Secrets To Writing Captivating Personal Stories To Win 3x More Business
These tips got me more than 400k views online
My top-performing Quora answer got 63k views in 72 hours. I never thought I’d perform that well. The question reads, “What is the secret of youth for older people who still look young?” When I looked at other well-performing Medium articles and Quora posts of mine, I noticed they all share one thing in common: They featured a real-life story of mine.
The stories weren’t about some crazy entrepreneurial adventure or how I fell off a ship in the middle of a raging sea at night. They were simple, authentic, “what I’ve been through” sort of stories.
*Personal stories are relatable
*They humanize the writer and build an emotional connection
*They teach key lessons
I shared my dumbest mistakes in life. I wrote about what went through my mind while making them, described how I felt, and shared the problems and negative outcomes I experienced. Anyone can write a short, captivating post that includes a story.
The key to a successful story
I can tell you how I went to college, studied for eight years, and became a successful surgeon. But that’s not a story. It’s a series of events (and a complete nonsense I just made up).
However, if I tell you how I went to college, worked my ass off to become a surgeon for five years, then caught my fiancee in bed with my best friend, screaming her lungs out, and turned so depressed they almost kicked me out of med school- now I’m telling you a story.
In a story, something must go wrong. That’s the only thing separating it from being a dull chain of events.
One of the best TV shows I ever watched is “Better Call Saul”. The storyline is fantastic. No matter how hard Saul tries to fix his life, shit hits the fan. Even when it looks like he’s about to make it, things get worse. The show’s creators did such a great job of turning hopes into disappointments, there’s no way you couldn’t empathize with the guy.
When something goes awfully wrong for the people around us, even strangers, suddenly we care about what happens next. “Ohh. Will they be ok? Do they need any help?” It’s almost like an instinct. Pepper failures into your content- then intensify them.
Positioning the problem
The word “storytelling” is thrown around a lot in marketing departments. I think many marketing professionals believe a story is some creative video or ad they must create. Or a genius concept no one has thought about.
In compelling storytelling, your narrative should always revolve around the customer’s problem.
The protagonist= your customer.
The struggle equals the problem you solve.
The solution or magic tool equals your product.
In other words, it’s a case study. Notice how the protagonist isn’t you or your product. Customers don’t care about products or services- but only in the context of their problems. Whenever you tell a story to sell, you must tie it back to a common problem your audience experiences and the negative outcomes. Otherwise, it’ll be hard for them to empathize.
If you write about a successful campaign you launched, mention how you burned thousands of dollars in ad spend and had to rely on word-of-mouth before you developed a clear process for driving results through ads.
When telling a story about a failed recruitment in your company, describe how your last employee almost cost you a client. Lead with your client’s major problems, and you’ll keep their attention.
The payoff
After things get worse, the tension gradually builds until it reaches a climax and is resolved, providing a sense of disclosure and satisfaction to your audience. In “Better Call Saul,” there isn’t a single ultimate payoff but a few key events in the final season. Jimmy McGill’s identity is transformed into Saul Goodman. Jimmy and everyone around him suffer the consequences of his actions.
When we write a post or a newsletter to prospects featuring a story, it’s better to stick to one payoff- one specific result your prospect wishes to achieve. We don’t want to confuse prospects with complex messaging.
Back to our campaign example, you’d discuss the results you achieved and the steps your prospects can take to achieve the same. You’d describe what results they can expect, how much effort it would take, and common pitfalls. Then, you’d wrap it up with a call to action.
Conclusion
Storytelling can be a powerful tool for captivating your audience and winning more business. By understanding the fundamentals of a story, you can sharpen your messaging with content that makes your prospects resonate with you.
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