The Scenario
Surface the market forces reshaping your audience's reality
"here we go yo, so what's the scenario?" - A Tribe Called Quest
Healthy markets are never static. Compelling events continuously reshape the surrounding environment, and in turn, the decisions your audience makes. Your job is to stay acutely aware of these forces and strongly position yourself, ideally before others jump all over it.
But great messaging doesn't start with you or your position. It starts with the market forces your audience is already experiencing. Come with a strong POV to earn the right to a meaningful conversation. Otherwise, you're yet another vendor with the same old pitch.
The scenario message is your opening move. Nail the strategic context, and everything that follows hits harder.
MENTAL MODEL
right in the feels
If you're not experiencing the force yourself or hearing it unprompted in conversations, you're probably chasing someone else's trend instead of observing a real shift.
follow the money
Compelling events only matter when they show up in planning cycles, budget conversations, or new mandates. Otherwise it's just commentary.
call and response
When heads nod before you're done talking and they start adding their own examples, you've got it.
MESSAGING TIPS
lead with the shift, not the solution
Start with a clear, observable force your audience would recognize in a single sentence. This line should work across your boilerplate, pitch, and copy.
state what's felt
Describe the implication your audience experiences. You're not jumping to consequences yet, you're earning the right to a more open conversation.
contrast old and new
Make the scenario tangible by showing the transition. Simple 'old way -> new way' framing clarifies context and sets up the inflection.
TROPES TO AVOID
X is broken
Lazy, overused, and usually wrong. It alienates your audience by implying they've failed to keep up. You're setting context, not assigning blame.
don't believe the hype
Over rotating on the latest hype train signals zero understanding of the forces your audience actually feels.
inventing urgency
Invented pressure tells your audience you don't understand their environment. Worse, it trains them to tune you out.
OPERATING MODEL
stay current
The scenario loses power when it goes stale. Keep a steady stream of inputs – discovery conversations, analyst research, community commentary, competitive moves. The market will tell you when the forces are shifting.
pressure test constantly
Is the scenario still felt, shared, and actionable? If it's not changing behaviors or priorities, it's no longer the right trigger for your narrative.
lead with your POV in public
Stake your claim on the scenario before competitors do. Blog posts, podcasts, social, wherever your audience pays attention. The message you put out there frames the position you own.
All Revenue Design Method Pillars
Design a Narrative
The Scenario
surface the forces reshaping your audience's reality
Design a Narrative
The Inflection
Reveal the turning point that makes acting now the only option
Design a Narrative
The Advantage
Own the market position only your unique approach can hold
Design a Movement
The Space
Shape the domain into a direction you can lead
Design a Movement
The Moments
Guide your audience on the path towards conviction
Design a Movement
The Reason
Convert true champions into industry advocates
Design a Machine
The People
Stay dialed in to the tune of your audience
Design a Machine
The Journey
Make the message in tune and in time
Design a Machine
The Proposition
Measure the message against realized value