How do you turn a list of technical specifications into a story a customer understands?

From specifications to story

Ton Kuper

Founder & managing director

+31 (0)85 773 0 733

info@c4real.com

Short answer: Start with the customer's problem, not the specifications. First, zoom out to the bigger picture, choose a situation the customer recognises themselves in, and show what your product does differently in that context. The specifications are still necessary, but only come afterwards, as evidence for those who want to delve deeper.

A technical company knows its product inside out. That is a strength and, at the same time, a pitfall. The conversation almost automatically begins with the features: turnaround time, accuracy, materials. For a customer, those are facts without context. They only gain meaning once they see which problem the product solves. This article describes how to make that transition, using two projects for Thales as examples.

Why doesn't a feature list work?

Because the customer isn't looking at your product; they're looking at their own problem. Thales wanted to clarify the added value of the SOTAS product line without becoming overly technical. While all the technical specifications of the audio communication system can be named and explained, what really matters is which problem it solves for the customer and what concrete benefits it offers compared to what they are currently using.

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How do you turn your product into a story?

Step 1: Zoom out

With SOTAS, Thales often wanted to dive straight into the technology. At key moments, C4Real advised zooming out first and telling the bigger story before delving deeper into the details. Andy Swiebel, Director of Marketing & Business Development at Thales: "They certainly aren't people who just execute what is asked; they help by being critical. We notice that in the questions they ask us, in order to understand why we want something."

Step 2: Choose a situation the customer recognises

A story works when the viewer recognises the situation. For SOTAS, we created a clear 3D environment that the viewer immediately relates to, and played out a scenario demonstrating the solution and its distinctive capabilities. The challenge lay in the details: sound is difficult to visualise, and the situation had to be fitting down to the finest detail.

Step 3: Make the difference tangible

A benefit is only a benefit if the customer notices it. For Thales Cryogenics, it was about a new cooler for infrared sensors in security cameras. Traditional coolers often don't last long, causing security cameras to fail with all the associated risks. How do you make the benefits of a cooler visible? We placed the innovation in a broader context: a nuclear power plant in the dark, where meta-humans approach with purposeful steps, making the urgency tangible. We built tension with composed audio. In the middle of the animation, we explained the pulse tube technology in more detail using motion graphics.

Step 4: Save the specifications for in-depth exploration

The technology doesn't disappear. It arrives at the moment the viewer wants to know. With Cryogenics, the technical explanation only follows once the context has been established. For those who want to go deeper afterwards, there is a product explorer, a brochure, or a follow-up animation.

Why doesn't a feature list work?

How do you turn your product into a story?

Step 1: Zoom out

Step 2: Choose a situation the customer recognises

Step 3: Make the difference tangible

Step 4: Save the specifications for in-depth exploration

Case study in the spotlight

Thales Cryogenics: Cryogenic cooler for infrared sensors explained using 3D animation

The challenge. Thales Cryogenics developed a new cryogenic cooler for infrared sensors in security cameras. The question was how to explain such a new technology and make the benefits visible to a highly technical market.

The approach. A 3D animation that places the innovation in a high-urgency situation: a nuclear power plant in the dark, with light, effects, and audio that build tension. The precise pulse tube technology is explained in the middle of the animation, and the animation concludes with the branding of Thales Cryogenics.

The result. Mark Stienen, Marketing & Sales Manager at Thales Group: "In addition to substantive knowledge and skill, they also ensure thorough monitoring and progress of the process, resulting in a great end result today."