You are telling your story wrong

Author

Epaphra T
April 11, 2025

Hey Reader!

I had this embarrassing moment last week. I was giving a client presentation about storytelling frameworks when someone asked, "Have you looked at HubSpot's case studies? They're killing it."

I nodded confidently, but truth? I had no idea what made their stories so special.

So that night, I dove into 27 HubSpot customer success stories, analyzing everything from word choice to structure. What I discovered changed my entire approach to storytelling.

The HubSpot Secret: Problem-Solution-Impact

Most of us create stories that focus on features. HubSpot does something completely different - they build emotional investment through a clear problem-solution framework.

Every single one of their top-performing case studies follows this exact pattern:

  1. The Specific Pain: They never start with generic problems. Instead, they name exact metrics that hurt. "Mintent was spending 35+ hours weekly on content management with no clear ROI tracking."

  2. The Breaking Point: They highlight the moment when something had to change. "When their client base doubled but their team couldn't scale, they knew their manual process was holding them back."

  3. The Solution Journey: Rather than listing features, they show the implementation process. "First, they mapped their content workflow. Then they identified three friction points."

  4. The Concrete Results: They always use specific numbers. "97% reduction in manual tasks, 43% increase in conversion rates, and $287,000 in new revenue."

Why This Works When Other Frameworks Don't 

HubSpot's approach works because it creates a mini-transformation story in just four steps.

Most storytelling frameworks get too complicated. This one works because it follows how our brains naturally process information:

Problem = Tension

Solution = Relief

Impact = Reward

The secret isn't just the structure - it's how they make the reader experience the emotional journey from frustration to relief.

Real Example Breakdown: The Mojo Media Case Study

Let me show you exactly how HubSpot applied this in one of their most successful case studies:

Specific Pain: Mojo Media Labs was struggling with managing client campaigns across multiple platforms. They were spending 12+ hours weekly just gathering data from different sources.

Breaking Point: "When we lost a major client because we couldn't prove our ROI fast enough, we knew something had to change," said Mike Rose, CEO.

Solution Journey: They implemented HubSpot's Marketing Hub to centralize their reporting. The process took just three weeks, focusing first on email automation, then on contact management, and finally on reporting.

Concrete Results: Client retention increased by 38%, reporting time decreased by 82%, and they generated $1.2M in new business within six months.

What makes this so powerful? The story puts the client (not HubSpot) at the center, focusing on their journey rather than the product features.

How To Apply This Today Next time you're creating content about your service or product, try this simple framework:

  1. Identify the exact pain point your audience feels (use specific numbers when possible)

  2. Describe the breaking point that makes change necessary

  3. Show the solution journey step by step (not just the end result)

  4. Provide concrete, measurable impact (aim for at least 3 specific metrics)

Your Turn: The HubSpot Challenge

Take something you're working on right now and try restructuring it using this framework:

  1. What specific pain does your audience experience? (Be as precise as possible)

  2. What was the breaking point that made change necessary?

  3. What steps did they take toward the solution?

  4. What measurable results did they achieve?

Create a piece of content using this structure and send it my way by replying to this email. I'd love to see how this framework transforms your storytelling!

Remember: The most powerful stories don't just showcase solutions—they make the audience feel both the problem and the relief.

Talk soon,

Epaphra

P.S. I almost didn't share this because it seemed too simple. Then I remembered that the most effective frameworks usually are. Sometimes the best insights aren't complicated—they're just hiding in plain sight.