178 Strategic Reinvention: The Best Story to Explain How You Got Here
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177 Storytelling Prompts for Business Stories
Have you ever faced a blank page, saying to yourself, “I know I need a story…a good story…for business. But I keep drawing a blank.” And most of the story prompts—those questions beginning “Tell me a story about” are not designed for business. They’re designed to get your personal stories. So you get prompts like, “What was your proudest moment…” which rarely helps your business. As I’ve said many times, a business story serves a purpose. It doesn’t just amuse and entertain. It supports your strategy…which is rarely about helping you feel good about yourself. In this episode I talk about story prompts and introduce my newest product—a list of 30 story prompts for b business stories, one for each day in a month. A no-brainer at $7 when you click here. The podcast helps you understand: What is a story prompt and how does it help Why some prompts may work well for personal stories but not for stories you use in business A tip about how to start a collection of prompts for business stories A sample: 5 business prompts you can use now (with tips about how to use them) Why the prompt “Talk to your former self…” isn’t helpful for business stories In this episode, I mentioned a movie: Harold and Maude - a classic oldie. Introducing: 30 Prompts for Strictly Business Stories - Click here for immediate download. Just $7.
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176 How To Generate Buzz For Your Products With Client Backstories
If you’re a small service-oriented business, you want to get people to talk about you! But how do you do this? Small companies—especially service-based solopreneurs—can’t generate buzz the same way as big companies. They need to dip into their client’s backstories. When someone says, “You seem to be talking to me!” -- that's how your buzz begins! In this episode, I talk about what it means for a solopreneur to create buzz. It’s not the same thing as big-company buzz. You’ll get examples of stories that never became the subject of conversation, and how they’re different from stories that generated buzz. You’ll also learn: Why my first website didn’t get clients for relocation coaching How backstories hold the key to going viral 3 reasons why backstories help generate buzz RESOURCES AND MENTIONS: Christina Hills - Get her ebook “Web Design for Non-Techies” If you click at a different time, you'll get a different resource. Peter Guber - Tell to Win - Buy on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3G0dHNg My book on relocation (free with Kindle Unlimited - available in paperback or ebook on Amazon) Click here. My DIY 1course can help you find your client’s backstory. Click here. FREE ebook on finding your client’s backstory. Click here. My website.
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127 How to Demonstrate Your Expertise By Telling Stories (Encore)
"You're the expert." How do you feel when you hear those words? You'd better get used to hearing that sentenence if you're a service-based solopreneur! Because when you sell a service, 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 your best friend just can't do. So how do you get labeled as an expert? 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. We'll analyze stories to see how they work. RELATED PODCAST: Episode 128: How to use your brand archetype to brand yourself as an expert. MENTIONED: Todd Rose, The End of Average RESOURCES: How to create content that establishes you as a credible expert in your field - Self-paced course. Click here. 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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175 Three Ways To Create More Powerful Headlines With Storytelling
You’ve got a nice draft of the copy, all set to go…but will your audience ever read that copy? The answer is: Not unless you’re reeling them in with a strong headline! The truth is, most people don’t get past the headline when they’re reading a sales letter. And yet headlines can be incredibly hard to write…unless, of course, you start with a good story. In this episode you’ll get three tips for using stories to write headlines. It’s one of my favorite topics because we tell business stories to help the copywriting—not to entertain or amuse the audience. You will learn: The purpose of a headline in copywriting (and it’s usually not to sell) Why an AI headline generator will often not be enough to get a great headline A good example of a client’s hidden backstory The kind of story that’s not helpful in writing headlines Why to write a headline for what the client consciously wants (not what you know is good for them) And more! RESOURCES Free ebook on finding the client’s backstory: Click here, Course on writing headlines: Click here.
Strategic Storytelling blends together the magic of storytelling with practical strategies for copywriting and marketing, especially creating content, branding, and planning. Forget about movies, bedtime stories, and fairy tales: Cathy Goodwin, an online strategist and published author, show you how business storytelling will directly impact your bottom line. No fairy godmothers allowed!
Ireland