I was recently tasked with writing a brief business profile for an audiology practice — an office that provides comprehensive hearing exams, hearing aids, etc. The item was going to be included in a marketing publication of small businesses in the area.
I write many of these kinds of pieces — where a new business wants to introduce itself, or an existing business wants to downplay one aspect of its its services, or play up another.
Sometimes — and I know I do this with my own company — I think we get accustomed to reciting all the specifics of what we do and what services we offer, almost mindlessly. (We have $18.99 twin lobsters on special; we offer a $50 gift card when you refer a neighbor; we can help you with financing your purchase.) But there is still a story there. Sometimes it’s tough to uncover. It can be hiding under marketingspeak.
In this particular case, we’d gone over all the aspects of the business. I learned that one of the owners had a hearing issue since early childhood. Though that certainly brings a human side to the advertorial, that fact was also stated on the company’s website. The other owner told me she found that her work — helping people hear better — rewarding. “How so?” I asked.
“Well,” she said, “we had a client in here who said to me, ‘I’ve had my cat for eight years. I can finally hear her purr.'” That’s the story. That’s the shine.