With your newsletter you can create the kind of “sitting under the veranda in the extreme heat of summer, cold drinks in hands and a captive audience” type of vibe.
What do you do in that situation in real life? Don’t know ‘bout you but I’d tell stories.
Now using stories in sales and marketing takes some skill but it is a skill well worth investing in to learn. It puts your business in context. Think about the story behind Rich Dad Poor Dad – Kiyosaki is dispensing some very rudimentary financial advice. You can find better advice in umpteen books with better advice before and after Robert.
But only Kiyosaki has sold the publishing rights for his financial advice for $100 million and change.
Why?
The story behind it.
Without that story of having two dads Kiyosaki is just one of dozens if not hundreds of financial advice authors who are out to make money by telling you how to manage your money. See how you need to come up with the story. That story means you are just another sales person pitching product. Here is my guide to creating that story:
Step 1: A Reason You Are In Business That Isn’t to Make Money.
You need to tell your audience why you are in business and it had better have nothing to do with making money. Although the reality is that you are in business to make money your customers are uncomfortable with you if that is the only reason. Don’t shoot the messenger here.
Take Dexter Morgan of TV and book series (Dexter) fame. His origin story means that instead of being the bad guy as he could be in so many crime novels he is in fact a brooding, charming, charismatic anti-hero loved by many all because of his origin story (and not just a sociopath with a really disgusting hobby). That story frames why you are in business in way that makes you emotionally appealing to your customers – not just a salesman.
Step 2: Keep referencing it.
You need to keep telling your story behind your product because it is more interesting than the ‘feeds and speeds.’ It is a form of differentiation from your competitors. The second reason is because quite simply the more times you tell it the more chances you give your audience to bond with you over your competitors.
Step 3: Be able to tell it multiple ways
Since everybody eventually gets sick of being told the same damn thing over and over again you’ll need to be able to tell your story in different ways in different lengths in order to bring forward different benefits and reasons they should do business with you.
There you go my complete guide to telling to the story behind you and your business. Have fun developing yours.