Putting a value on a story
Walk through the diamond district in Manhattan and in the course of one block, at least a dozen men will stop you and ask if you're hoping to sell a diamond ring.
A few blocks away, Tiffany will happily sell you a diamond ring.
Buy a $7,000 ring at Tiffany's and walk over to one of these guys and you'll be lucky to get $1,000 for your new ring.
That $6,000 is what you paid for the story.
It's the cost of the box, the lighting, the salespeople, the architecture and most of all, the special feeling.
Do a blind taste test. In one glass, wine from a $10 bottle. In the other, wine from a $200 bottle. The untasted difference between the two is what you paid for the story.
The list goes on and on.
Just about everything we buy comes with a story included.
And yet, most creators, sellers and marketers don't invest enough, don't take enough care, and don't persist enough in making sure the story is worth what you paid for it.