Five questions for Andrea Lechner-Becker​

#1 Key ingredients of good story telling?​

This is such a hard question. There are literally BOOKS on this subject from people who’ve thought longer and harder about this than me. So, my advice to go read them. I love anything by the Heath brothers. On this topic, “Made to Stick” is awesome: and then more tactically, my favorite, practical, short read is “Unleash the Power of Storytelling”

For me, a good story is something you’ll know when you hear, see or read it. We all know what a good story IS, but crafting one is an effort that most-times requires intentionality that these books will help folks get to.

#2 How important is creative when telling a story?​

It depends. Sometimes not at all. If you think about the Zoom meetings you’ve been subjected to during the Pandemic, you can probably think of many where creatives (most often in the form of slides) bore you to death. To some extent, if someone just looks directly into the camera and TELLS a great story, that pattern interrupt is powerful. Likewise, talking about a client story with a visual of a sweaty handprint left on a desk while explaining the anxiety your client felt looking for a solution to their pain is ALSO powerful. So, it depends.

#3 Current state of creative in B2B from your POV?​

Mostly terrible with some shining lights.

#4 The thing that you love the most about your job as a CMO?​

Solutioning to make the customer journey better. I care deeply about our customers (mostly because they’re fellow marketers) and I want to seriously shock them by the amazing experience they have with us. I love getting to impact that.

#5 You’re also a novelist, how do you get inspired?​

Man, everything inspires me. I ask questions about EVERY. THING. I’m interested in everything. I love learning and listening and experiencing life through different lenses.

Bonus question: Favorite superhero and why?​

I like good guys, but I’ve always loved the saying, “Every villain is a hero of his or her own story” … As a writer, it’s one of my favorite mental exercises to consider why my antagonist feels justified to be a jerk. In that vein, I love Sylar from that TV show Heroes. He kills other superheros and steals their powers. I just dig that premise in general – stealing superpowers and collecting them to make yourself into this all-powerful creation. I suppose I also like the idea of the actionable nature of that … don’t just wait around to be blessed with powers, go get ’em.