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CarTalk with Kartik #299: Make Readers See Themselves
Should a book tell stories or teach lessons? That's the question one of my CEO clients asked me recently. As a 2X bestselling author featured on BBC TV & Times Square and having collaborated with over 70 CEOs, here's my answer.
Your book should do both.
Lessons make the reader think, “Interesting.”
Stories make the reader think, “Wait, that’s me.”
And that second reaction is where trust begins.
A CEO book is not just a container for your ideas. It is a guided journey. Show the reader the problem they are facing, the obstacle that makes it painful, and the transformation that becomes possible when they see it differently.
That is why the best business books do not sound like instruction manuals. Nobody curls up at night with a cup of tea and a compliance checklist.
They use stories to make expertise memorable. So make readers see themselves in your story.
This insight comes from page 142 of my book Product Marketing Wisdom - which just completed 69 weeks on the Amazon bestseller list. Check it out at https://ProductMarketingWisdom.com/s
Listen to CarTalk with Kartik on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app!
By Nitin KartikCarTalk with Kartik #299: Make Readers See Themselves
Should a book tell stories or teach lessons? That's the question one of my CEO clients asked me recently. As a 2X bestselling author featured on BBC TV & Times Square and having collaborated with over 70 CEOs, here's my answer.
Your book should do both.
Lessons make the reader think, “Interesting.”
Stories make the reader think, “Wait, that’s me.”
And that second reaction is where trust begins.
A CEO book is not just a container for your ideas. It is a guided journey. Show the reader the problem they are facing, the obstacle that makes it painful, and the transformation that becomes possible when they see it differently.
That is why the best business books do not sound like instruction manuals. Nobody curls up at night with a cup of tea and a compliance checklist.
They use stories to make expertise memorable. So make readers see themselves in your story.
This insight comes from page 142 of my book Product Marketing Wisdom - which just completed 69 weeks on the Amazon bestseller list. Check it out at https://ProductMarketingWisdom.com/s
Listen to CarTalk with Kartik on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, iHeart, or your favorite podcast app!