No, I am not talking about golf, although golf can be very good for your business.

What is the PAR Formula?  It is the case method taught at many business schools and universities.   It’s a way to tell a story about your business that embeds itself in the audience’s memory.  The beauty of a story is that it has a beginning, middle and end.  Therefore, making it memorable and repeatable.

Here are the three steps of the PAR Formula:

1. P is for Problem – Identify the problem your target audience wants solve.  It must be something they want as well as something that you have been instrumental in solving for yourself or someone else.  Describe the problem in specific details.   The more visual and emotional you make this, the stronger your audience will identify with the problem.  Remember your words are painting a visual as well as creating a visceral feeling for your target audience.
2. A is for Action – Describe the specific action that was taken by someone with the problem.  The specific action they took – they being your student, customer, client, friend, yourself – is the action you advise them to take.
3. R is for Results - Demonstrate the results achieved by taking those actions.

Now that you understand what the PAR Formula is, consider ways to use it in your:

• Advertising – remember “Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz. Oh, what a relief it is?”
• Product testimonials – PAR Formula testimonials are more impactful than saying how much you like something.
• Sales letters- review any online sales letter and you will see the formula in action.
• Presentations – stories hold audience’s attention.
• Media interviews – use to deliver your message points in an interesting and memorable way.
• Job interviews – demonstrates how you think and work without saying how good you are.
• New business pitches – prove your claims with stories that demonstrate the results you deliver.
• Your 30-second infomercial introduction – use at your next networking function.
• Articles – one of the easiest ways to structure articles to showcase your business and expertise.
• Trainings – people learn quicker through PAR Formula stories than most any other format.

These are just a few of the many ways to use the PAR Formula to accelerate the growth of your business – online and offline.

If you have used the PAR Formula, share your experience in a comment.

Amelia Brazell, Strategy Source, Inc.