In this week’s edition of Things I Wish I Knew, New York lawyer Joleena Louis explains how storytelling has made it easier for her to get new clients!
Since starting my solo journey, one lesson I’ve learned over and over again is that people care less about you and more about what you can do for them.
It’s must easier to build trust with a potential client when they believe that you can solve their problems. One of the most effective ways for me to do this is by using stories. Testimonials or case studies help your potential clients to see themselves in your past client. Then by seeing how well you helped others, you’re proving that you will be able to do same for them.
A good story is true, has emotion, and will make the listener feel connected to the “hero” of the story in some way.
For example, if I’m consulting with a prospective client, I’ll tell them a story about a similar client. Here is how I break it down:
- Make the hero someone they can identify with. In this case, I’ll talk about another entrepreneur I’ve helped.
- I’ll illustrate the struggles and concerns that person had.
- I’ll describe how I solved the problem in a way that stands out.
- I say how the issue was resolved.
- I highlight how well that person is doing now.
How I use stories in my marketing strategy
I’ve found stories to be a very effective way to sell myself and my services and use them in many areas of marketing. Some examples include:
My Website – You can use your website bio, a testimonials page or even video to tell your brand story. Make everyone who visits your website knows why you do what you do and what makes you different.
Networking – I no longer give an “elevator speech.” I tell a story based on who I am speaking with. Either a story that describes my ideal client or a story about how I can help the client’s of the person I am speaking to.
Ads – I’ve done A/B testing on my Facebooks ads and the ones that tell a story (in the copy or a video) do much better than the ones that don’t.
For example, one of my most successful ads was last father’s day where I posted a picture of a sad little boy playing alone, and the copy told his story of missing his dad. The call to action was to schedule a custody and visitation consultation so your children no longer have to miss you. At the same time, I posted the exact same graphic without the story and it only got a fraction of the clicks.
Social Media/Emails – On social media and in my email marketing I sometimes do case studies where I describe how I helped a particular client (with their permission), telling the story in the same format I mentioned above.
Stories are a great way to illustrate what you can do for your clients. If they can see themselves in the story they can see you solving their problem. And if they see that, then closing the deal becomes even easier!
Have you tried using storytelling in your marketing? Let me know in the comments below!
