Strategic Storytelling
Strategic Storytelling combines the power of storytelling with practical strategies for copywriting, and marketing. It's designed primarily for entrepreneurs, content creators, marketers, and copywriters. Most episodes are solo with occasional interviews by invited guests who bring unique insights to the topic. Host Cathy Goodwin is an online strategist, copywriter, and published author. The podcast focuses on the impact of business storytelling on the bottom line. When you start with a story, you simplify and strengthen your branding, content creation, and positioning. You also become a better business owner when you use stories to clarify your own objectives and gain self-understanding. Cathy started the podcast after she realized her clients were bewildered by what they were hearing about storytelling for business. Some of them simply couldn't understand how stories could help their businesses. Others got backlash when they dutifully followed advice to open up about themselves. As a copywriter, Cathy understood that stories for business need to be different from fairytales, campire tales and bedtime stories. That's the core focus of this podcast. Richard Branson said every entrepreneur must also be a storyteller. Cathy Goodwin adds, "But it has to be the right story."
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143 Are business stories just fluff? Or do they add to your strategy?
05/09/2024
143 Are business stories just fluff? Or do they add to your strategy?
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 strategy? Or are you adding more fluff? For instance, Harry and Elaine are both money coaches. Harry is an Educator. Elaine is a role model. They're in the same field, but they'll have very different stories. To be effective, stories have to be believable. You'll get examples of unbelievable and believable stories. Resources: FREE guide to story archetypes: What are archetypes and what is yours? Create content and tell stories to be believable. Sell with a story. : A 2-week sprint to solve your marketing challenges.
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142 How healers can reach more clients with stories
05/02/2024
142 How healers can reach more clients with stories
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. And the best way to achieve these objectives is to tell the right kind of story...the story that answers the questions nobody asks. That’s what we’re exploring in this episode of the Strategic Storytelling podcast. What you’ll learn in this episode: Why every service-based business is (usually) run by a healer Why you need to balance the conflict of running a business and healing people in pain The. best ways to structure a story to explain what you do Resources mentioned: , my premier consultation offering. a low-cost course about designing websites for healers a course for people concerned about bragging too much.
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141 Why You Lose Your Audience Because They Can't Relate To Your Story
04/25/2024
141 Why You Lose Your Audience Because They Can't Relate To Your Story
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 not relatable, relatable but not personal, not relatable and not personal...and last but not least: stories that are personal *and* relatable. There's one archetype that gets away with stories that are neither personal nor relatable. And there's another archetype that tells personable, relatable stories. So before telling a story, ask yourself: Will my audience put themselves in this story? If they can't see themselves in the picture, your story will fail. And if they can put themselves in the picture, you've got a winner, whether the story's personal or not. Come listen here. And if you like the episode, don't forget to leave a rating and a review, especially on Apple or Spotify. RESOURCES AND MENtIONS: FREE - COURSE - Tell a story that brings sales. mentioned in the podcast) OTHER PODCASTS: (and it's probably not you)
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140 Using Stories to Choose Your Niche
04/18/2024
140 Using Stories to Choose Your Niche
“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? Most importantly, will they pay? And who’s picking up the tab? What you’ll learn in this episode: Why your mentor probably won’t help you choose a niche Why you shouldn’t be too quick to choose a niche How to turn a backstory into a profitable niche The most important qualities to look for when choosing a niche Why your niche may not be ready to buy from you The toughest part of choosing a niche is finding their backstory. And I’ve got a product to help. I can also help you target your niche as you write the copy. We can do this in a 90-minute coaching session. . Don't forget to subscribe and leave a rating and review!
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139 How to Use Stories to Teach Without Being Preachy
04/11/2024
139 How to Use Stories to Teach Without Being Preachy
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 here, with examples. What you’ll learn in this episode: Why being preach-y turns people off (and they stop listening) Three ways to use stories to avoid talking down to people How stories can come from your experience or from a far-away place Resources mentioned: (a guest post I wrote long ago)
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138 The Power of Client Testimonials: Get them to tell stories that sell
04/04/2024
138 The Power of Client Testimonials: Get them to tell stories that sell
“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 as writing about yourself. Nobody teaches you how. So how can yours be better? In this episode you will learn... What is a testimonial Why your testimonials are about the clients, not about you Why clients won't write testimonials Two ways to teach your clients to write testimonials Resources mentioned: Link to my infographic on testimonials Course: What is a selling story Course: Content for credibility Other episodes Episode 64: Episode 108: (because your service is too sensitive)
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137 Are you telling stories to yourself?
03/28/2024
137 Are you telling stories to yourself?
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 talking about here. In this episode, you'll learn the right way to tell a story about your life how some well-known business owners shared their stories what to expect from your audience Resources mentioned: FREE booklet on story archetypes B
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136 The Celebrity Archetype: Are you a fan?
03/21/2024
136 The Celebrity Archetype: Are you a fan?
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, you probably are not a Celebrity. You can't apply Celebrity strategies to your business..and win. Join me on this fun podcast to learn about Celebrity archetypes -- what they are and how to use them in your business
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135 Why you can be passionate in what you do...but you're not a passionate advocate
03/14/2024
135 Why you can be passionate in what you do...but you're not a passionate advocate
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. Listen to this short podcast to learn why it's a good thing to be passionate about your work, but not to brand yourself on your passions! To get one-on-one help for your branding, let's talk! .
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134 Pull-the-plug stories: What happens if you quit?
03/08/2024
134 Pull-the-plug stories: What happens if you quit?
We have lots of stories of celebration, where people talk about their wins. What we need are more stories of pulling the plug. For example, in this episode I talk about someone who decided not to get a drivers license. In a typical story, she'd try and try to pass the test. She'd spend hours studying. But in this story the woman decides she won't bother. She'll move to a city where she can take a car or just ride public transit or even walk. A variation of this story is a "you can go home again" story. You can quit and then go back. The original idea for this story comes from research psychologist Barry Staw. You can read his ideas in
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133 Use storytelling to build a client-attracting About Page: 3 Tips
02/01/2024
133 Use storytelling to build a client-attracting About Page: 3 Tips
If you’re a service based solopreneur, entrepreneur or independent professional, your brand is YOU. Your About Page will be critical to your online success. And yet, if you’re like most business owners, you’ll tell me the About Page is the most difficult page to write for your website. That’s because most people hate to talk about themselves. And business owners are people! It’s easy to feel like you’re boasting. It’s common to wonder, “Will I come across as an obnoxious jerk?” The truth is, your About Page isn’t about you. Your About Page answers the client’s question: Why should I hire you and not someone else? You don’t need to share your life story. You probably don’t need to share your company’s mission. But if you do, you need to create a context. I’ll show you exactly how to frame your story and avoid the most common mistakes of About Pages. What you’ll learn in this episode: What “likable” means to a prospective client (it’s not the same as being a good friend) What story really matters when you write your About Page (and it’s not your life story or origin story) Why most websites don’t need a mission statement (and what to write instead) Resources: My course on finding your client’s backstory - My course on “Bragging 101” - How to find your personal brand by telling stories - My course on “Write your About Page” - Strategic Intensive - a 2 week sprint to overcome your biggest marketing challenge (which might be writing your About Page) - Free webinar recording -
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132 Business Storytelling: 3 Business Stories You Don't Share With Your Clients
01/25/2024
132 Business Storytelling: 3 Business Stories You Don't Share With Your Clients
When we think of business storytelling, most business owners think of stories as a way to relate to clients - and certainly I encourage that direction. You can use stories to engage clients, explain a complex offer, communicate your value, and much, much more. In this episode, we’re going to talk about another way to use storytelling. We look at 3 ways to use stories to help plan your next steps and develop your strategy. These stories help grow your business, but you rarely share them with your clients. RESOURCES: Enter the conversation in your clients' mind: Planning With Stories Workbook - A fun way to set goals you'll actually achieve - Podcast Episode on Podcast Episode on HBR article on Strategic Intensive: that can transform your marketing My website:
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131 Numbers Make Stories Come Alive (Or Raise Questions About the Storyteller)
01/12/2024
131 Numbers Make Stories Come Alive (Or Raise Questions About the Storyteller)
Numbers make stories more vivid. When we say, "Apartment 101," you may get a picture in your mind of the door with the number. But there's a downside. When you use numbers to suggest how you value something, your audience will be judging you. They assign their ow values to every story. In this episode you will learn... ...how the vividness of numbers makes your story more clear (and how that can be a downside) ...how casual references to certain details will send a message to your audience (and it may not be the message you want them to hear) ...how context will be important to your audience's response to your story Resources: Background on story archetypes - Understanding your client's backstory -
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042 ENCORE: How Storytelling Makes Your Small Business Marketing More Productive in 3 Ways
01/04/2024
042 ENCORE: How Storytelling Makes Your Small Business Marketing More Productive in 3 Ways
Content creation is the biggest challenge of online marketing. Storytelling helps you create more effective marketing content more quickly.
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130 From “Ordinary” To “Valuable Treasure” With A Simple Story
12/21/2023
130 From “Ordinary” To “Valuable Treasure” With A Simple Story
Many service-based entrepreneurs tell me, “My services seem so ordinary! I want to create a sense of excitement among potential clients.” It’s how lots of small business owners (including me) begin looking at their websites and sales letters. That doesn’t mean inventing wild stories or digging into your distant past for inspiration. Any story comes with hidden pitfalls and many people resist getting started. We can learn from a unique, creative experiment co-created by an anthropologist and a writer. They transformed ordinary thrift store purchases (none more than $2) into valuable objects that commanded high prices. Their secret? Writers were asked to invent stories surrounding each object. As business owners, we can learn from their story. Of course, business stories must be accurate. You can’t deceive your audience. But you can apply these principles to describe your offer. In fact, that’s what we do in a story that sells. What you’ll learn in this episode: Examples of how stories can transform ordinary objects into valuable treasures (including a close-to-home example from a business owner) Qualities of stories that increase the value of ordinary offers (while remaining completely truthful) What you get people to say when you tell a selling story (which is why these stories succeeded) RESOURCES: My self-paced video course: My self-paced video course: FREE: 17 Surprising Ways To Use Storytelling For Your Business Growth - MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST: about the Halston mug
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129 How your intuition can guide you to tell the best story for your business
12/14/2023
129 How your intuition can guide you to tell the best story for your business
“Should I tell this story? I don’t feel comfortable sharing.” Or “I *really* feel I should tell this story, even if it makes me uncomfortable." If you’re like many of my clients, these questions arise when you’re wondering about sharing a story, especially a personal story. You feel deeply about the topic but you wonder if it’s a good idea to put it out there for all the world to see. You have doubts: What if the story backfires and makes you look like an idiot? What if the story turns away potential clients who feel that’s TMI? Maybe there’s a better story…but now you wonder if that one’s good, too. Recently I’ve heard expert marketers - people I respect - encourage others to follow their enthusiasm. If you’re excited, there’s probably a good reason. Don’t let the idea die! But others will tell you to slow down. Do the research. Get feedback from colleagues you trust or mentors who will be honest with you. The truth is, either scenario could be a win for you. You’re being guided by your intuition, which can speak to you in many ways. For some business owners, being hesitant to share that story is a big “GO” signal. They tend to resist good things. For others, being enthusiastic is a “STOP” signal. (I’m one of those!) They tend to jump into something and later wish they hadn’t. On this episode of the Strategic Storytelling podcast, I’ll give you a new way to think about your decision to share a story…or not. What you’ll learn in this episode: what is intuition (it’s not as trendy as it was a few years ago) how to use your intuition to sort out good vs bad advice how to recognize whether that “YES” or “NO” comes from your intuition (or is a false warning that you should ignore) why you’ll see business owners win with outrageous stories (and realize why you need to find your own style) RESOURCES: My website - Amazon ebook on intuition for business and careers - 3 common story mistakes and how to fix them - Storytelling consultation -
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128 Position Yourself As An Expert With Your Story Archetype
12/06/2023
128 Position Yourself As An Expert With Your Story Archetype
One of the biggest challenges for a business owner is getting seen as a credible expert in your field…even a thought leader in your industry. Last episode we focused on being seen as an expert. However, not everyone will promote expertise the same way. If you’re a Role Model, you want to continue to tell stories that support your promise, “If I can do it, you can do it.” If you’re an Educator, you demonstrate knowledge. You tell different stories. The one thing you don’t do: you don’t follow the advice to “be vulnerable” when you’re telling a story to promote your expertise. There may be a place for those stories…but not now. In this episode, you will learn how to promote your expertise within your archetype. You will recognize how other archetypes use stories. It’s not just your story, but the way you tell your story, that builds expertise. RESOURCES and mentions: to use the archetypes to position yourself as an expert. (Role Model archetype) (Role Model) Connie Ragen Green ) Note: Some links are affiliate links.
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127 How to Demonstrate Your Expertise By Telling Stories
11/30/2023
127 How to Demonstrate Your Expertise By Telling Stories
What’s the one thing you need to demonstrate in order to be seen as valuable…so you charge higher prices and clients feel lucky to work with you? In a service-based business, you’re selling expertise. You’re offering knowledge and skills beyond what “everybody” has. You hire a licensed electrician because a handyman might do the job...but you want to be sure they won't set the place on fire by mistake. You hire a professional decorator because you want someone with flair who adds something to the project…something you couldn’t get from anyone else. Your clients hire you when they see you as an expert. How do you make that happen? You can present credentials and testimonials. You can talk about how long you’ve been in business and point to a list of satisfied clients. But your most effective strategy for presenting yourself as an expert will be the stories you tell. They won’t necessarily be about you or your successes. These stories have specific qualities that communicate, “I know what I’m talking about.” You’ll never have to say that directly. Your audience knows. In this episode, you’ll hear examples of 2 stories from a business book, The End of Average. One story comes from the author; one from an area outside his experience. They position the author as an expert on a topic that’s new. We’ll analyze these stories to explain what makes them successful - and how you can use them in your own marketing to communicate your expertise and authority. MENTIONED: Todd Rose, The End of Average Article: The Flaw of Average RESOURCES: How to create content that establishes you as a credible expert in your field - Self-paced course FREE Report - 17 surprising ways to use stories to market your business - Free with Kindle Unlimited - Grow Your Business One Story At A Time
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126 How To Use Storytelling To Make Business Plans That Won't Turn Into Pipe Dreams
11/23/2023
126 How To Use Storytelling To Make Business Plans That Won't Turn Into Pipe Dreams
“Every year I say I’m going to plan better. And it never happens.” “I make great plans. But I never seem to finish carrying them out.” “I’m a small business. My brand is ME…which means my planning is all about ME and what I’ll do. All the planning advice seems geared to big business.” How many times have you said that? If these scenarios resonate, you’re hardly alone. Planning can seem like a useless exercise. We attend planning workshops, make notes on our calendars, match tasks to dates ...and then nothing happens. But as your business grows, you’ve probably been advised to get serious about planning. And yes, there IS a better way. In this episode, I share... ...3 reasons why most planning doesn’t work (especially for small businesses) ...3 reasons why storytelling is a surprisingly useful planning tool ...3 types of stories you can use for realistic planning (with examples) ...Why and how each type of story works ...How to create a reward that will motivate you through the hard slog RESOURCES by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington for planning your business To Complete Your Next Big Thing How to research your client’s backstory (and understand their motivation) If you liked this episode, don't forget to subscribe! Leave a rating and a review.
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125 The best business storytellers do these 3 things
11/16/2023
125 The best business storytellers do these 3 things
Almost every business coach on the planet will advise you to start telling stories. They’ll encourage you to use storytelling for your blog posts, email messages, and just about any content you create. Deciding to tell a story is the easy part. Choosing a story that will help grow your business is much more difficult. That’s mostly because you get conflicting advice from different mentors. “Go ahead and share,” they’ll say. “Feeling uncomfortable? Get over it.” Even more, your inbox is filled with emails from all kinds of marketers, each beginning with a story. It’s so easy to decide, “I’m going to create a story like theirs.” Even worse, you can decide, “I have to stay away from storytelling. I could never tell a story like theirs.” The truth is, business storytellers need a unique approach. You aren’t trying to sell tickets to a movie. You want to sell your products and services. The first thing a successful business storyteller does? They don’t think of themselves as storytellers. They’re business owners. They’re marketing strategists. In this podcast, I’ll share 3 essential tips to use storytelling to build your brand and your business. We’ll talk about… …why you need to frame your stories as a business owner first …examples of stories that “stick” in a good and bad way (and why that’s critical to your success) …why some business owners wish they could take back their stories (and you can avoid having this happen to you) This is the one podcast I’m recommending for any entrepreneur who’s decided to add storytelling to the marketing mix. It’s delivered in my usual direct style and guaranteed to rub at least several business owners the wrong way. RESOURCES & MENTIONS: FREE download: - Find the best way to use storytelling, given your archetype and your business. : Replace Story-telling with Story-selling - Affordable course (no coupon needed) Book: Grow your business one story at a time. . Book: Intuition for business and career decisions. My website: Contact:
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124 Traveling for the holidays? Take your story with you.
11/09/2023
124 Traveling for the holidays? Take your story with you.
You’re a service-based business and the brand is YOU. So how will you keep growing your business while you’re taking some downtime? For many of us, holidays mean vacation and downtime. We travel. We join family and friends. You’ll attend special seasonal networking events. As a marketer for entrepreneurs, I see this time as an opportunity to make new and exciting connections. The least likely person will offer you a window of opportunity. If you are a business owner, of course, you take your business with you. As a solopreneur, you ARE the business! So when people ask, "What do you do?" What can you share with them that will explain what you do, so this will be the beginning of something new? Often they’re completely clueless about your world. They may think you’ve completely lost your mind. They may wonder, “Why on earth would anyone do that? Who would buy from you?” That’s when you really, really need a good story. In this podcast, you’ll get ideas for developing what we call a concept story, with examples. If you’d like my help in polishing up your own story, please check out the program. We will talk about the best way to describe your business and build your brand in a variety of places. RESOURCES: is an ebook available on Amazon. You’ll learn more about different kinds of stories to use in business, and discover why business stories are very different from other kinds of stories out there. The is my most popular consulting program. Get more details here. Do you have a project that you’d like to finish in 90 days? Click here to learn how I can help you get it done with a combination of marketing, business and accountability. FREE guide: 3 Common Story Mistakes and the 1 Way To Fix Them.
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123 How to begin building your online brand when your website isn’t ready
11/02/2023
123 How to begin building your online brand when your website isn’t ready
When you meet prospects, live or virtually, they often want to know more about you and your services. Inevitably, they’ll ask for your website. Research shows 80% of buyers visit a website before making a purchase. But what if your website isn’t ready? You may have good reasons for waiting to build a website. In fact, you might (wisely) want to avoid starting too early…before you know your client’s backstory or before you head off on vacation. Many business owners respond with an “Under Construction” page. That doesn’t do anything to build a following. On this podcast episode, you’ll walk through 5 steps to develop your brand and your online presence before you build your website. You’ll also discover how to calculate the best time to start building your first website or implementing your website makeover. You will learn… 5 steps to follow when you want to grow your audience before the website is ready Signs that it’s not the right time to start a website project How to get signups with a special page before you build the website Why you need to begin with a domain registered to you (and what can go wrong if you let your developer do this) RESOURCES Free training - Write your opt-in page to get more subscribers. Earlier podcast: Email marketing with stories. Free report: Discover your client’s backstory. Consultation to strategize your marketing:
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122 Two ways for business owners to share their journey stories
10/26/2023
122 Two ways for business owners to share their journey stories
A content creator named Kaleigh Moore posted on social media: When working to improve yourself: Is it better to do it in a public forum and post about progress along the way, or to internalize it, hunker down, and sort of *sit down, shut up, and DO THE WORK* on your own? This is a great question It really boils down to, “How will I tell my story?” In this episode, you'll discover the pros and cons of sharing your story two ways. You can drip your story to your audience in real time. Or you can wait till the end and share your story as an accomplishment. We'll explore the pros and cons of each choice. Sharing in real-time will be extremely powerful. You attract and hold your audience's attention. On the other hand, each step of the journey becomes a mini-story. You need to build suspense as you continue. We'll also look at the factors going into your choice: your brand, archetype and service. Sometimes a story will get in the way of your brand. Finally, I prefer an alternative type of storytelling, which I'll explain at the end. It's extremely effective and creates a memorable listening experience. Don't forget to leave a rating and a review! RESOURCES: My website - FREE: Understand story archetypes and discover your own. . Connie Ragen Green - The Road Trip: An Entrepreneur’s Journey of Self-Discovery A terrific example of sharing a journey in a book targeted to business owners. Interview with Cindy Bidar - We talked about her moving story. Work with me on your business story - The Strategic Intensive
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121 How this business story mistake leads to client confusion
10/19/2023
121 How this business story mistake leads to client confusion
When you introduce yourself as a business owner, do you give yourself a title? Or do you jump right in to explain how you serve clients? Many coaches tell you to skip the title. No need to identify yourself, they say. Clients don't care what you call yourself. They just want to know how you help. Sounds good, doesn't it? The truth is, the people sharing this advice most likely established their businesses many years ago. They need no introduction. When you're introducing yourself on a podcast or attending a networking event, or even writing your About Page, the brand is YOU. You introduce yourself as The Company. In classic hero’s journey stories the guide just appears. Cinderella’s godmother doesn’t have to explain why she’s there. She doesn’t have to point out, “I can give you access to the ball. I’ll give you a gown, slippers and a stagecoach. But making small talk with royalty? Dancing gracefully at the ball? Making sure you’ve got all your possessions when you leave? Nope, that’s another type of coach. I’m in the image creation business.” You, on the other hand, aren’t the only game in town. You’re competing with a handful of other professionals. Now let’s say you’re at a networking event. Or you’re a podcast guest. How will you be introduced? To answer this question and add clarity to your stories, you need to know some basic psychological principles. You'll learn why and how to explain your identity. You'll also learn the 3-part introduction that helps you explain clearly who you are and how you help clients. Resources: Build your brand with the . FREE: From story to standout brand. . Brand with stories course.
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120 How To Use Storytelling To Communicate Your Value (And Avoid A Story That Adds To The Confusion)
10/12/2023
120 How To Use Storytelling To Communicate Your Value (And Avoid A Story That Adds To The Confusion)
How to communicate your value by telling a story. Stories make it possible to communicate your value without coming across as boastful, obnoxious or unbelievable. Your story won’t just explain: your listeners will see themselves in the story and exclaim the words you’re waiting for: “I want what they’re having.” When your story works, you’ll show how you deliver value. When a story falls flat, it’s often because the storyteller skipped to the ending. Recently I’ve been seeing short overviews that are called “case studies” when they’re not even fully developed stories. The storyteller presents the transformation as a “happily ever after” that was delivered by magic. In this episode of the Strategic Storytelling podcast, we’re going to show exactly why you lose leads when you share an incomplete story. We’ll walk through two examples to demonstrate how to set up your story for business growth. You’ve got the information; you just have to add it to your story What you’ll learn in this episode: What’s missing from a lot of stories you see in email campaigns Why you need to show your role as “the guide” to be credible How to present a hero who will make your story more relatable Pitfalls of stories that leave out key details Resources: (video self-paced course) (FREE)
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119 How to use personality to market yourself and build your brand
10/05/2023
119 How to use personality to market yourself and build your brand
"Dramatic stories in your emails? Not a good idea!" That was the advice of a marketing expert - not me! In particular, he said, emails that begin with an edgy dramatic story face two problems. First, the story can overshadow your informational content. After all, people open your emails to get information and ideas they can use for their lives and their businesses. Second, and most important, it's hard to relate to someone who comes with such a strong story. So the storyteller doesn't build relationships. Readers don't say, "That could be me!" So...why do these stories seem to work for some business owners? Why do some apparently successful people keep using them? Whenever you ask the question, "Why does this work for them and not me?" you almost always find an answer when you explore the story archetypes. ==> If you're not familiar with story archetypes, to download a free resource to understand the archetypes and find your own. Celebrity archetypes promote their personalities by sharing strong stories. Yet even if you're not a celebrity, anyone can learn from the celebrity approach to marketing. In this episode, I share five tips for promoting your personality, based on the way celebrity archetypes communicate. You'll also come away with a better understanding of why certain stories work for some business owners...but flops for others. Resources: What's Your Archetype? Explanation and Quiz - Strategic Intensive Consultation - Content for Credibility - Video Course. My website.
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118 How To Use Stories To Get More Results From Your Email Marketing
09/28/2023
118 How To Use Stories To Get More Results From Your Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to grow your business, especially if you are a small, service-based business where you are the brand. These days we're hearing a lot about how to use stories to improve your email marketing. There's a lot of nonsense out there, such as "You have to start with a story." But you'll find some good marketers too. In this podcast episode, you'll get 3 tips for using stories effectively in your emails. You'll get examples of email stories that annoy the reader. You'll also get examples of stories that work. You'll also get a better understanding of what's meant by "personal" stories. It's one of my shorter podcasts, tightly packed with information. I'm curious to know how you use stories in your emails and how you can use these tips. This podcast follows Episode 117 where I interviewed Cindy Bidar, a popular and very successful business coach. You can learn more about Cindy Other resources: Free guide to the . My flagship consultation program, the . My book, (free with Kindle Unlimited)
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117 Interview with Cindy Bidar: Finding Success With A Role Model Archetype
09/21/2023
117 Interview with Cindy Bidar: Finding Success With A Role Model Archetype
There's a lot of confusion about branding for small businesses and solopreneurs. Your brand influences the stories you tell, the promises you make, and even the advice you give your clients. Cindy Bidar has achieved considerable success in a relatively short time frame. Her brand builds on her - the Role Model. Cindy didn't set out to brand with this archetype. Very few people even know this framework exists! But, like many successful businesses, her marketing consistently reflects this archetype. She shares personal stories to support her promise, "If I can do it, you can do it." Her decision to start her business was based on this principle. You'll enjoy Cindy's warm, down-to-earth style as we dig into her storytelling decisions and reveal how she uses stories to build her marketing success. Some highlights from the episode: 9:23 - how Cindy decides what to share and what to hold back on 11:48. “That’s my sweet spot!" 13:20 - Ask this question when you’re having trouble coming up with ideas for emailing your list (I've never heard this one before) 14:40 - "Best way to write interesting content? Do interesting things.” 15:30 - Using Julia Cameron’s “artist date” to refill the well 17:15 Deciding what to discuss and not discuss (the key is business alignment) 18:30 - Common story mistakes in email marketing (based on bad advice) 20:20 - What Cindy teaches that's completely in sync with the role model archetype 21:30 - The heart of Cindy’s message about success…”If I could share just one thing…” 24:30 - When Cindy just got started: what was her guiding principle 30:00 - You don't want to hear, "That's not what I signed up for." 32:00 - The Big Takeaway Website: Cindy's (I'm a member) Learn about story archetypes here Julia Cameron - Dorie Clark - Dorie Clark - Consultation with Cathy Goodwin: with Cathy Goodwin When you purchase through my links, I may receive a commission.
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116 How These 2 Stories Convince Prospective Clients You Can Do The Job (And You're The Real Deal)
09/14/2023
116 How These 2 Stories Convince Prospective Clients You Can Do The Job (And You're The Real Deal)
When you're a small service-based business, you are the brand ... and you deliver the value to your clients. Prospective clients come to you with the question, "Can you really do the job?" They want to know about you as a person, because you're not a big faceless company. If you're a solopreneur, they have to believe in you. You don't come with the implied authority of a big company. Why are you qualified? How committed are you? Are you a dilettante, trying things out? Or will you be there for me when I need you? It's not enough to say, "I'm amazing. Of course, i can help you." In fact, these abstract promises work against you. In this episode, you'll discover how these questions arise. You'll hear two kinds of stories to answer these questions. We're not talking about fantasy stories here. We're talking about using stories ethically to promote your services, based on your real skills and talents. RESOURCES: "Business Credibiity" with Mitchell Levy. My online video course, Use the code AUGCRED50 for a 50% discount (expires Sep 20, 2023). : 17 Surprising Ways To Use Stories To Grow Your Business
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115 Business Storytelling: Your Mess Is NOT Your Message
09/07/2023
115 Business Storytelling: Your Mess Is NOT Your Message
Business consultants sometimes advise small business owners, especially professional services, "Make your mess your message."
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