Story: The third Chapter in the Better Bolder Braver Marketing Journey
How much of your story do you share? What is relevant, and what might put clients off? Is anyone even interested in my story? In Chapter 3 of the Better Bolder Braver Marketing Journey Story, these are the questions we discussed and answered.
A key talking point that came out of the discussion was why your story is such an important part of your marketing and how it’s what will set you apart from other coaches. You can watch the replay of the conversion or read on to find out more about what we spoke about and how you can write your story.
Why do I need a story?
In answering this first question we agreed that primarily your story attracts the right clients to you. It signals to those who are the right fit that this is the person they have been looking for. It also signals to people who are not the right fit that they need to continue their search for the right person.
Your story opens up your experience, knowledge, connections, beliefs and values amongst many other things and allows people to process them in their own way. For some, this will further build the trust they have in you. For others, this will be the first time they experience you and it could really resonate with them. For others who have known you for some time, it may reveal new things about you they did not know, deepening your connection.
You have lived your story, so it can sometimes feel uninteresting or not relevant to explore over and over. However, let’s think about The Rolling Stones, they have played their hits thousands of times and people are still coming back for more. They may be tired of playing them, but it’s what people want to hear and there will still be a few people for whom their songs are totally new, even now.
So you’re writing and telling your story not for you, but for your clients, new, existing and past.
I don’t want to share that
This concern is something we hear a lot so we discussed how there will be some elements of your story that you might not want to share. That’s understandable and you don’t have to share everything, neither should you. After all, this is not the history of you, nor your memoirs. This is a story you can tell that will resonate with your ideal client and your niche. This is why having an ideal client is really important because then you can tailor your story for them. Check out Chapter 2: Client to learn more about finding your niche.
In our conversation Frances shared a useful exercise you can try to help with the process of writing your story, she suggests writing out a timeline of how you have gotten to this point. From this, you can find the useful, relevant parts and then take these into the story you tell. Watch the reply at 48:30 to see her explain this exercise.
How do you write a good story?
We then shared how you can start writing your story. In order to tell a good story and in an authentic way we shared our Empathetic Attraction methodology that combines together empathy, authority and journey. This balance of the three elements enables you to resonate with your ideal client making them feel seen, heard and understood. It then backs this up by showing your authority, confidence and credibility without boasting or grandstanding. The journey element of this is the plan or method you will show the client you have in order to position you as the perfect guide to go with them on their journey.
Simon then shared Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and how this tried and tested story structure is used in the films and books we all know and love to tell an engaging story. We use this structure to position us as the guide, not the hero. We delved into why people don’t follow heroes, and how taking this position in the story can alienate and put off your client. Instead, we shared how you can position yourself as the guide that the client is looking for and wants to accompany them on their journey.
Finally, we linked this chapter with the coming Chapters of Product, Content and Journey to show how this Chapter is often overlooked but is an essential part of authentic marketing.
If you want to take the conversation further and join other coaches who are embarking on their own journeys and creating their stories then join our community of coaches. With our unique combination of weekly tips & tricks and reflection & confidence sessions as well as coaching specific marketing content you won’t find anywhere else this is the community you’ve been looking for. Learn more and join.
