The Story Selling Podcast

Your storytelling can only be as good as your awareness of the world around you. This awareness is multi-dimensional and runs DEEP into what it means to be human.

This episode could well become a foundational pillar of everything else that I teach. Listen in as Marti Spiegelman and I discuss:

• Why awareness and consciousness are intimately tied to storytelling
• Why we know things first through our senses – before language comes
• How stories instruct us to grow and evolve – overcoming challenges through adaptability
• The role of archetypes in storytelling (why an archetype is wisdom encapsulated)
• How your origin story relates closely to the world around you
• Why barefoot running (or walking) can expand your awareness
• Simple exercises you can do to improve awareness

Links mentioned:

The Two-million Year Old Self (book)

Marti's TEDx talk | LinkedIn

Marti's course: Introduction to Precision Consciousness

Marti's previous episode on Consciousness in Business

Telling your story is an authentic way to build trust with potential customers. But should everyone be telling stories, regardless of industry? How do you make the story relevant to your message?

On this episode I pick apart these questions with pro copywriter James Daniel. Listen now as we discuss:

• Why stories prime your customer's mind in thinking about your topic
• Why the 'Three Billy Goats Gruff' is the ultimate archetypal story
• How to identify multiple 'off ramps' or bridge concepts at the end of your When to tell your own stories and when to create a parable
• How much to consider the reader in selecting your stories
• How to take an inventory of your own life stories
• How to tell more engaging stories on LinkedIn
• How to honour your relatives with great stories!
• The 'Superman' or 'Mary Poppins' role in business storytelling
• Why your 'About Us' page is the definitive storytelling opportunity
• How to gather compelling customer stories (testimonials)
• Why to collate your stories before selecting stories or evaluating the use case
• How to write compelling emails every day - if you want!

Links mentioned:

James's website | LinkedIn

James's Email Infinity training course

James's previous episodes on the Story Copywriter Podcast discussing Video Scripts and ChatGPT

A LOT of people have jumped on the AI copywriting bandwagon this year. The thing that separates the beginners from the pros is your ability to create effective prompts.

One of the best people I know at creating prompts is repeat podcast guest Orson Lord. Orson is a videographer and storyteller, but has also gone DEEP down the AI rabbit hole. Listen now as we discuss:

• How to use AI to shave time off routine writing tasks
• What AI is good at
• What AI is NOT good at! (hint: this might be 'wisdom')
• Why SOP - standard operational procedures - are required for AI
• How to structure an effective AI prompt
• What work AI will NEVER be better at than a human
• Where to apply AI in the writing process
• How to squeeze maximum value from your podcast (using AI)
• How to use 'expert personas' and follow-up prompts
• How to maintain and grow a database of efficiency-gaining prompts

Links mentioned:

Orson's website | LinkedIn

Orson's course: www.1-day-ai-accelerator.com/landing-page

I keep coming back to storytelling in my work as a core technology of human connection. The principle that underpins this is human consciousness. On a purely functional level a good story raises your reader's level of consciousness about themselves or the world around them.

In this episode Marti Spiegelman explains why this matters in business, and also for society at large. In this interview you'll find the answer to why storytelling matters, as well as:

• How to approach humanity in business when you’ve been brought up in a rational scientific ethos
• The importance of human energy and connection
• Why the elders in indigenous culture are exerts in consciousness
• Why “full consciousness” matters in business
• How to avoid confrontation and false problem solving
• The use of relative and absolute truth
• Why marketing is not about convincing somebody to choose A over B
• The difference between the ego and the collective
• Why ‘The Collective’ isn’t limited to humans
• The role (and importance) of profit in connected systems
• The transformative effect of consciousness – and why this takes time

For Marti's email address or course details please use the form at https://storycopywriters.com/contact/

Bill Mueller is one of those people. Bill is an experienced email copywriter with a passion for storytelling and the founder of 'The Story Sales Machine'. I'm delighted that Bill agreed to come on the Story Copywriter Podcast to share his expertise and compare notes!

Listen in now to learn:

• Why email offers the highest ROI for storytelling
• How to strike the right balance between automated and broadcast emails
• How to repurpose old content
• How to make your writing entertaining - and whether to use humour
• Whether your writing should always be 'on topic'
• How long your emails should be - and the trade-off between length and frequency
• Where to find inspiration for your stories
• Why images are under-used in email
• Why you'll ALWAYS regret not journaling
• How to hook the reader into your email
• Tips to keep people reading
• Whether to include a call to action in every email
• Bill's recommended storytelling books

Links:

Bill's website: storysalesmachine.com

Books mentioned:

• Winning the Story Wars: Why Those Who Tell - and Live - the Best Stories Will Rule the Future (Jonah Sachs)
• Storyworthy (Matthew Dicks)
• Story (Robert McKee) - see also my book review

Mike Garner is a content and email conversion copywriter. He has a simple and important message: your story matters!

On this call we discuss Mike's forthcoming book Stories That Matter: The Everyday Stories of Extraordinary Business People, plus a ton of storytelling insights. Listen in now to learn:

• How good storytelling is a catalyst for change
• Why your story is important and worth telling
• How to make your story relatable to your ideal client
• Where to tell your personal story
• How storytelling can negate the need for a ‘hard sell’
• How to pinpoint the golden thread that runs through your story
• Mike’s assessment of ChatGPT
• How to foster and nurture creativity
• How stories from deep in the past can be highly relative to your message
• The importance and usefulness of regular journaling

Links mentioned:

• Mike's website: hellomikegarner.com
• Mike's LinkedIn

Publishing a book is the most effective way to position yourself as the go-to expert in your niche. What's more, writing the book that only you can write is also a journey of discovery! (Sometimes called 'type 3 fun'...) 

In writing your book you get to step back and discover who you really are. On this episode I interview Isse Muratspahić, a book coach with a unique perspective on the writing process. Listen in now as we discuss:

• How to build a brand aligned with your heart and voice
• Why ‘inner work’ often has to precede the ‘outer work’ of writing a book or building a brand
• When to write your book before getting into business - how writing your book can save you years of confusion!
• How to write with both your own interests AND your ideal prospect in mind
• How long it should take to write your book
• How many pages to aim for
• Why you can trust your inner voice
• Why self publishing is often the best option for business owners
• How to use your book as a marketing plan for leveraging your other content
• Where your book should sit in your marketing systems
• How a book can help reduce your reliance on sales

Links mentioned:

• Isse's LinkedIn
• callingtomillions.com (Isse's website and book)

The three reasons to infuse your marketing with authentic stories are to entertain, educate and enlighten. Often we’re laying the groundwork for an offer that will come down the line.

BUT when that offer comes, it needs to be right!

In 2019 Angela Tsai and her business partner launched a bunch of products and courses that totally flopped. So, she set out to find out why…

Listen in now as we discuss the art and craft of creating a compelling offer. On the call we discuss:

• Angela’s results sharing personal stories on LinkedIn
• Why you need to get to the heart of your core messaging before adopting a storytelling approach
• Why understanding and telling your story feeds into the New Renaissance
• Why the wrong offer will undermine all other marketing efforts
• How to overcome fear of making a bold offer
• How to capture your prospect’s attention using ‘the trigger’
• What to consider before creating your offer
• How to adopt an ‘agile’ or ‘beta’ approach to offer creation

Links mentioned:

• Angela's LinkedIn
• growyourbrandwithimpact.com

'Story Selling' is the art and craft of telling stories to sell high value products and services. But how should you structure your stories to attract your ideal client? Is the 'hero's journey' structure really your best option?

On this episode I interview Roy Furr, author of The Ultimate Selling Story. Roy talks through his PAISA formula for story selling, including:

• Why your best copy should make your ideal prospect ‘vibrate’ – and the impact on results
• Why you can easily go astray by following the ‘hero’s journey’ story structure
• How to really dig into the problem your prospect is facing
• Why the symptoms of the problem are more compelling than the problem itself
• How to agitate or elevate emotions around the problem
• How to present your solution are the only or ‘correct’ solution for your ideal prospect
• Why your ‘definite selling proposition’ underpins the success of any promotion
• How to increase results from a promotion by re-ordering the copy
• How to tell effective customer stories (and how this can circumvent ad approval issues!)
• How a great story can illustrate the problem without shaming the prospect
• When to write your own copy and when to hire a copywriter
• How to carve a niche for yourself as a copywriter and play to your strengths
• How to leverage ChatGPT for writing efficiency gains

Links mentioned:

• The Hero's 2 Journeys
• The Ultimate Selling Story
• Roy's website / email list: Breakthrough Marketing Secrets

On this episode I catch up with Roberta Ravella, who is a course graduate of my Nurture Email Mastery course. Roberta is a marketing strategist for realtors and mortgage professionals. I think Roberta does a great job of telling stories in her work! In this wide-ranging conversation we discuss:

• How to select relatable stories to tell
• How tell stories that attract people who share your values
• Why niching down can help your storytelling
• How to use post-it notes to plan stories
• What we really think of Frank Kern
• When to tell personal stories – and how much is too much
• How to avoid patronising your reader (even accidentally!)
• How to pick out current events to weave into your stories and showcase your expertise
• How to write about your passions and make it engaging
• How to put the right story in the right place
• How to tell stories on YouTube

Links mentioned: Roberta's link tree