1) Share powerful stories that connect
2) Let your competitors drown in numbers
P.S. Recently, I launched a free 5-Day Storytelling Challenge aimed at helping individuals master the art of storytelling.
Whether you're looking to boost sales, enhance marketing, or captivate audiences in...
None of these posts led to new business
These posts sucked up way too much of my time
Some of these posts did not contribute to my mission
Today, I have zero desire to go viral.
Playing the “likes and engagement” game is a slippery slope.
Instead of trying to go...
So far, I've been to:
-George Washington
-Thomas Jefferson
-James Buchanan
-Abraham Lincoln
-Rutherford B. Hayes
-Woodrow Wilson
-Warren G. Harding
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Richard Nixon
-Jimmy Carter
-Ronald Reagan
-George H. W. Bush
-George W. Bush
...museums.
Each one...
There are sales reps that…
…don’t have story strategy!
Instead of talking to your prospects all scared, wanna crush your sales goals?
You need to have story strategy.
You can have the same group of stories that you're sharing again and again, because you're...
Ok, now that I have your attention
In the U.S., there are approximately one million car accidents and 200 deaths each year because vehicles collide with deer.
During mating season, known as “the rut,” deer are twice as likely to get hit by a car.
Why is this?
During the rut,...
That’s the note his wife left him. She also took all their money.
In his early 20s, John Paul DeJoria found himself penniless and eventually homeless.
He desperately wanted to take care of his 2-year-old daughter.
He said, “When you’re this down south,...
1. You have to understand your ideal clients.
2. You share stories that relate to your ideal clients.
3. You engage (comment, "like," etc.) with your ideal client's posts
4. You network (virtual coffee/meet IRL) with your ideal clients.
5. You put them in a sales funnel that offers them an...
People want to feel that they can trust you, and the quickest way you can build that trust is through storytelling.
In addition, people are yearning for a real connection.
Understanding this is an opportunity for you and a chance to empower people through your personal and business stories.
...
If you're just casually asking AI to “write me a speech” or “write me a book,” be prepared for a product that could put anyone to sleep, even at a funeral!
Speaking of book writing…
Check out the latest episode in a 3 part book-writing series on the Stories With...
SHOW NOTES:
SERIES: This podcast episode is part of a book-writing series with Amy Lynch on the Stories With Traction Podcast.
1st Episode
2nd Episode
3rd EPISODE SUMMARY: In this episode, Amy Lynch and Matt Zaun discuss why you should write a book and some common objections people might have. ...
Then they can’t believe it.
Then, they deny that they doubted you in the first place.
Success zips many mouths.
Don't tell people about all the great work you're doing. Show them.
During the Great Depression, when things looked grim, the “Wienermobile” was launched and soon became a national icon.
Six Wienermobiles operated throughout the United States. The driver was called “The Hotdogger.”
The Hotdogger's job was to "meat" and greet people...
It was utterly repulsive. My co-workers and I found it nearly unbearable to be around him; he seemed to suck the oxygen out of the room. His behavior stemmed from a deep-seated inferiority complex—he felt the need to puff himself up, trying to project an image of greatness, all while being...
LinkedIn post #1: had 2 likes and 1 comment
LinkedIn Post #2: had 1,587 likes and 735 comments
Guess which one landed me the most business?
Believe it or not, it was post #1.
You see, the person who commented found the content super relatable to him, and he became a huge client.
...
I have amazing friends.
Not just any friends; people that I could call at 2 a.m. (if I was in trouble) friends.
Tomorrow, one of those friends gets a little older.
This man helped me...
Launch my speaking business (9-years-ago) and my podcast (4-years-ago).
He's been there for me...
Constable & Robinson was the first publisher approached by J.K Rowling.
They turned Harry Potter down.
They suggested that Rowling take a writing class because they thought her work stunk.
She went on to sell over 500,000,000 books.
Just because some people don’t like your...
I’m hopping on a plane to California (yes, I was there last week, too)…
...but this time, I'll be speaking in the Los Angeles area.
I’ll be doing 2 strategic storytelling workshops there!
My goal for the audiences: massive change.
If they utilize the concepts...
Most of it was a waste of time.
Save yourself the time, and just do this...
1. Open up a spreadsheet.
2. Put the top 10 people on it that can help you get to where you want to go
3. Think of all the stories you can share with them that will be relatable to them.
4. Start engaging on their...
SHOW NOTES:
SUMMARY: In this episode, Alicia Parr and Matt Zaun discuss a simple framework for motivating and aligning a team.
FRAMEWORK MENTIONED:
- Affirm and reiterate beliefs, principles & values.
- Look what we’ve accomplished. We’ve done great things together already.
(Localize...
...Dan Koval, is always reminding me to not only work hard but to play hard, too!
Sometimes, we get so caught up in the go, go, go that we forget to slow down and actually enjoy life.
This week was awesome! I conducted 2 strategic storytelling workshops in the Bay area for some incredible...
Take the place of:
-Empathy
-Compassion
-Love
A lot of people are talking about AI, but they’re not setting the groundwork to combat it.
If you want to create a vibrant company culture, you need to have a surge of storytelling…
…because storytelling touches on all of these...
I wanted to appear smart.
So, I wrote like I was writing to my professors. All academic.
My boss at the time told me, “Do you want to sound smart, or do you want to make sense?”
Great storytellers value clarity above complexity.
If you were to take Ernest...
He can't stand “bad guys” in movies.
Freaks him out.
But aren't we all allergic to adversity?
In the moment, we want it to be easy.
That doesn't make a great story, though, does it?
Next time you have a difficult client that you figure out how to deliver for, you need to capture the...
Excited to fly to the Bay Area.
Tomorrow, I'll be speaking at PCH, Inc.
We’ll be talking about how to…
-boost sales
-enhance internal communication
-and create a vibrant company culture
…all through the power of strategic storytelling.
The next few...