How to know what stories to tell to your audience
In order to effectively capture your audience through the power of storytelling, you don’t just have to be a good storyteller, you have to tell the right stories to the right people… which then strategically leads them into their next step which is of course to buy your service or product.
So, how do you know what stories to tell (and when) to your audience?
But that’s a lot to chew on at once! I don’t want you to choke on content overload, so we’re going to reverse-engineer this one step at a time, and you’re going to nostril-breathe while chewing slowly & thoroughly (it will help with digestion later, trust me).
Step 1: Make a timeline of your life
Yup, I’m serious. You don’t have to start all the back when you were in diapers, but start wherever things got interesting for you- This usually means to start right before you encountered your first serious challenge. Moving forward from there, make a timeline of all the good, bad, and eventful things that happened between then and now.
Step 2: Focus back onto your ideal customer
What results do they most want? What are the big & small picture results that they would love to see *poof* into their lives right now? Who are they dreaming that they will one day be?
Step 3: Relate to where they are
Where are they now? What are they stuck on? What problems are they embarrassed to have not figured out yet? What do they think are their hurdles to get out of their current trap? What do they *actually* need to learn to start making progress in their lives?
Step 4: Connect yours & their stories
Now that you’ve sketched out the heaven and hell of your ideal client, look back at your own timeline and identify the bullet points where you were in their shoes. Where were you when you wanted what they now want? What problems did you have? How have you grown since then? What do you have now that they want?
Step 5: Leverage your story
To leverage your story not only to connect more deeply with your audience, but to use story to lead them into the next logical decision: To buy your solution to their problem, you have to demonstrate that the link between where you once were (where they are now), and where you are now (where they want to be) is the solution you offer (your product/ service). When these 3 pieces seamlessly fit together, you have successfully used the power of story to market your product.
If you are honest and raw with your own story, your pain, and your solution, then they will believe you, because they are going through the same thing. If you sugarcoat your truth or how bad it was when you were in pain, then you are stripping yourself of legitimacy and handing them back their excuses for why it won’t work for them. When you tell them the real real (and I know it got real, otherwise you wouldn’t have so motivated to create your business/ product), it will legitimize your product because people will be able to say, “sheesh, if it worked for him/her when she was in that situation, then just maybe it can work for me.”
Your story gives them hope, it reminds them that they’re not alone, it shows them what’s possible no matter how flawed or frustrated they are, and then it presents to them the solution that is your product.
If you want to book a one-on-one Storycoaching Session with Sophie to better figure out what stories YOU have to offer, then reach out to Sophie on Instagram at @thesophiedalton.
