As entrepreneurs, we often get so eager to drop our product or service into the world and skip right into “sell, sell, sell” mode. As American business executive, Beth Comstock, once said, however, “You can’t sell anything if you can’t tell anything.”
And, by “tell,” she’s referring to storytelling. It can give you a huge advantage when it comes to achieving your sales goals.
No, I’m not talking a novel of tall tales. I’m talking something your ideal customers can really grab onto. When you dish out something like that to your people, you humanize the heck out of your brand. That’s especially important as we find ourselves living in a more technology-focused world each day. Not to mention, you show you’re focused on connecting with them first and selling your product or service second.
So, we’ve already spilled the beans on the five deadly sins of storytelling in your sales copy. Now, are you wondering what the golden storytelling techniques are that will capture more customers and cash? Awesome! You’ve come to the right place. I’m sharing my five favorites today so you can sell your product or service and win big ASAP.
3 Storytelling Techniques That Will Capture More Customers (& Cash!)
1. Tell it from the perspective of a relatable hero.
To cut to the chase, if your story is irrelevant, it won’t get the attention it deserves. It’s just that simple. Thus, to avoid that altogether, you need to get a move on with identifying your ideal customer(s) and developing brand personas. That is if you haven’t already. When you know who it is you’re speaking to across your sales pieces, it’ll be easier for you to hit the hearts and minds of your people versus falling on deaf ears.
Or, maybe the work has already been done for you and all you really need to do is gather an existing customer’s story. Bingo! Pull their experience to let readers in on how your product or service helped a relatable hero improve their life or solve their biggest problem.
Why does this simple technique work so well? It establishes a “just like you” mindset. For instance, “My customer was in your shoes a year ago, and look where they are today, thanks in part to my product/service.” It’s pure gold for your communication strategy, which will help them immerse into your story and unlock that pesky conversion vault.
2. Offer up a clear beginning, middle, and end.
The makeup of a good story includes a long list of things. But, I’ll sum it up in an easy-to-understand way. All you’ll need is a clear beginning, middle, and end.
For starters, you always want to stir the pot. To do this successfully, however, you need to know the biggest, most painful obstacle your ideal customer wants and needs to overcome.
If I’m being honest, you should already know that—especially if your product or service idea has come to fruition. After all, it’s a critical component of storytelling that evokes a response. Even so, once you’ve identified their main problem, you’ve got the green light to open up that wound and rub some salt all up in it.
Let’s walk through an example. Say you’re a chiropractor and your potential customer’s ultimate obstacle is they’re experiencing back pain. They haven’t forgotten that. When you address it, however, you prove to them that you understand what they’re experiencing.
But, let’s take it a step further to stir the pot just enough to compel them to keep reading. You’ve called attention to the source of their pain or frustration. Now, you need to bring in the all-powerful ethos to inject some emotion into your message. Maybe their back pain is taking away from precious time they could be enjoying with their children or grandchildren—running around, traveling, playing games; you name it.
That’s pretty heart-wrenching, don’t you think? Yes, it definitely is. It’s the kind of pain, that will serve as the rock-solid beginning of your story.
And, from there, it’s your turn to think about how your product or service can shine, guiding your ideal customer to the nearest transformation exit so they can be free from any pain and frustration. It’s the relief they’ve been searching for. Continuing on with the chiropractor example, the transformative component—aka the rock-solid ending—could be the following goal: 30 minutes of playtime with the kids, without painful interruptions.
Now, at this point, you’ve connected with your readers, proving you are in fact aware of the specific pains or problems they’re experiencing. Additionally, you’ve specified how their life will improve just by grabbing hold of your offer. What is there left to do?
Fill in the middle of the story—the steps they’ll need to take to resolve their conflict.
For our example, this list would include things like:
- Adjustments to key joint dysfunctions
- Modalities to improve soft tissue healing and pain control, such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and traction
- Strengthening and/or stretching exercises to improve muscle balance, strength, and coordination
- Patient education to improve posture and motor control
- Other treatments such as massage, heat/cold application, and education on ergonomics and nutrition
Do you notice something?
Yup, the list you make will end up being your key features. Features alone should never be the focus of your copywriting efforts. When you utilize storytelling techniques, however, you’ll naturally sprinkle in benefits to go along with each vital component of your product or service.
3. Keep it real & simple.
When you think of storytelling in the general context, you probably think of tall tales and make-believe. But, that definitely won’t be the case for the storytelling you’ll be doing for your business. Reason being, you need to keep it real with your people.
What I mean is, be sure to tell real stories about real situations, starring real people. When you’re authentic, you’ll evoke the right emotions, and your ideal customers won’t need much convincing after reading. Thus, you’ll come out on top.
Storytelling techniques can create powerful copywriting that sells. But, it’s not always easy to use storytelling in sales copy. When you take the techniques shared here, you’ll be well on your way to blending the two. Get ready to dish out an honest, captivating, informative, and persuasive narrative that captures more of your ideal customers (& cash!).
Successful storytelling, however, can’t be done if you still have no idea who your ideal customers are. Therefore, today, I’m offering you a free copy of: “Who Is Your Perfect Customer? The Ultimate Guide You Need to Catch Them Today.” It lays out all the information you need, as well as a worksheet you can fill out to further hone in on your people.
To get it in your hands ASAP, drop your email address into the box on the right-hand side of this page. Trust me, you won’t regret it!
Have you injected storytelling into your sales copy before? If so, share your success story in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you!
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