The MICE quotient is an invaluable tool for understanding the story you’re telling.
It’s a concept that comes from fiction but applies equally well to sales and marketing.
By understanding the four MICE conflicts, founders can turn their vision into a captivating narrative.
Good stories are the same — in fiction, non-fiction, or copy. They all revolve around conflict.
The MICE quotient describes the four primary sources of conflict you can use:
1. 🗺️ Milieu
2. ❓ Inquiry
3. 🦋 Character
4. 🌋 Event.
Let’s explore each one:
🗺️ Milieu conflicts focus on the setting of the story.
A Milieu story begins when our character(s) enter a new place.
It ends when they exit.
In Milieu conflicts, the struggle to leave entertains and educates us.
For products, Milieu stories are about our customers returning to a place of comfort.
Something has changed, and they’ve entered a new, scary world.
Our product helps them return to the one they came from.
❓ Inquiry conflicts focus on a question.
An Inquiry story begins when our character(s) discover a question they don’t know the answer to.
It ends when they find that answer.
In marketing, Inquiry stories are best used to entice the customer into reading more.
We open the loop with a question they’re dying to know the answer to (“But how?!”).
We close the loop when we’re ready to move on to the next big question.
🦋 Character conflicts focus on character transformation.
They begin when our character becomes dissatisfied with their life or their circumstances.
They end when the character transforms into the person they want to be.
Character stories are best used as the over-arching narrative our customer moves through.
At the start, they’re not achieving their full potential.
They want more.
Our product or service helps them become that better person.
🌋 Event conflicts are all about changing the status quo.
Something big has happened. Our characters have to respond.
Event conflicts begin when the status quo is threatened.
They end when the character is returned to the status quo or to a better version of it.
Event conflicts are great for discussing your company’s role in the narrative.
They’re perfect for answering “why now?” What changed in your customer’s world to make your product relevant today?
In 2023, there are plenty of “events” to use in your stories.
The pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the explosion of AI.
Each one of these threatens the status quo and provides new conflicts your customers have to navigate.
Understanding the MICE quotient can help you craft compelling stories & captivate your customers.
Use the 4 conflicts:
1. 🗺️ Milieu
2. ❓ Inquiry
3. 🦋 Character
4. 🌋 Event.
And watch your vision spread to customers, investors, and the world.
