127 How to Demonstrate Your Expertise By Telling Stories
Release Date: 11/30/2023
144 Why your story doesn't have to make people cry
Strategic Storytelling
You've probably heard that "your story must bring out emotion in your listeners." And that's because you've also heard, "People buy on emotions." But is that always true? Lots of times people make buying decisions based on logic and rationality. They evaluate the offer coolly, based on their needs. The truth is, sometimes people make buying decisions without bringing emotion into the picture at all. Educator archetypes rarely tell emotional stories; they don't expect their clients to make decisions emotionally at all. In this episode you will learn... ...why the phrase...
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143 How to tell if you've got a true business story (or a fun-filled share-with-friends story)
Strategic Storytelling
Does your story contribute to your strategy? Is your story a part of your brand? You get all kinds of advice to "be sure your content includes a story." The real question is, what is the purpose of your story? Will you motivate people to buy? Or are you telling the story to get people to like you more? Or do you want to build their trust, so they believe you'll solve their problem? In this episode of the Strategic Storytelling podcast, you'll get three questions to ask about your story. The answers help you understand if you have a real business story. Are adding value to your business...
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142 How healers can reach more clients with stories
Strategic Storytelling
Calling yourself a "healer" brings special challenges in marketing. And in some ways, everyone is a healer. We all pay money to relieve our pain. But when you call yourself a healer, people get confused. Just what do you do, anyway? You might be a reiki practitioner, EFT practitioner, a psychotherapist, a health coach...or just a "healer." But if you're a healer, how do you explain what you do? You may think everyone knows. But even if people think they understand, you've got a special twist. You also want to encourage people to choose YOU from your many competitors....
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141 Why You Lose Your Audience Because They Can't Relate To Your Story
Strategic Storytelling
Have you ever told a story -- a brilliant story! -- and your audience just looked at you blankly? They just didn't get it. Or they couldn't relate: they couldn't put themselves into the story. Stories succeed when people put themselves in the picture. They're in the airplane seat. They're in the room you're describing. They can feel the problem: their chest gets tight, their stomach hurts...it's real. But here's the catch. It doesn't have to be a personal story. In fact, you can tell a personal story that leaves everyone cold. In this video, I talk about 4 kinds of stories: personal and...
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140 Using Stories to Choose Your Niche
Strategic Storytelling
“What niche am I supposed to target?” That’s always a popular question when I meet a group of fellow business owners. Even if they’re experienced veterans, they wonder, “Did I let some people get away? Am I being too narrow in my focus?” It’s a familiar struggle…and we keep going back to it. Even though we think we’ve got a niche we want to revisit. Men? Women? Married? Single? Age bracket? Sound familiar? In this episode of the Strategic Storytelling podcast, I have the answer: the clients backstory. What do they say when they come? What don’t they say? ...
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139 How to Use Stories to Teach Without Being Preachy
Strategic Storytelling
So you've got something to teach people. You're the only one...or one of the few. But your audience isn't stupid. They know a lot already. Who likes being treated like a child...especially a stupid child? Who likes being treated like a newbie when you're not? In this episode of Strategic Storytelling, I'll show you three ways to use stories to get past the barrier. Instead of saying "you should do this," you can tell a story There's at least 3 ways to use stories to make your point: as examples, as a step-by-step story, and as a novelistic story you made up. They're all...
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138 The Power of Client Testimonials: Get them to tell stories that sell
Strategic Storytelling
“I have many happy clients. How can I get them to share testimonials?" That’s what my reader asked me when I was looking for new applications for. telling stories. It's a complaint I hear from other service business owners too. Let's face it: if you're a small, service-based business, you need credibility. Nobody wants to be your first client! In this episode of the Strategic Storytelling podcast, I share the reasons people don't leave good testimonials. It'll help you navigate the challenge more easily. Let's face it: writing a good testimonial is almost as hard...
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137 Are you telling stories to yourself?
Strategic Storytelling
There’s something appealing about telling stories. We all want to talk about what happened to us..especially the bad parts. But when you're writing for business, it's important to tell your story only when you have a purpose for that particular story. Too many people write stories for validation. They say, "My cat died. Here's how I feel." Or they say the business hit a wall. Here's what happened" There's a place to write about your business. Psychologists talk about it all the time. It's as effective (at least for some) as a therapy session. That's not what I'm...
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136 The Celebrity Archetype: Are you a fan?
Strategic Storytelling
Of the five archetypes I've identified, the Celebrity holds greatest awe and power. ***If you're new to my community, you can download a free report featuring the five archtypes Think of Taylor Swift and think of those folks in People magazine. We don't want to BE a Celebrity, but we can learn from Celebrities. It's no accident that real celebrities tend to be spokespeople for all kinds of brands. So now let's look at business. Chances are you'll meet a celebrity somewhere along your business journey. You'll be tempted to use them as examples along the way. But the truth is,...
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135 Why you can be passionate in what you do...but you're not a passionate advocate
Strategic Storytelling
As you know, I've got five story archetypes for basic branding for small, service-based businesses. You can learn more about them I talk a lot about the most common archetypes - the Role Model and Educator, and sometimes the Innovator. But I rarely talk about Celebrities or Passionate Advocates...with good reason. You feel, "I'm already passionate about my work!" But that doesn't mean you're a true Passionate Advocate. Advocates set limits on what they do. They have to be hard-nosed about it or they'll run out of time. Worse, their clients expect perfection, which they can never deliver....
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