Are you one of those people who struggle to come up with a “story” for your bio? Are you one of those who says, “I don’t really have a story. I’m pretty boring” – or do you list off all your achievements, and expect that to dazzle potential clients enough to sign up for your list or buy your product? Or do you throw in a bunch of quirky ‘facts’ that are pretty safe – “Jane Doe lives with her dog Chloe in a quaint, Colonial farmhouse in the spunky small town of Anklebite, Minnesota…” Sounds like the book blurb to a cozy mystery, doesn’t it?
Stop agonizing over what to put in your story and focus on why. Why should you include something? Why should you skip telling about other incidents? Telling your business story should be all about relevance. There is only one reason that your ideal client stops to listen to your story – to see how you overcame what she is struggling with right now.
Sure, you can hook her in with an outrageous or intriguing email title or video title or entertain her with a cute video of your parrot moon-dancing to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, but that won’t get you a paying client. With shock-value or entertainment videos, once she’s satisfied her curiosity about the hook or laughed at your parrot’s antics, she’s gone. It might be enough to keep a subscriber or Facebook page fan following you, but it doesn’t convert to the sort of trust that makes her put her money down on you and select you out of all your competitors as her coach.
From a marketing relationship perspective, how your story relates to her is the only thing that’s is going to make her stick around to hear the end of your personal tale and decide that you are someone she trusts … and who, more importantly, understands her. (That will take weeks off the trust-building process and qualifying-to-buying cycle!)
The first thing to do is put yourself in her shoes. Is she going to want to read a long, rambling tale that details just about every event in your life? No. Does she really care if you won the Blogger of the Year Award? No. She wants the relevant details – the ones that hit her right in the gut and make her say, “wow, this person really knows what it’s like!” To craft a powerful story that makes her feel this, you need to know your client – particularly, her biggest pain point.
That is going to be what your story addresses. The actual personal details may vary, that specific deep well of pain is what you have in common.
Secondly, your story needs to make a promise – and that’s to give her a key for getting past or overcoming that pain point. So inspirational stories are good – especially when they are raw and real.
The stories that connect most powerfully are stories that address not only your own “why” – why you do what you do – but appeal to the “why” behind your ideal client’s pain point. Sure, Doris wants to make six figures in less than a year – but why does she need to do that? What deep emotional need is driving her? Because you can bet there is a deep emotional need. Those who think that money is just about money are seriously mistaken. It’s always about what money represents to each person.
Nine times out of ten, your potential client has a deeper emotional motivation and need. Even if she denies it. That’s where researching your potential client and getting to know what lights her up like a Christmas tree – either with enthusiasm or anger – comes in. Both these emotions (enthusiasm and anger) are powerful motivators. So, too, is joy.
If you are researching, monitoring, and hanging out with potential clients, you inevitably will notice your followers talk about things YOU can relate to. Those are big clues as to which story details you can include.
And if you understand where she is now in her life, you can go back to where you were “back then” – and connect by using it near the start (or right at the start) of your story.
Knowing your ideal client’s “why” tells you instantly what parts of your personal story will catch that person’s interest and keep her reading. It helps you find your own “why”.