Want to Be Remembered? Master These 7 Storytelling Rules | Ep 9

We break down seven essentials of business storytelling—from purpose and tension to transformation and a clear call to action—so you can craft stories people remember and act on. We keep it tight, practical, and focused on moving listeners from problem to decision.

• defining the purpose of your story and desired action
• making it personal while staying relevant to your offer
• opening with tension and clear stakes
• using specific details to spark emotion
• showing the client transformation from dark to light
• connecting your experience to their current pain
• cutting fluff to keep stories tight and persuasive
• ending with a strong, explicit call to action

Be sure to comment story on this podcast and let me know that you're interested in jumping into the story lab

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Chapters

• 0:00 Why Business Stories Fail
• 1:19 The Seven Essentials Overview
• 1:36 Purpose: Know Your Point
• 2:13 Personal Yet Relevant
• 2:43 Start with Tension
• 3:52 Be Specific to Spark Emotion
• 5:45 Show the Transformation
• 6:55 Brief Break: Brand Makeover Promo
• 7:27 Connect the Dots to Their Pain
• 8:32 Keep It Tight—Cut the Fluff
• 9:43 Bonus: Strong Call to Action
• 11:03 Wrap-Up and Listener CTA

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

You know, as a business, you have so many amazing stories you can tell. But what are some of the key features? What are the few things that you need in order to have a really successful story? Imagine this. You walk up to the microphone, and you start to get ready to tell your story, and you realize it's gone. You don't have any recollection of it. And you're there in front of everybody, feeling vulnerable and open. So you sit down in front of the podium and you start to ramble. And some places there your story comes out, but what do you need to have a really good story? What are the key aspects of a strong business story? Not a rambling story that just goes on and on and on, that has no point, that doesn't connect with your audience. What do you need to have a really, really good story? That's what we're going to talk about today. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, everybody. Thank you for joining me here in the Story Lab, the place where we make your story the one they remember. Now, we're going to talk about the seven things you need in a business story to make it one they remember. So we're going to really jump into the key things. Now, I'm going to I'm just going to start going because you need all these things, and there's a lot of them, and I'd like to keep these at 10 minutes. Here we go. Every good business story has a purpose. You need to have a purpose for your story. Why are you telling that story? What is the reason? What do you want them to do after you tell that story? Start by knowing your point. Know what you want to accomplish with that story. Do you want to inspire people with that story? Do you want to build trust with that story? Do you want to show a transformation, like a client transformation with that story? Get clear on what you want the audience to see so that you can then craft a story that helps them reach that outcome. All right. So that's number one. Number two, make it personal but relevant. It needs to be personal in the sense that people need to know that you're a human. People need to connect with you on that human-to-human level. But it needs to be relevant to your business. Whatever you're talking about, try to tie it back to your business. That way, there's a human element within your business. And that's what you want. You want people to see the human in you in your business because that's very, very important for your success. All right, next, you gotta start with tension. You've got to start with something that's exciting. Start from the action in the story. Don't start and start like a book report. I was 15 years old when I decided that I would have my first podcast. And at 15, I really knew that it was going to be the best thing I could ever do. Then I turned 16, and I really, really wanted to have a podcast. So I started to record things on my tape recorder. Podcast didn't exist yet. But anyway. Okay, that's boring. That's boring. And we don't need tension to be super dramatic. But we need tension. There needs to be something. What are we worried about? What are we hoping for? What's at stake? What problem are you facing that you're you're trying to overcome? What is the tension? What is the problem? What is something that's going to be interesting to start the story with? And this is especially true if you're telling this business story on social media. Now, next, be specific. The details that you have will create emotion. So imagine if I told you this story. I walked up to the podium and I was nervous. I didn't know what I was doing. So I started to speak my speech. And then it was over. Okay. But if I actually put details in that story, just feel how different that story is gonna feel to you. I walked up on stage, my hands were sweaty, my knees were trembling. I wasn't sure I'd even remember my speech. I took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. And hoped that the words would remain in my head. I'd seen them there a few minutes ago, but now everything was racing. It was like the teleprompter had been turned on. Fast forward. My god, I'm starting to I think I'm starting to have a panic attack. I don't know what I'm gonna do. What am I gonna do? How am I not gonna know these words? Take a deep breath. Open your eyes. Don't look at the crowd. But envision your words right in front of you. Okay, I got this. I started to breathe normally. And then I started to speak. Two different stories. They're two of the same stories, but they're two very different stories. I'm very specific in the second one. I'm telling about what I'm feeling, what I'm doing, and the details are painting a picture as to what I'm experiencing. That's a good strong story. Okay. Number five, show the transformation. Show from where they started to where they will go, and be very descriptive in what is going to change internally, externally, what it is they're gonna get out of your product or service. Now, this is where I tell people everybody sells happy. What you're selling is happiness because you're solving a problem that your ideal customer has. So when you do that, you're gonna show them the darkness and show them that you understand the darkness because you've been there. But then you're quickly gonna bring them to the light. And the light is your solution. The light is what life is gonna be like after they win because of you. The light is what your promise is. That's the transformation. They're in darkness, they're in pain, but you're selling happy, you're bringing them to the light. And that's an oversimplification of what you're doing, but you have to look at how am I bringing them to happiness? I sell happy. Everybody does. So make the shift obvious, and because this is what makes your story really persuasive. Make where they started to where they end very, very obvious. All right, before we get number six and number seven, we are going to jump to a quick commercial break and we will be right back. I gotta hit the button.

SPEAKER_02: 7:04

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SPEAKER_00: 7:27

All right, and we are back with the last two things that you need to have a successful business story. Number six, you've gotta connect the dots for them. Always bring them home by connecting your experience with what their current pain point is. So you can do this by trying, like, maybe you're at the same place, wondering if you made a huge mistake, and then connect them in. Here's what I wish someone had told me when I was in your shoes. Or maybe even that's exactly why I created this offer, because no one should have to figure this out alone. See how you're bringing the story back. You told the story, now you're bringing it back to what they're experiencing. That's an important aspect of your storytelling for a business because you have a goal. You want them to accomplish something, you want them to purchase your offer. It's not just a story. Connect the dots so they understand why you told that story. All right. Number seven, maybe I'll give you a bonus one. Number seven, keep it tight. Keep it emotional and descriptive, but tight. You don't need extra fluff. You don't need things that are just not important. Cut out all the stuff that's not important. Focus on the one story that you're telling that's important and impactful. Make sure it's detailed, make sure it's emotional, make sure it connects with your audience, but don't have extra fluff in it. The more you can the more you can tell a story without the fluff, but with the big impact and the buildup, like the crescendo, and you get there, and the more you can tell a story that builds up and is direct but descriptive and is going to connect with your audience, the better. You gotta keep your story tight. Get rid of the excess, get rid of the things that don't impact the current situation, get rid of the f the fluff. Just get rid of the fluff. If it's fluffy, get rid of it. Make sure your story is descriptive and emotional and leads your customer to a decision. But you don't need the extra fluff. And then finally, your bonus. You need a call to action. You need to get them to do something. You're trying to connect with your audience and get them to convert. So you need to have a point and you need to just say, hey, your story should move them forward. They shouldn't be meandering. You need to give them a call to action. At the end of your story, you brought them on this journey, you showed them all the transformation they can have. But without a call to action, your story is gonna flop. It's not gonna get people motivated. You need to drop that call to action. It needs to be strong. Say, if you are feeling the exact same thing as I was, if you are struggling with exactly what I was a year ago, then this program is exactly what you need. I designed this program to help me get out of the struggle I was having, and now you're having that struggle, and this program can absolutely help you. Be sure to comment story on this podcast and let me know that you're interested in jumping into the story lab. Something like that. Don't you don't have to comment story, but you need something at the end of your story that's a call to action that tells them what to do next. All right, there you go. Seven tips plus a bonus. And now you have all you need to tell a successful business story. Keep these things in mind, make a checklist, whatever you need to do. These are the things you need to tell a successful business story. And I hope that you are excited to start telling those stories. Thank you for watching another episode of The Story Lab. I am thrilled to be here and providing this information, and I hope that you're finding it beneficial. If you haven't already, please run over to your favorite podcast platform and give us a rating, share some feedback, and let us know what we're doing well and what you want to see. And I hope that these tips will help you make your business story a story they'll remember.