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online-business-signature-storyWhy do people buy from you?

Yes, you have a good offer. But a good offer isn’t enough.

Lots of research has shown that emotion is necessary for people to make a purchasing decision. They buy because the purchase feels good. They believe that the purchase will help them. It’s a common saying that people buy on emotion and justify it afterward.

If you haven’t written your signature story, use the guidelines here to get it done!

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Evoke emotions with a story

One way to evoke emotions is with a story. The story can be specifically relevant to the product, but you should also have a signature story, one that shows your audience WHY you’re in business, why you want to help them. Your story gives meaning to what you’re doing.

And that’s what clients really buy.

In the end, you really need at least one signature story and several others that work as powerful motivators for people to take action.

Your story opens their heart. It inspires others that they can also overcome their obstacles and succeed.  People buy that inspiration. You must tell your story.

A signature story is how you explain where you were and what happened to bring you to do what you do now to serve your clients. You show them your journey and help them imagine making a similar journey.

And by the way, when you finish crafting your story, it will re-inspire you!

Elements of a signature story

Not all stories are signature stories. You can tell short case studies about the success of a client. You can explain what happened to inspire you to create a specific product.

But a signature story is more complete. It has a structure. In fact, one of the definitions of a story is that it has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Your story should be a life-changing experience or realization that helped you overcome an obstacle or weakness.

Take a moment to write down some experiences that led you to where you are now, that created the YOU that you are now.

Now, choose the more meaningful and powerful of those experiences and lay out your story with these elements:

  1. Start with a hook: This is just a sentence or two to get attention. It should be something surprising or unusual.
  2. Set the initial scene: Describe the situation as visually and viscerally as possible.
  3. Explain the struggle, obstacle, or event: Examples are an accident, a feeling of failure, a bankruptcy, a loss of a loved one, a conflict, etc.
  4. Describe your turning point: What was the realization or transformation that occurred? What did you decide to do?
  5. Tell how you succeeded: Explain how you overcame or resolved the problem and the results you got
  6. Connect the story to the present: How did the events in the story lead you to what you’re doing now, to your business or this product? Explain the point of the story so that it’s perfectly clear. You can say something like, “Now, I’m on a mission to…”

You need to show vulnerability and express the emotions you felt.

Where do you use your story?

You use your story when you speak. Every talk, every webinar should include a story, or two or three.

A powerful technique is to start a story at the beginning of your talk and leave people in anticipation by moving on to the rest of your content without finishing it. Then, you resolve the story at the end.

You should also use your story on your website, especially on your About page.

If you write a book, your story should be there as well.

Get the “Write Your Story” worksheet

To help you write YOUR story, I’ve created a simple worksheet that will take you through the process.

Not only will this help your business, but you will find it personally meaningful.

Furthermore, you can reuse the worksheet to write multiple stories.

Get started here!

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What’s your story? Do you have a question about signature stories? Share it in the comments! And please share this post using the Share buttons below.

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    1 Response to "Why you need a signature story–maybe several of them"

    • Phyllis

      This is what I was missing, a signature story. Thanks for those 6 relevant points. My gears are turning quickly. I’m gonna get started on my ‘story’ right away.

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