The SB7 Framework
Seven story elements that clarify your brand message so customers listen
The SB7 Framework is a seven-part storytelling structure that positions the customer as the hero of a story and the brand as the guide. It is built on the insight that human brains are wired for story, and that the same narrative structures that have captivated audiences for thousands of years can be used to create compelling brand messages. The framework argues that most marketing fails because it is either irrelevant to the customer's survival needs or too confusing to process.
The seven elements are: (1) A Character (the customer) who has (2) A Problem and meets (3) A Guide (your brand) who gives them (4) A Plan and (5) Calls Them to Action, which helps them avoid (6) Failure and ends in (7) Success. Each element maps to a proven story archetype. When all seven are present and clear, the brand message resonates at a primal level because it mirrors the narrative structure humans use to make sense of life.
The framework is captured on a single page called the StoryBrand BrandScript. Businesses create a BrandScript for their overall brand, then for each division and product. All marketing collateral, from websites to email campaigns to elevator pitches, is then filtered through the BrandScript to ensure consistency and clarity. The mantra is simple: if you confuse, you lose.
- The customer is the hero of the story, not your brand.
- If you confuse, you lose: clarity always beats cleverness in marketing.
- The human brain is drawn toward clarity and away from confusion because processing noise burns survival calories.
- People don't buy the best products; they buy the products they can understand the fastest.
- Story is the most powerful tool to organize information so people are compelled to listen.
- Define the Character (Customer)Identify one clear desire your customer has that relates to their survival and thriving. This opens a story gap that compels the customer to pay attention. Keep it to a single focus, not a list of twenty-seven things.Pro tipAsk: if your customer is a hitchhiker, can they immediately tell where you're taking them? Frame the desire in survival terms: saving money, saving time, building social networks, gaining status, accumulating resources, finding meaning.WarningDo not define a vague or bloated desire. 'Exhale success' means nothing. 'Become everyone's favorite leader' connects to survival.
- Define the Problem (Villain + Three Levels)Identify a villain (root source of conflict), then articulate the external problem (tangible issue), internal problem (how it makes them feel), and philosophical problem (why it's unjust). Companies sell solutions to external problems, but customers buy solutions to internal problems.Pro tipThe villain should be singular, relatable, real, and a root source. Frustration is not a villain; high taxes are. Frame the philosophical problem with 'ought' and 'shouldn't' language.WarningDo not list multiple villains or seven external problems. Stories are best when simple and clear. Choose one of each.
- Position Yourself as the GuideDemonstrate two qualities: empathy (you understand the customer's pain) and authority (you have competence to help). Empathy builds trust; authority builds respect. Together they answer two subconscious questions: Can I trust this person? Can I respect this person?Pro tipShow authority through testimonials (three is a great number), statistics, awards, and client logos. Express empathy through statements like 'We understand how it feels to...' without overdoing it.WarningNever position your brand as the hero. Brands that play the hero compete with their customers and are ignored. The guide has authority but the story is never about the guide.
- Give Them a PlanCreate a process plan (3-6 steps to buy or use your product) and/or an agreement plan (list of commitments that alleviate fears). Plans reduce the perceived risk of purchasing and provide a clear path forward. Name your plan to increase perceived value.Pro tipEven if the steps seem obvious, spell them out. Placing stones in the creek makes customers far more likely to cross it. Combine pre-purchase and post-purchase steps if helpful.WarningMore than six steps may add to confusion rather than reduce it. Simplify phases if necessary.
- Call Them to ActionCreate both a direct call to action (Buy Now, Schedule an Appointment) and a transitional call to action (download a PDF, watch a webinar). The direct CTA should be repeated prominently throughout your marketing. The transitional CTA deepens the relationship for those not yet ready to buy.Pro tipThink of direct CTAs as a marriage proposal and transitional CTAs as asking for another date. Alternate: Will you marry me? No. Will you go out again? Yes. Repeat until they say yes to the proposal.WarningAlmost no one oversells. Most brands whisper their CTA when they should be bold. Passive calls to action communicate a lack of belief in your own product.
- Show Them What Failure Looks LikeDefine what the customer stands to lose if they do not buy your product. People are loss-averse, two to three times more motivated to avoid loss than to achieve gain. Include a moderate amount of failure stakes in your messaging.Pro tipFear is like salt in a recipe: too much ruins the flavor, too little makes it bland. Use a four-step fear appeal: establish vulnerability, urge action, offer a specific solution, challenge them to act.WarningDo not be a fearmonger. High levels of fear cause people to shut down. The goal is moderate, honest stakes that answer 'so what?'
- Paint a Picture of SuccessShow customers what their life will look like after they engage your product. Be specific, not vague. The three dominant story endings map to three psychological desires: winning power/position (status), union that makes the hero whole (completeness), and ultimate self-realization (reaching potential).Pro tipUse images of happy, satisfied people on your website. Show the 'after' state. Use a Before and After grid to map how your customer's life changes across feelings, daily routine, and status.WarningNever assume customers understand how your brand can change their lives. You must tell them explicitly and repeatedly.
Kyle Shultz, a fireman in Ohio, launched an online photography course for parents. His first launch sold $25,000 using complex, jargon-heavy copy. After discovering StoryBrand, he rewrote his sales page using the SB7 Framework, removing 90% of text and replacing insider terms like 'f-stop' with simple phrases like 'Take those great pictures where the background is blurry.' He reframed the course around helping parents build stronger family connections.
A StoryBrand workshop attendee ran a diverse industrial painting company with three revenue streams. His website featured a fine-arts painting of his building, a thousand links, FAQs, company history, and supported nonprofits. Customers could not figure out what he did within five seconds.
Reed's Dairy used StoryBrand principles to rewrite their annual milk coupon email campaign. Previously, their best email result was $3,000 in one day. After applying the SB7 Framework to the email copy, focusing on customer problems and desires rather than company information, they relaunched the same campaign.
Donald Miller developed the SB7 Framework after spending years as a bestselling author and screenwriter, studying how stories captivate audiences. He distilled hundreds of movies, novels, and plays down to seven universal plot points. When he applied these storytelling principles to his own small company's marketing, revenue doubled for four consecutive years. He then validated the framework with neuroscientist Mike McHargue (Science Mike), who confirmed that story acts as a sense-making mechanism in the brain, reducing the cognitive calories required to process information. The brain's overriding function is to help a person survive and thrive, and story organizes information along this survival pathway.
Miller formalized the approach into StoryBrand and began teaching it to businesses. Within a few years, more than three thousand companies per year were using the framework, with clients regularly doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling revenue simply by clarifying their message.