Chapter 2

When a prospect hands over their hard-earned money, they are buying one thing and one thing only: TRANSFORMATION.

In this exercise, you’ll learn how to pinpoint the value you bring to the market by understanding the transformation your product or service offers.

Download your own Before and After Grid PDF here.

Before And After In Action

Remember, the insight you’ll uncover during the Before and After Grid exercise should inform your marketing communications including sales copy, email, ad copy and even blog posts.

In this video, you’ll see how a hilarious viral video that, on the surface, seems to be nothing more than a clever Saturday Night Live commercial is employing the Before and After Grid in every frame. 

Notice how this company leverages on the Before and After state and positions the product effectively.

The mum starts by defining the segment – ‘I have 3 kids and I work from home’. She goes on to describe an imaginary after, only to come back to reality of chaos, lack of sleep, and exhaustion. 

But she is also worried that her kids are growing up too quickly. Motherhood goes by too fast. This notion that time is passing you by. That life is happening and you are missing it. 

But she is also exhausted – so we tap into the emotional state. She probably feels guilty that she is missing things and it’s like this battle between Good vs Evil. The clock is this evil, that keeps ticking and she is missing some of those moments with her kids. She has no time to keep them alive, let alone to make….photobooks. 

40 seconds in, before there is even a hint of a product, because the photobook company have recognised that the emphasis needs to be on the who and the before state. So, it’s not about the product, the product is the vehicle to get you from this Before to the After state.

So then the video demonstrates how the photobook industry are not solving the problem, in fact they work against you as they add even more time to your already busy and hectic day. 

But how Chatbooks can be that vehicle that we are look for. 

Let us know your thoughts on this video in the Facebook group.

Complete Your Before And After Canvas

It’s your turn, don’t move beyond this step of this Execution Plan until you’ve taken a stab at your Before and After Grid. The insight you gain from this exercise will inform the later steps of this course.

That said, don’t get stuck here. You can always come back and refine your Before and After Grid. Spend an hour or two alone or with other stakeholders in your company and get some things down on paper.