Many people have sent me an email stating standing out in their market is one of their single greatest challenges to growing their business.
Maybe you can relate to this?
Gaining attention in your market can be a very tough thing to do if you follow what many of the gurus tell you to do.
Many of them say, “Just add value. Add value consistently and eventually you’ll build an audience.”
Come on… We live in a day and age where information flows like water. Anyone and their grandmother can upload content from the palm of their hand using a smart phone.
Did you know 300 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube every minute?!
While you must be able to create great information to help people get results, information in and of itself, isn’t enough.
What’s the solution?
Why You Should Tell Your Story
Your story is what will separate you from the rest of the people who do something similar to you.
For generations stories have bound civilizations together, unified groups of people, created change and even sold billions of dollars of products and services.
Stories are the thing that allow your ideal client or customer to bond with you.
Stories are the thing that allow your ideal client or customer know you are just like them and that you out of all the people, they could give their trust and respect to, understand them.
Without stories, you are simply another person peddling their goods and services.
How to Tell Your Story
Here’s a four step framework I learned from Jeff Walker, the founder of the Product Launch Formula.
It’s one I’ve used and adopted a bit for me and my clients to tell our stories.
This can be used in your videos, webinars, blogs, etc.
A framework is a psychological way of stacking sentences and paragraphs to be able to influence your reader or viewer to take action.
This will help you stand out from the others in your industry, as well as connect with your ideal client and influence them to take action.
Step #1:
I’m a lot like you, I just wanted [INSERT THEIR DESIRE]. or You’re a lot like many of my clients. Many of them just wanted [INSERT THEIR DESIRE].
This will help you get their attention.
I will have you consider no one cares about you because every single person on the planet is tuned into one single frequency. It’s called WIIFM.
It stands for What’s In It For Me.
In order to capture your ideal client’s attention you talk about what they want first.
Then you can build some trust and respect with them by telling them how you or the people you’ve worked with experience the same types of painful realities too.
Step #2:
I used to be or feel just like you. I [INSERT THEIR PAINFUL REALITY] but I couldn’t figure out [INSERT WHAT THEY WANT TO HAVE].
This will help you establish a connection with the reader or viewer because they will know you understand their struggle.
People want to buy from people who have been in their shoes.
This step of the process will help get your ideal client to like you.
Step #3:
I found a way to change. [INSERT STORY OF HOW YOU FOUND A SOLUTION].
During this step, you’ll want to talk about how you found a solution.
It needs to be interesting.
There are five ways of finding a way to change.
1. Going off and studying
2. You studied with a master
3. You interviewed all the experts
4. You worked like crazy like a mad, experimenting scientist
5. The crazy discovery
I don’t know what it is for you, yet consider how you found the solution for your ideal client.
This will help position you as the authority who has the answer they are looking for.
Step #4:
Now I just want to share it with you because [INSERT WHY].
There are generally two reasons why you want to share the solution with your ideal client.
1. Save Them Pain
2. Us Against Them
If you want to save them pain, then use the first option of why you want to share a solution with them.
Another way you can convince your ideal client that you’re not shady is to tell a story using an Us Against Them.
One of the biggest breakthroughs I had in 2016 was understanding you cannot have a great story without conflict.
Think about it…every great movie or book has conflict. There is a hero and an epic villain of some sort.
In today’s political correct climate, no one wants to step on people’s toes.
As a result, we have a society full of nice people and the market place is starving for good people.
If you haven’t read my post about this, click here to read it now. It may change your life and business in massive ways. I know it did mine when I embodied the concept.
So take a stand in your industry.
I would have you consider you are not trying to sell to everyone. If you do, this approach will keep you running on an endless hamster wheel of lack-luster results.
Instead, work to attract and resonate with your ideal clients.
Story Example
Here’s an example of putting this story framework into action:
You see, I’m probably a lot like you.
All I’ve ever wanted is to have my own business that would allow me to express my creative gifts and talents, make a positive difference in the world, travel, go on adventures with friends and family and make $100,000 or more each year in the process.
I used to be confused, overwhelmed, frustrated and feel like growing a Lifestyle Business was hard and a lot of work.
But I found a way to change after going on a life altering trip to a desert in Arizona.
Now I just want to share it with you.
Do you see how I put all that together.
Now it’s your turn.
Next Steps
Now that you understand how to tell a story to stand out in your market or niche, if you want to join a community of like minded entrepreneurs who are committed to creating a business and life they love, check out the Lifestyle Business Mastery Community.
You don’t have to feel like a lone wolf.
There is a free community you can join so you can network with amazing people who are creating epic businesses and learn proven marketing and sales strategies.
Plus, I share a lot of personal and business growth strategies on a regular basis within the group.
