The Story Selling Podcast

Mike Garner is a content and email conversion copywriter. He has a simple and important message: your story matters! On this call we discuss Mike's forthcoming book Stories That Matter: The Everyday Stories of Extraordinary Business People , plus a ton of storytelling insights. Listen in now to learn: How good storytelling is a catalyst for change Why your story is important and worth telling How...

Publishing a book is the most effective way to position yourself as the go-to expert in your niche. What's more, writing the book that only you can write is also a journey of discovery! (Sometimes called 'type 3 fun'...)  In writing your book you get to step back and discover who you really are. On this episode I interview Isse Muratspahić, a book coach with a unique perspective on the w...

The three reasons to infuse your marketing with authentic stories are to entertain , educate and enlighten . Often we’re laying the groundwork for an offer that will come down the line. BUT when that offer comes, it needs to be right! In 2019 Angela Tsai and her business partner launched a bunch of products and courses that totally flopped. So, she set out to find out why … Listen in now as we dis...

'Story Selling' is the art and craft of telling stories to sell high value products and services. But how should you structure your stories to attract your ideal client? Is the 'hero's journey' structure really your best option? On this episode I interview Roy Furr, author of The Ultimate Selling Story. Roy talks through his PAISA formula for story selling, including: Why your best copy should mak...

On this episode I catch up with Roberta Ravella, who is a course graduate of my Nurture Email Mastery course. Roberta is a marketing strategist for realtors and mortgage professionals. I think Roberta does a great job of telling stories in her work! In this wide-ranging conversation we discuss: How to select relatable stories to tell How tell stories that attract people who share your values Why n...

The storytelling work I do with my clients is entirely interview-driven. I interview people to explore and document their story, then present that story outwards through their marketing communications.  However the customer stories you gather can also be used to develop new products, drive innovation and sharpen your competitive edge. Stories can face inwards as well as out. Listen in to my c...

The "customer journey" is one of my favourite marketing metaphors. If you sell high value services, you usually need to take new potential customers on a 'journey' before they're ready to buy.  But what should that journey look like? And is it all about the tech? On this episode I interview customer journey architect Aveline Clarke. Listen in now as we discuss: The difference between the huma...

“Which email marketing platform should I use?” is an evergreen marketing question! It takes real time and investment to setup any email marketing tool. You need to be sure you are making the right choice. On this episode I interview systems expert Gareth Everson. Listen in now as we discuss: The difference between ‘software’ and ‘systems’ – and why it matters! Gareth’s 8 core eight core customer p...

Publishing a book can be a great way to attract a steady stream of qualified prospects. BUT, writing a book is a lot of work! At least, that's the assumption... In this episode I interview Vicky Quinn Fraser about the concept of 'MicroBooks'. A MicroBook is a short nonfiction book that delivers a powerful transformation to the right reader. Listen now to learn: What a ‘MicroBook’ is and how to mak...

I might have been living under a rock for a year, but it feels like 'ChatGPT' has burst onto the writing scene in recent months. Could this be the tool to (finally) automate your copy? Well no, of course it isn't. But it can still play an important role in your writing! On this episode I caught up with copywriter James Daniel to discuss how. Listen now to learn: How to use ChatGPT to produce quick...

Video can be a fast, effective way to build trust with new potential customers. The trouble is, most business video misses the mark. We worry about the technicalities of lighting, equipment and presentation, when what matters most is the script . On this episode, I interview copywriter James Daniel. James runs a video production service called Scripteroo. As the name implies, he's all about the sc...

Humans are rationalising creatures, not rational creatures. We tell stories to ourselves and each other all day long. At the highest level, these stories perpetuate or challenge the 'status quo', or the way things are. I've recently helped a friend and client, Derek Dearden, to publish a book about this called The Letter from 2100: A Possible World for your Grandchildren . On this episode I interv...

Did you know that storytelling can help with your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) efforts? To discover how, I recently spoke to copywriter and SEO expert Sam Boyd. Listen now to learn: Why to get 'beta readers' for any substantial piece of writing How stories can help you 'sell without selling' How stories can be used to illustrate the need for a product How to place stories in customer testimoni...

A few months back I was interviewed by Danny Iny's team at Mirasee for their podcast  Making It . On the show I talked about my journey into copywriting and some key lessons along the way.  Danny's team have kindly let me republish the interview here, so listen in and enjoy the show. The  Making It show can be found at https://mirasee.com/podcast/making-it/ . Strongly recommended.

In this episode, I explore how stories can help communicate your purpose and values. Listen now to learn: What barefoot running taught me about storytelling How storytelling allows you to understand yourself better, and gain perspective on your own values How to leverage the fractal nature of storytelling to build trust How to select stories that illustrate your core values

Your effectiveness as a Story Copywriter is in part determined by your ability to produce quickly. Your 'writing speed' bears little relation to how many words per minute you can type.  So what matters? How can you increase your writing productivity? Listen now to learn: The importance (and role) of ongoing research What skills you need to write quickly The number one problem that will sabota...

What time of day is best to write for optimum production? The short answer of course is 'it depends on you'. However, after working as a copywriter for many years, and training many clients, I think the question of 'when to write' is more nuanced than it seems! In this episode I discuss: My personal experience of writing at different times, and how to manage your energy How to minimise distraction...

I invited Orson back onto the Story Copywriter Podcast to continue our discussion about storytelling in video. This wide-ranging conversation covers: Can you use 'cliffhangers' in video to keep people watching? The 'bouncy start' vs the 'chronological start' Different use cases for short and long form video The role of white space in story planning The role of background music Why sound effects ma...

Have you ever been through an extended period of struggle in your life or career, culminating in radical personal transformation? If so, you have a 'rebirth' story on your hands! Learn how to apply the lessons of Sleeping Beauty, Frozen and Scrooge to your business storytelling. Learn: Why the rebirth plot is the close cousin of tragedy Why the plot is universally engaging and recognisable Who sho...

The 'tragedy' plot covers a wide range of stories that lack the 'happy ending' we are so used to seeing. From a business storytelling perspective, you might be wondering, "why would I tell a tragedy story?" Why would you tell a story without a happy ending? The answer is to draw your reader's attention to a potentially deadly problem they may have overlooked.  Listen now to learn: Why the 'da...

The comedy plot archetype first emerged in Ancient Greece, and has played an important role in literature over the last 2000 years. Can you use the comedy plot in business? Yes! Do you need to be funny to use it? NO! (Which for me at least, is just as well). Listen now to learn: The key element at the heart of every successful comedy plot Where to use the comedy plot in your marketing (hint: proba...

This episode of the Story Copywriter Podcast looks at the second basic plot based on a journey: 'Voyage and Return'. Voyage and Return is a versatile plot, with wide ranging applications for business use. Listen now to learn: Why the return matters MUCH more than the journey Why the voyage should remove or question your sense of self How to escalate drama and suspense throughout the story The key...

Want to place a truly engaging story at the heart of your marketing? One of the oldest and most engaging plot archetypes is the quest… It’s tempting to think of the quest as a ‘journey’. And while there IS always a physical journey in every quest, the journey is only a part of the hero’s ordeal! Learn how the quest plot works in practice, what the main ingredients are, and how to use it in a busin...

The ‘Rags to Riches’ plot is perhaps the easiest plot to use in business. Unfortunately, it’s also easy to get wrong, because most marketers only write about their riches! The secret to Rags to Riches is that neither the rags nor the riches actually matter much (and are subjective). What matters is the part in the middle. What is that part? Find out in this episode, and learn: Why 'Rags to Riches'...

This episode reviews plot 1 of 7 from Christopher Booker's book 'The Seven Basic Plots', and examines potential use cases in business. Listen now to learn: Why 'Overcoming The Monster' appears so often in literature The key elements of an 'Overcoming The Monster' plot Why I believe this plot likely isn't right for your 'signature story