully through the self-serve portal. I found that balancing the amount of information was crucial—too much led to drop-off. It was important to provide just enough information without overwhelming them and to offer handy resources for further exploration if needed. I'd use terms my audience would use to clearly define the benefits of my product.

I like to think of it like making a movie. Before writing the script, we need to first consider the positioning (the genre) and the messaging (the synopsis). Once the framework is set, we can focus on crafting the key elements and bringing the story to life: (1) The Hero: Your customer, the central figure. (2) The Vision: The utopia or ideal state they seek. (3) The Obstacle/Villain: The challenges they face. (4) The Ally and the Journey: Your product as the solution that helps them overcome these obstacles. Finally, with these elements in place, it’s time to nail the script to complete the narrative!

Being perfectly comfortable at the intersection of product, brand, content and growth allows me to understand their perspectives, hence bring a generalist yet a specialists' perspective to leverage and sew everything up for best ROI in time. Visualizing brand story, user journey's, customer journey mapping, etc, allows the marketing team to be as closest as they can to the customers. One of the reason to why teams fail overall is for them to not be able to connect with their customers, or over-use of assumption that they understand them. Characters solve that! ICPs allow one to understand their pain points, desired outcomes, challenges, etc. to tailor their features into benefits in the languages that their prospects speak.

It is crucial to create a narrative around the value that the product provides via its features. Talk about impact, positive changes that the product might bring about. This will depend on and vary with the collateral or medium you are using to talk about your product. So, get creative with your language, illustrations, demos, and analogies to drive your point home. Customer success stories can help bring out the benefits well, and if you're launching a new product, you can cite some examples from early adopters or beta users.

Customers always want to know what a product can do for them and how it can make their lives better- and that's where emotions come into play in business storytelling. Instead of focusing on the state-of-the-art features, highlight how that feature benefits them. For instance, Apple uses a simple advertisement to show how it protects user data from prying eyes; the brand does not go on to explain the technology used in achieving that. When Emotions like happiness, nostalgia, fear, anger. aspiration are weave into the business story, the impact in the mind of the audience is long-lasting and leads to a loyal customer base

When explaining complex features, turning them into a relatable customer journey makes all the difference. Instead of just listing what each feature does, craft a narrative that walks your audience through a real-life scenario where your product solves their challenges step by step. For example, if you’re marketing a project management tool, paint a picture of how it guided a team from initial planning to a successful project delivery on time and under budget. By framing the story as a shared experience, you help customers visualize their own success using your product, making it both relatable and memorable.