Episode 34: A 90-Day Plan to Turn Your Stories Into Sales

00:54 You're listening to The Business of Stories with Susan Paton, showing you how to share stories that do the selling in your business so you don't have too. I was recently working with a client who was right at the beginning of her business journey – she didn't have anything in place Which always really excites me because I know what an incredible journey we're going to go on and how their business, and their confidence is going to be in a completely different place in a relatively short time. And to help them see that, I actually map out the first 90 days in a very visual way exactly what we're gonna be working on step by step task-by-task to get their stories working for them quickly

01:43 And I call it the 90-day Turn Your Stories Into Sales Roadmap. And actually, this is exactly what I would do if I was starting all over again or if I had a business and was showing up and doing the posts and writing emails but not seeing results. This is what I would do with anyone who's not attracting their dream clients and not seeing consistent sales because their messaging feels unclear or people are engaging but not buying And everything I cover in this plan is only going to be more and more important as the world gets noisier, and it gets harder and harder to know what's real and what isn't. So I thought I'd talk you through that plan in this episode step by step so that you can use it to map out your own story-led sales system that builds awareness and attracts the right people

02:40 Creates connection and builds trust. And converts stories into actual clients There's nine steps, and I've given you ten days for each step so take your time Every single step is critical Don't miss any out even if you feel like you've already done it Some of these things i've talked about in the podcast before But maybe this is your sign to go back and review what you're doing. Update your messaging, think about your stories make sure it's all super relevant and working for you! Okay let's go... So the first 30 days I'm calling phase one The Foundations And days 1-10 so the first 10 days You're going to work on your core story

03:33 And if you're not sure what that is, I think a good way to think about it is... It's the story you would tell if you were a guest on someone's podcast. Their first question was So I'd love for you to start by sharing What has led you here? Doing what you now do What has that journey looked like for you? What is the story you would tell That is what I call your core story The important things to keep in mind as you share that story is that you need to tell it in a way that resonates and connects with your ideal client. This isn't your full life story, its the parts of your journey that are relevant and relatable because thats what will create connection & build trust It also needs to be more than just a series of events like this happened then this happened

04:29 For people to feel connected to you, they need to feel something when they hear your story. So remember to include how you were feeling what you were thinking what decision you had to make What felt hard? What felt scary? It's also a chance to get your values and passion and personality across so that the right people hearing it will feel drawn to you So, as you tell your story you want people to feel like they're on this journey with you. And if you're not sure how to do that, you could use the simple structure I talked you through in episode 12 which was somebody wanted but so then...

05:13 So if I was on a podcast and someone asked me what my story was, I would follow that structure by talking about how I wanted to build a business. Right? I wanted to help people and I wanted to grow a great business doing that but i didn't have any clients nobody was buying my coaching because I wasn't doing any of the things that I show people how to do now and so people weren't seeing the value in working with me And I talked about how I felt, and in particular one moment when I was sat at my kitchen table with my husband telling him that my business wasn't working and something had to change. So then I decided to be very honest and real and share my story warts and all...and then everything changed!

06:06 People reached out to me, people connected with me. People wanted to work with me and I realised just how powerful storytelling is! So craft your core story and share it lots Don't fall into the trap of thinking, oh I've told it a couple of times everybody's heard it. They haven't or if they have they forgotten it and new people will be coming into your world so you need to keep sharing it and once you know it really well and you have a great structure to follow You'll be able to tell it in 60 seconds or 3 minutes or 20 minutes depending on what you're doing who the audience is and how long you've got So that's your task for the first 10 days

06:50 Craft your core story. Make it engaging for the people you want it to connect with and look for the opportunities to share it. Okay, next days 11-20 You're going to work on your customer story And by your customer story I don't just mean what they drive where they like to eat? I mean really understanding their story What is going on for them right now Who are they? What do you know about them? How specific can you be and please, BE SPECIFIC. You can't work with everyone right?! You haven't got the capacity! I have clients who only want six clients and yet they're frightened to niche in case there's people they miss out on working with but you will get more clients by being specific about who they are than you ever will by trying to talk to everyone

07:47 I talked a lot about this in episode 7. And, I talked about a coach who only works with women aged 28-30 who've just been promoted to their first managerial role! That's so niche but what does it tell you about her? She must really understand her ideal clients well… There is only 3 hours of Three year, three hour that would be funny. Three-year window that you can work with her It's so specific and there must be a reason for that And it's because she knows that woman She knows where they're at in their life and their career She knows what their journey looks like right now What they're facing? What they're navigating? And what they need help with! If you were 28 or 29 year old woman who'd just been promoted to your first managerial role You'd want to work with the expert right

08:43 So, when you think about your ideal clients how specific can you be? What's happening in their life or business right now. What do they want and by the way it is not your coaching or strategy or whatever else you do! So what DO they want? A thriving business that feels aligned with who they are? A life that lights them up to find love of their life? To feel confident in their body and excited about life again? So it's really important to understand that story. Where they are, where they want to be who they want to become and what stopping them from having that? What's getting in the way and how is that making them feel you need to understand their internal story as well as their external one if you want your posts and emails and content to really truly connect with them

09:37 You need to know their story so well that when you talk about it, your idle clients feel seen and heard and understood. OK? So that's your customer story. Now we get to the fun bit days 21-30 We're going to look at your golden threads that connect your story to your idle clients' story And there'll be lots of them There always is Find the connections. Join the dots between what they're doing to how they're feeling, to what they want and stopping them For example as I'm recording this i'm working with Trish O'Connor who works with leaders in the visual arts and cultural sector

10:25 Her story is that she has several decades' experience of climbing the corporate ladder in cultural organisations, including the V&A, the Tate and the Southbank Centre. Working with many teams and artists and curators along the way What's great about her story is that she knows her ideal client so well, and she knows the unique challenges that come with working in that industry. She knows it's an industry that attracts people who are passionate about the arts and want to make a difference but also understands first-hand the pressures and expectations of working in a sector where resources can often be limited

11:12 So, for her messaging to not get lost in a sea of very samey messaging and content around leadership we looked at the golden threads that showed that she has a very unique perspective when it comes to understanding what its like to be a leader in that industry. We looked at how her ideal clients are feeling, what they're struggling with. What they're avoiding? What they're having to navigate? How the challenges at work are affecting other important aspects of their life? We looked at where they need clarity, where they need to set boundaries have clearer priorities find balance again and where those same things have shown up in her story

12:01 By doing that, we were able to find lots of golden threads. And the sweet spot in the middle is where it all comes together and you can tell the right story to the right person in the right way at the right time in their journey And if you want to explore your own golden threads and sweet spot more, and have me walk you through another client's example of how we found their sweet spot – and what finding that enabled her to do – have a listen to episode 9. Which is your sweet spot! So… Your story doesn't just connect because you have an I've been where you are now story

12:41 It can connect in so many ways when you really understand the emotions, the struggles and how YOU relate to how they're feeling. And the more clarity you get on that, the more your messaging and content and everything you do in your business is going to help you stand out and be seen and heard by people you love working with! And the more clarity you will have as we move on to the remaining things that we're going to do in the next 60 days. Okay, so now that we know your story and we understand your customer story and we found those golden threads and that sweet spot in the middle... The rest is going to be fairly easy as we move onto phase two which is messaging & positioning

13:32 So days 31 to 40, you're going to be creating a really clear and compelling message. A message that gets across who you are, who your ideal client is what the problem is that you solve? What your solution is and what success looks like so that people can clearly and easily understand what you do, who it's for and what its going to enable them to do And what's really important here is that you use their language. So many coaches are using language that is coachy and jargony, and the problem is that after a while you get so familiar with that language that you forget that no one else actually knows what it means! Your clients won't know what trauma-informed coaching is

14:27 Or what integrative coaching is, or somatic coaching. So it's really important to use everyday language that is actually going to connect with them and make them feel like you get it! Make them feel seen and understood. Make them want to work with you so your message needs to be simple using everyday language and clear... Really clear about the problem itself What they're going to get from working with you. What's going to change? What's going to be different? It needs to feel tangible You might be talking about finding inner peace, but what does that look like? How will that show up in their everyday life? What will be different? It's got to speak to them about something that they want

15:13 So you've got 10 days to work on crafting a really clear core message that can then run through everything you do and help you get known for what you do, have people refer you tell other people about you and attract the clients who are a really good fit for you so you can build the business you love. OK, now we're flying along because we have everything we need to start weaving your clear message and compelling stories into everything you do in your business. So days 41-50 is when you are going to create or rewrite the homepage on your website

15:55 And there is one important story that you should be sharing on your homepage. And that is your customer's story, Your homepage needs to speak to them instantly the moment they land on it so they immediately know that you're talking to them and inviting them into a story that they want to be a part of You want to speak to the problem they're facing and the transformation they want, and what success looks like. Because doing that will position you as the guide that can help them get there Your homepage should take them on a journey from where they are now to where they wanna be Not by explaining your whole process not by listing all your awards and qualifications not really talking about you at all

16:46 They need to land on your homepage and think, that's me. That is what I want! That is what's in the way. This person gets me and knows what I want and clearly knows how to help me get there. And you don't do that by talking about YOU. You do that by talking about THEM and showing THEM what you can help THEM achieve So start with what they want, right up the top in the heading. Not who you are not introducing yourself or listing your credentials but with the ultimate transformation that they want

17:23 What does the happy ever after they want look like? Then talk about the problem, the challenge. To show them that you know it, you get it – not in loads of detail but we wanna show them that you understand so well that you can sum up a couple sentences maybe even better than they can! And if you struggle with this part, it may be that your message isn't as clear as you thought it was. That's a very normal and helpful part of the process so if you do get stuck on this step I always recommend going back to your stories and messaging and making sure you've got the clarity there that you need

18:05 So, after you've talked about the problem you want to reassure them that it doesn't have to be that way. That things can be different and this is where you want to really paint that picture of success What will their life or business or health or relationships or finances what will it look like on the other side of working with you? And use testimonials that show them what others have achieved Not testimonials that talk about how nice you are, but testimonials that show them what that journey was. From I was here with this problem to how working with you helped them make the changes they needed to make... To this is what's shifted! This is what's different now. This is how my life is better and this is what it's enabled me to do. Okay next 10 days we're on Days 51-60

19:00 Time to create or rewrite your about page. When someone goes to your about page, it's because they want to know if you are a good fit for them They want to see that you're real and credible and someone they feel connected to So this is where you tell YOUR story but always with your ideal client in mind Remember we looked earlier on at the parts of your story that your ideal client will connect with People buy from people they trust and feel aligned with, and feel connected to. And your story can build that trust and connection So go back to the work we did in the first phase and share your story on your About page Go back to the golden threads Focus on parts of your story that will connect and resonate and position you as a guide in your customer's story This is where you get to show people who you are

20:01 And it's an important part of your website. Apparently 52% of people say it is the first thing they look at when they visit a site and are thinking about working with someone! So getting your About page right is critical If you want to give your idle client a sense of who you are, what you're about Show how different you are Give your dream clients a compelling reason to choose YOU Instantly create a connection Have people showing up already knowing they want to work with you Ok, it's going well. We have some very strong solid foundations in place and we have 30 days left to focus on Phase 3 which is about getting visibility and sales so during Days 61-70 I would build out your content framework And here's what i mean by that

20:57 There is no quicker way to stay stuck, have no one refer you get tumbleweed on your content or feel like you're talking into a void than confusing people with random disjointed pieces of content that don't feel connected in any way. I've seen it so many times. If someone books a call to talk to me about working with me, I always go and check out their content first. And inevitably there's either very little of it because they don't know what to post or its a bit all over the place and it is not easy to quickly understand what they do and who for

21:38 And I get it, it's hard to know what content is actually going to land. And keep coming up with new ideas and new ways to talk about what you do But now that you have your key stories and a clear core message You can create a content framework That will make it easy for you to keep all your content aligned and consistent around that! And I don't mean just on social media I'm talking about your emails, your talks, your videos, your podcast. What you're creating what you're offering how are you showing up? What you're talking about it all needs to have a clear core message that pulls it all together and sits at the heart of everything you do. Think about a song what holds a song together the chorus right

22:33 And I bet if i asked you to sing a few bars of We Are The Champions by Queen, you'd sing the chorus. Which pretty much is we are the champions sung several times because the chorus is the bit of song that we remember and it's usually repeated over and over again Choruses are catchy they're memorable they literally get stuck in our heads for hours or days And I'm so sorry if you're now going to be singing We Are The Champions for the rest of the day. But the chorus brings everything else in this song back to it! The verses are where we get to hear the story unfold, but the chorus is that one central theme or message that sits at the heart of what this song is about

23:25 And your messaging needs to be like that. You want everything you do to tie back to it, so people know what it is they can repeat it they can tell other people about it they can tag you into posts recommend you as a speaker because it's super clear what you do and who for And when I see people with content that's all over the place and a bit confusing, it doesn't flow or feel connected or aligned or consistent… It is because they don't know what the chorus of their song is. Understanding your story – your customer story – your golden threads – your core message

24:03 And pulling it all together into a simple framework will make it so much easier for you to get known for what you do and get more clients. And avoid putting out random mishmash of topics with no central focus! So work out the chorus of your song, and make sure it pulls everything you do together Okay, we're on the home run and we're moving into one of the most important things in your business. Your sales strategy! So days 71 to 80 you are going to define your sales strategy Everything in your business needs a strategy behind it right? Your stories need to have a purpose. You content needs to be doing a job and they should all link to your sales targets

24:56 You need to know what you're selling, who you're selling it too. How many do you want to sell? When do you want to sell it? Because then everything you can have a strategy behind it This is about knowing what you wanna achieve from creating and posting your content and writing your emails and showing up and being visible I recently worked with client whose content was very random and disjointed And rarely had a call-to action So, before we started to create her content plan I asked her what her sales goals were. She said she wanted 10 one-to-one clients on board by September which was six months away at that point! Her one-to-one coaching program was three months long so we mapped out when she wanted people to join how many clients she could handle at any one time and when she would have availability for more

25:49 Once we'd mapped that out, we knew when she would be opening new spaces up for her 3 month program and were able to put a plan together that would let people know what she could help them do, what problems they could solve, why was the perfect guide? What success would look like? How she could help them achieve it? And what working with one-to-one would look like. So, you've got 10 days to get clear on what your sales targets are. What you want to promote or launch and when? And then I recommend putting a promotional calendar together so that you can easily see what you'll be promoting and when! Of course things can change… I often change my plan when I get new ideas or change my mind about something but having a plan to work with always helps me stay on track with my sales targets

26:41 And align my content with my sales goals. So, once you have a sales strategy, you'll know what to focus on before during and after your launches promotions and offers... ...and what your call-to-actions need to be! Finally we're in the last 10 days of your 90 day plan… …and now you have everything you need to create a 3 month content plan So, days 81 to 90 you can create a content plan that is aligned with your sales goals. So you know what content you're posting, what offers you're promoting and what you want your ideal clients to do next

27:26 You can share lots of stories, talk about the problem you solve, the solution you offer and the success you help people achieve. With a clear consistent message that runs through it all that connects with your ideal clients and helps them see why YOU are the perfect person to help them do whatever it is they want to do! And as you think about putting your 3 month content plan together there may be times when you wanna focus on building your email list So you can then use email to connect with your ideal client, build trust and nurture the relationship. There may be times you want to focus on creating a waitlist for an upcoming program or something you're launching but please also make sure there are plenty of times that you let everyone know what you are selling and that you have space for two new one-to-one clients next month or an in person event coming up or your program is open

28:24 So that is your 90-day plan. If you follow it, you will have clarity in your messaging, confidence in your content and a strategy and system that supports consistent sales. And you'll see that your story isn't just something you share – it's a powerful tool that sits in the foundations of what your business is about. It creates connection. It builds trust And it can have people showing up already knowing they want to work with you. And as always, if you want me to help you implement your 90-day plan faster and more effectively simply send me a message! Whether you prefer to work one on one in group or mix of both there are number ways I can support you get it done

29:19 Just send me an email at susanathebusinessofstories.com and let's chat about mapping out your 90 day plan so you can get the clients you want, and build a business you love! So as always before I go let me give you an action step that you can go away and do here is your action step for today Start Your 90 Day Plan Put your core story together. Make it relatable, share it for your idle client Look for opportunities to tell it Know it so well that you can adapt it to the conversation or audience you're sharing with in 60 seconds or 30 minutes So thats your action step for today Start to work through this plan and your business could be a very different place in 90 days

30:16 And I'll see you next time for more stories that do the selling for you, so you don't have to. Thank you so much for being here! I love that we get to do this together Would you do me a huge favour and please rate review and follow this podcast in Apple Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts? And i'll see you next time For more honest conversations meaningful connections and of course stories The