“How do you write such good stories?”
I get that question all the time. There’s a two-part answer:
- I’m lucky because it comes pretty easy for me.
- There are things that you can learn and deliberately put into practice to make your stories more effective, more interesting and a whole lot easier to produce.
Yesterday, while cleaning up my computer (don’t ask) I accidentally came across a 35-minute podcast that I created a while back called “Selling With Authentic Stories.”
I couldn’t even remember recording it, much less what I talked about. So I downloaded it to my phone. This morning, while driving to a meeting, I listened to the entire thing.
WOW! I mean really, no kidding, W-O-W.
There was an unbelievable amount of good information in here, all focused on stories and what they mean for better writing. And better presentations. And better marketing. (Maybe betterness overall, I don’t know.)
Stuff like (and this isn’t even a complete list, since I was driving and couldn’t remember everything):
- How to find and use your natural voice (and why doing anything else is both harder and less effective)
- How and why to use stories when you give a presentation
- Why “Personal Story + Useful Business Lesson = Captivated Audience”
- Why you don’t need to be funny to tell good stories (really)
- Why your “opening line” in a story is so important
- Why you need to “locate your stories in time and space”
- Why personal stories are your competitive advantage
- How to find story ideas
- Three specific examples of professionals who tell great stories in their newsletters
Frankly, I think this recording is even more relevant now than it was when I recorded it, given how social media has turned us all into information producers. As professional service providers, we all have to develop a “trusted voice” – storytelling is the surest path.
I don’t usually get this excited about “information products” but this podcast is beyond optional – you need to listen to it.
How much? $9.95. Less than you’ll spend on this week’s worth of mocha-latto-grande-smoothie-macchiato-paninis. (And unlike those, this will make you better, not fatter.)