Ian walked into the café looking good. The slight tan and aura of relaxation from 10 days away didn’t hurt. But it was more than that. He exuded the air of someone doing well. Confident, energetic, excited about life.
Ian’s a sales coach for agribusiness and engineers. He’s also author of The 6 Fundamentals of Sales Know-How. And he’s a walking, talking example of what getting clear on your story can do for your life.
I worked with Ian at the beginning of 2022, helping him shape his messages for his new sales coaching website and gather case studies from his clients.
If you know Ian, you’ll know how smart, thoughtful, and articulate he is. So, he made my life hella easy. But as several wise humans have said to me over the course of my life … those projects where you feel like you’re stealing people’s money because it’s too easy … that’s when you’re doing your best work. It just doesn’t feel like work because you’re in your zone.
Anyways. Ian launched his new coaching brand back in March 2022.
And he’s been killing it ever since. When I interviewed him for a case study in early Feb 2023, he was already booked through to the end of June and 50% full in July and August. His clients are bigger. The work is juicier. His revenue is up too. He’s having record month after record month. In fact, revenue is up so much he felt a bit sheepish about it and didn’t want me to reveal how much more he was making.
And he’s kind enough to give some of the credit to the work we did together, saying it gave him clarity on his services, and confidence in his own ability to deliver the goods. That the case studies helped him verify the value of what he has to offer. And that the whole process helped him combat his imposter syndrome.
I left the café and did a dorky little victory dance in the middle of St Asaph Street, before nearly getting run over by a phalanx of rabid Merivale Tractor drivers.
Telling better stories is lifechanging. You attract business, opportunities, and community into your life. At the risk of sounding like a dodgy cut price guru / self-help junkie, you can even achieve clarity, unlock your potential, and feel more fulfilled.
Telling better stories has done that for me and for the people I work with. It’s pretty darn magical. And I want more coaches and consultants to feel the lift that comes from building yourself more powerful stories.
So I’d like to introduce you to five essential stories every business will benefit from telling, before showing you how to tell them all nice and seductive like.
We’ll take a look at the five foundation stones of successful business storytelling.
The story that sells your business – aka your elevator pitch.
The story of how you became qualified to help your ideal client.
Stories to sell your services.
Stories that showcase the value you create.
Stories to showcase your expertise.
But before we get into it, let’s take a quick look at why it’s worth putting time and effort into your business stories. You’re busy, overscheduled, and maybe stressed to boot. Why bother becoming the Scheherazade of the business world as well?
Why should you care about stories?
We’re hardwired to respond to stories because they support our superpower of collaboration. Humans are so successful as a species because we share info and work together, and for millions of years, stories were the way we communicated important info.
Stories were also how we warned of danger. We learned from the misadventures of others without putting ourselves at risk. And because stories = survival, our brains reward us for listening to them.
Storytelling has an effect on our body that simple information doesn’t. Brain scans of people listening to stories show our brain responds to descriptions of movements, textures, and smells as if we were experiencing that sensation for ourselves. Stories make our brains release powerful hormones. And different types of stories release different hormones.
Stories of suspense release dopamine which improves focus, motivation, and memory.
Stories that evoke empathy release oxytocin which makes us feel more generous, trusting, and connected with other people.
Stories that make us laugh release endorphins so we feel creative, relaxed, and focused.
Scary stories make us stressed and release cortisol and adrenaline. They can make us irritable and critical and can even impair our memory and lead us to make bad decisions.
With so much power to evoke a physical and emotional response, stories make content far more engaging and impactful. But that’s not all. Here are four more reasons to pack more story sizzle into your communication sausage.
1/ Stories help us remember info
Our brain stores memories far more effectively when they’re associated with emotions. A great story makes us feel, so it makes it easier for our brains to store and retrieve memories. The more emotive a story is, the longer we remember it.
2 / Stories make complex information more digestible
Our brain is lazy. There’s a good evolutionary reason for that. Thinking hard uses lots of energy, and our brain prefers to save energy so we’re better equipped to get out of dangerous situations when we need to.
But our brain also loves a story, so we can trick it into absorbing complex information by disguising it as a good yarn. Use story to simplify complex topics by giving real life examples that illustrate the point you’re making.
3 / Stories take us out of our own heads
When new info leads us to question our fixed assumptions it’s easy for us to reject that info if it makes us feel bad. But if you use stories to connect people emotionally to an uncomfortable new idea, you can gently coax people into changing their attitudes.
Storytelling also sparks connection and empathy. Neuroscientist Uri Hasson found as we listen to a story, not only do we connect with the characters as we do with real people, but our brainwaves synchronise with other people listening and with the storyteller.
4/ Stories change our behaviour
Connecting how to why is one of the most powerful ways to change the way people think, feel and behave. No one changes the way they act unless they buy into the reasons for change. Stories inspire action by:
Teaching us what to do in certain situations.
Encouraging us to explore the effect our actions have on others.
Making abstract ideas feel real and relatable.
Engaging our emotions and making us feel like we want to do this new thing.
Now you’re fully briefed on the power of story, let’s dive into those five business stories.
How’s your elevator pitch working for you?
A simple four-word question can reduce competent, confident adults to blithering wrecks.
You might have spent the last 15 years of your life honing your craft. You may be a professional force to be reckoned with. But when someone hits you with that perennial knicker widdler, “What do you do?” your mouth opens, and an underwhelming wet minnow of an answer flops out and lands on the carpet twitching damply.
We’re going to sort that situation out, by taking a look at the story that sells your business, your elevator pitch.
At 30 seconds long, it’s the shortest business story in your toolkit. Which makes it the toughest story to tell. Because as any writer, strategist, or advertising creative knows, the hardest thing in the world is to say a lot with very little.
Your elevator pitch is your networking spiel, but it can also double as your intro blurb for your homepage, and your LinkedIn about section.
And here’s how to make it sticky.
Grab attention with a short story introducing your ideal client and the problem you solve for them.
Get people intrigued by hinting that you have a solution to that problem.
Then tell people what you do, how you do it, and how that benefits your ideal clients.
Do all that in 80-100 words.
Here’s my elevator pitch as an example.
…………
So many talented business owners hate selling.
Especially coaches and consultants.
They’re amazing at what they do, but often when it comes to promoting their business they’re way out of their comfort zone.
Luckily, you don’t have to be a sales or marketing expert to grow a very successful business.
You just have to get good at telling your five key business stories.
And that’s what I do. I’m a writer and content marketer who helps consultants and coaches tell stories that attract opportunity and community.
………….
If you craft this elevator pitch right, it becomes a conversation starter that hooks people into asking questions about the nitty gritty of how you deliver those results.
Your origin story
There’s a story that sits at the heart of most successful service businesses.
It’s the hearthstone of your business because it kindles the fire of human connection. And it’s the story of how your business began, and how you became qualified to help your ideal client.
This origin story matters because it helps potential clients build a relationship with you before they reach out to you for help.
When people meet me for the first time, many say, “Lizzie, I feel like I know you already.” And that’s because I show up and share stories.
If you’re a consultant, coach, or freelancer you’re selling your services. But people are also buying you. Because there’s hundred, maybe thousands, of people out there offering the same services you do. And sure, you’re good at what you do, but loads of folks are great at that thing too.
People consider you because you offer something they need.
But they choose you because they like your vibe.
So, give them something to like. Or something to dislike, because just as you want to attract your ideal clients, you also want to repel folks who don’t jive with your vibe.
Being unapologetically you, sharing stories from your life, having polarising opinions, and showing up in all your messy, flawed humanity is a massive business plus. Which is why all those misguided souls who wail “It’s not Facebook” when people share personal stuff on LinkedIn are missing a fundamental business building trick. Bless ‘em.
Below is a link to a guide to help you write your origin story. It’ll help you avoid a common mistake, making that story all about you when it should be about how your life has made you the perfect person to solve your client’s pain.
PS. If you sell services and you don’t have an about page on your website where you share your story and introduce people to you and your team, sort that shit out stat friend, because you are losing sales. People don’t do business with faceless organisations. So, tickle up your about page and write yourself a better origin story with this handy wee guide.
Selling your services smarter
A heck of a lot of service businesses are woefully bad at selling their services.
If I had 10 cents for every business website I’ve seen listing services costing many thousands of dollars as bullet points WITH NO FURTHER INFO, I’d be a very rich woman.
WTAF dudes? In which universe do people buy thousands of dollars’ worth of anything from a five-word bullet point?
I fear some of you are still living in the 1990s when people went to websites to get contact details, then called or emailed to find out more. Sorry team. That’s not how the sales journey works anymore. Hasn’t been for years.
Many (most) of your potential clients now stalk you online and make up their mind whether they want to work with you before they reach out to you.
Even if they come through a personal referral, many will still do their due diligence online to decide if what you offer is relevant to them.
So, you need to tell a story about your services.
Here’s a good rule of thumb. The more emotionally invested someone needs to be in your service before they buy it, the more thought they put into that purchase decision, and the more expensive your service is, the longer and more detailed your service story has to be because people will need more information before they’re willing to invest.
Steal the framework I use for writing a service sales page.
This covers 10 points and tells a story about the problems you solve for your ideal client, the benefits you deliver, along with social proof in the form of testimonials and case studies, and (ideally) some handy free resources that help your client solve their problem for themselves.
YOUR SERVICE SALES PAGE FRAMEWORK >
Sweet, sweet social proof
The content piece missing from many consultants’ and coaches’ websites blows my mind because it’s such an obvious gap. And I’m not sure why people don’t include this info, because I guarantee it’s almost always part of their own decision-making process when they pick an expert to do work for them.
I’m talking testimonials and case studies.
Stories that prove you deliver the goods.
In a testimonial, your client explains the value you delivered and the change you made to their life in their own words.
“I hired Bob to solve this problem for me. He did, this, that, and the next awesome thing. As a result, my business is now better in this particular area, and I feel more X, Y and Z. I recommend Bob one squillion percent cos he’s a dream to work with.”
Testimonials are always more powerful when they’re specific.
So rather than asking people to write a testimonial for you, send them a few simple questions to answer, and craft their testimonial out of their replies.
Ask them:
How would you describe your challenge when you got in touch with me?
How was that challenge affecting you on a daily basis?
Did you consider working with someone else? If you did, why did you choose me?
What was it like to work with me?
Did you learn anything helpful?
What were the most valuable things you got out working with me?
What could I have done better?
How do you feel about your challenge now? What has changed?
If someone were on the fence about working with me, what would you say to them?
If they give you constructive feedback, make sure you go back and address any frustrations.
Their answers to these questions will give you the material to sculpt a detailed testimonial, but you’ll also get valuable feedback about why people choose you, and the value you add.
Over time, themes will emerge that will help you build your unique value proposition. Once you’ve nailed expressing this in a way that truly resonates with your ideal client, you’ll be a magnetic force. So, testimonials slay, not only for sales, but as customer research.
Oh and … once you’ve got a bunch of juicy testimonials use them everywhere on your site. Don’t for the love of the small gods of marketing hide them on a page called testimonials, where nobody goes.
Stories that prove you know your shit
If testimonials are rare on websites, good case studies are like the Amur Leopard … powerful, beautiful, killing it when it comes to closing deals, but far too rarely seen in the wild.
Quality case studies are the OG of marketing triple threats.
They prove you deliver the goods.
They share learnings.
They help potential clients imagine what it’s like to work with you by sharing your process.
Which is why they’re so good at sealing the deal.
A case study is the story of a project.
And a compelling case study has one essential ingredient.
It’s written in your client’s voice.
If you haven’t taken time to interview your client and include their perspective on the project, you haven’t written a case study. You’ve written a project summary, and that’s not the same thing.
Not only is it not the same thing, but it’s also almost worthless as a marketing tool, because it lacks credibility, and to be brutally frank, it’s probably boring and self-congratulatory as well.
It’s not your place to say how awesome you are.
Get your clients to do that for you. They’ll do a far better job.
Check out a detailed how to guide to case studies that includes my whole case study process.
Stories that show off your epic moves
Let’s talk stories that showcase your expertise, otherwise known as content marketing.
I keep coming across the stat that less than 2% of LinkedIn users regularly share posts. Imagine if we could extrapolate that to businesses at large. What if less than 2% of the businesses in the world regularly create content?
The reality is, my friend, it’s probably less.
LinkedIn users as a group have some understanding of the power of content marketing, so they’re probably MORE likely to create content than your average business bear.
Creating content that serves your clients is one of the single best ways to promote your business. Sure, it ain’t easy. That’s why so few of people do it. But the payoff is worth every drop of sweat.
However, before you start pumping out content, take time to think what you’re going to say.
Because if you want your content to drive revenue for your business (and I’m assuming most of you do) you can’t just post random crap, then sit back and choose the custom colour for your new Tesla.
Build a content strategy that outlines:
Why you’re creating content.
Who you’re creating for.
Your goals and KPIs.
Your core topics.
It helps to understand how content supports your customer’s journey from being unaware of your existence to becoming your loyal client and advocate.
Then it’s also handy to have a content plan that covers:
How often you’ll post
The types of content you’ll create
The platforms you’ll use
Ideas for posts
You can get as detailed as a weekly / monthly content calendar. Depends how much structure you like whether you need one or not.
There’s a link below to a guide to help you build a simple content strategy. If you’re thinking about starting to create content here, or you’ve been creating content, but it’s not filling your inbox with enquiries, do yourself a solid and give it a geeze.
BUILD A CONTENT STRATEGY THAT DELIVERS $$$ >
The story you steer your ship by
If there’s one thing we love as a species it’s a good oversimplification of a complex situation, and who am I to buck the trend. Here goes … You can divide business owners into two groups. Those who get the power of storytelling and use it to ignite business success. And those who don’t.
I feel real sad for the second group because they’re missing so much.
We’ve shared five foundation stones of successful business storytelling.
But there’s one more important business story. And this story is just for you. You could call it your compass, or your soul story, because it shows you the stars you steer by and reminds you why you do what you do.
It’s a story in four parts: purpose, mission, vision, and values. Folks can get confuddled on what these four things are, so quick recap:
Purpose is WHY your business exists. What are you here to do?
Mission is WHAT you do and WHO you do it for. I like to elevate this with your unique value proposition, aka the REASON people choose you over others.
Vision is WHERE you’re going. It’s the light that draws you on, lofty but not unobtainable.
And your values are HOW you do what you do, the principles that guide you and how you behave.
These four things are critical because they inform the work you do (and the work you decline), the way you spend your time, the people you hire, the way you train them, and the choices you make.
But here’s a thing to remember. It’s inspiring for you when you nail your compass, but most of the time nobody else cares. This is a story that falls firmly into the show don’t tell category. Unless you’re an organisation making serious impact, your purpose, mission, vision, and values are really only of interest to you and your team. Show people what your values are through your behaviour. If you haven’t extrapolated your values into a code of conduct, get to it.
Live your purpose and your mission.
Take action towards your vision.
Show, don’t tell, my friend.
Phew … that was a long read. Want the edited highlights?
Stories make people pay attention to what you have to say and remember you for longer.
That’s a good thing when you want your business to stand out.
Tackle your business stories in this order.
Start with your elevator pitch.
Nail your origin story and get it on your About page.
Sort out your service pages.
Go on a social proof hunt and gather testimonials and case studies.
Start content marketing.
And get clear on your compass.
But if you only take one thing away from this article make it this.
Always ask yourself how you can make something into a story rather than a statement.
Or look for a way to illustrate the point you’re making with a story.
The end.
PS. Need help with your story telling? I got you. Check out my writing services.