Ep 07: Step #5 Your People - How getting specific can transform your story and your success

00:53 You're listening to The Business of Stories with Susan Payton, showing you how to share stories that do the selling in your business so you don't have too. I wrote my book The Business of Stories in 2021 and it was due to be published end of February 2022 So beginning of that year I started to think about how best to launch here on social media I'd already been talking about it loads. In fact, I started sharing about writing my book on social media and in my emails before i'd even written the first word of my book! I'm a big fan of documenting our journeys all of them so you can invite people in to be a part of them and I know that will terrify some of you the idea of publicly posting about something that you haven't even started yet let alone know if you'll finish it

01:51 But you don't have to be terrified of changing direction or changing your plans or your mind. And I'm going to talk about that in another episode So, I'd been busy sharing the book writing journey and everything it entailed and i had a waiting list of people who wanted to buy it when it was ready...and by the way creating a waiting list for anything is another thing I highly recommend! But I knew as I got closer to the date of publication that i needed to really ramp up my social media presence and I wanted to have a plan and a strategy in place so that I could do a really good job of getting it out there. I wasn't planning on doing any Facebook ads, so I needed to go all-in on my content

02:37 And I thought about getting some help with that. So, I asked around in a couple of groups that I'm in for recommendations for really good social media managers who could help me put an online book launch plan together and maybe even get some of it scheduled. As you can imagine, I got lots of recommendations! So, I started to check some of them out... ...and made a short list of two or three people to speak to that clearly knew their stuff and would be able to help me put a solid social media plan together And then I looked at one more person that had been recommended. And this one was completely different! She stood out, head and shoulders above the rest. Why? Because she had specialised – she only worked with authors. She was an online book launch social media strategist. When I went to her website, I saw all the book launches she'd worked on and all the authors she'd worked with

03:34 Every testimonial on her site was highly relevant for me because they all spoke to the exact thing that I wanted help with at that time. She had a really clear focus and niche, and that told me she would understand what I needed and how to help me on this very specific thing She knew the problems she solved really well. She knew what stories to share in her content and marketing, to help me see that she would be a great fit for me at this point in my journey. She knew what I wanted to achieve and showed how she could help do that. She wasn't trying to be all things to all people – she knew who her people were…and I could see that she knew me!

04:24 In a previous episode, I talked about step three of my process which is your customer story. And this step – step five – is your people! So you may be wondering what the difference is and why we're back here talking about your ideal client again? Here's why... Firstly the customer stories step of my process is where you're very much unpacking their story Along with your personal stories and your business stories, and looking for the connections. The overlaps, the common themes that come up so that you can start to get a sense of what ties your stories and their stories together Then as we continue to work through the process step by step And move into exploring those stories and digging for the gold in them and looking at things like your why which I talked about in the last episode

05:17 I see time and time again that people get clearer and clearer on who they really want to work with. They start to get even more specific! If you remember the story I shared in episode 2 about the business coach who niched to working specifically with business owners, who had preschool children at home and were trying to juggle all of things but felt like they were continually dropping all the balls? When we were early on in the process looking at her customer story, she was describing the business owner she worked with at that time which was before she'd had her aha moment. So she talked about how they were stressed and wearing far too many hats How they needed to grow but didn't know how without burning out or burning everything down

06:07 They had no work-life balance. They were working long hours, they were exhausted and frustrated because they didn't know how to start building a team and letting go of some of the day-to-day stuff without feeling like they were losing control So that was her customer story But as we continue to explore her stories, and she went back to that time in her life when she had three toddlers at home and how she struggled to keep her business going and ended up closing it down because she felt so guilty that she wasn't doing a good job for her clients or her family. That's when she realised there was a very specific business owner she wanted to help

06:50 And I saw her eyes light up and her energy shift as she had that realisation of who she wanted to work with, and what a huge difference she could make to them. She knew that what she could help them do would be a game changer for them their children, their family, their clients, their business, their income... ...and for their happiness and sense of purpose and fulfilment and enjoyment of life So then she was able to get really specific about who her people were and all the stories she could share that would specifically speak to them at this exact moment in their journey. And it's always so interesting to see how much clarity people get from going through this process

07:40 Business owners can spend years trying to work out what their niche should be, or if they should niche at all. Who their ideal client is? How specific they need to be and then they go through this process and look back over their own journey and start to connect the pieces find the common thread see the bigger picture And notice what starts coming up! As they do that the fog starts to lift They see things more clearly. They join up dots they've never joined up before and they get a real sense of what difference they want to make, the work they really want to do and who they want to serve So your people is where we look at who the exact person is that you want to work with And I know some of you will have some resistance to this...I get it! Do YOU have to be specific? No

08:36 Is your messaging and content way more likely to land with the people you love working with, if you are? Yes it is! And here's some of the things that happen when you are super super clear on who your people are. You'll develop a deep understanding of those people When you're not trying to speak to everyone you can really lean into and focus on the specific people you want to help. You'll get to know them so well You'll know where they're at, what they're thinking and what support they need right now. In my book I mentioned a coach who only works with women aged 28 to 30 who have just been promoted into their first leadership role that's so specific! And you know what? I've had more people ask me about that coach than any other person i mentioned in my book

09:34 Why? Because it's so clear what she does, right and who she works with. It's not vague. It's very specific So there is no confusion about who her idol client is It's so easy for people to self-identify, right? Ah that's me! Or instantly recognize that it is someone they know. Their partner or daughter or friend or colleague But also when you hear her talk about who she works with You instantly think wow She must really understand that person There is only a 3 year period That you could be her ideal client And there must be reason for that

10:15 She must deeply understand who they are, where they're at in their life and their career. What their journey looks like right now? What they're facing what they're navigating and what they need help with Do you think I'd have had that many inquiries if she just said she was a leadership coach No! I doubt i would've had any But because it was so specific, she has completely set herself apart and positioned herself as the coach those people need at that exact moment. She's created a niche and women who fit that profile who've just been promoted into their first leadership role they're gonna want to work with her because she's a specialist! She only works with them

11:03 Her program and her support is going to be highly tailored, 100% designed with them in mind. Completely shaped to their needs She'll know how to get those women a very specific result And if you are that woman aged 28-30 just been promoted You're not gonna want to work with anyone else right? You're going to want the expert who knows YOU so well And, as I bring every step of my process back to stories that coach is going to know exactly what stories to share that will resonate with her absolute idol client. Her messaging will speak directly to them and what they want The more you know your people the more you can talk about their worries frustrations and challenges and their wants and desires and hopes That's powerful!

12:02 Your idol client is never going to be left wondering if you actually get them. That social media manager that I mentioned at the beginning of this episode, I felt really confident and reassured that she would understand me and what i needed She'd know what mistakes I should avoid What resources would be most helpful for me What works and what doesn't Because she was a specialist in the very thing I wanted help with And, here's something else to consider. Because of that she could charge more! We expect and are often happy to pay more for specialist help and advice Let me give you an example of that In June 2024 I did a live 5 day challenge and it felt a bit off... I'd done quite a few challenges before so i knew what i was doing and i knew it worked

13:00 But from the minute I started promoting this one, it had a strange energy about it. I never really felt in flow – I was showing up at all the right places doing all the usual things and honestly I don't think anyone watching would have noticed anything different but something felt different to me…I struggled to put my finger on it but just never really relaxed into it so it felt hard instead of easy and fun I was talking to my business coach about it afterwards and he suggested that i needed to do some mindset work, and that maybe I was somehow sabotaging my own success. So I looked around for a good mindset coach... And as you can imagine! I got loads of recommendations and was starting to have a look at a couple of them, and had even spoken to one of them when a friend suggested I look at someone she had worked with

13:54 So I went to their site and saw instantly that i was their ideal client. They knew exactly who they wanted to work with, and they were very specific...and it was me down to a tee! They described me in detail. They described the stage of business I was at. They only work with female business owners who've reached six figures in revenue but are struggling with what they called a subconscious upper limit They described how I was self-sabotaging my own success whenever I was approaching or exceeding what I believed was my limit and what felt safe and comfortable for me to have, hold & build. And when I looked at the testimonials on their website they all described exactly the transformation I wanted to experience

14:47 They talked about breaking through the glass ceiling, removing all the self-imposed limitations. Completely rewiring their brain to feel totally comfortable with growing their business and their confidence. Story after story of women exactly like me getting the exact result I wanted so i booked a call And when I spoke to the coach, she continued to describe me so well that i just knew she was the one for me. I knew I wanted a work with her and then I asked the price and it was 10 times what I'd been quoted by someone else! Ten times!! It was an eye-watering amount. To be fair, it was working with them over a longer period –it was a six month package–and we would be meeting every two weeks but here's the thing

15:42 I was already sold. I'd already seen she specialised in helping people like me, I already knew she got me She really understood me and what was going on for me probably better than I did And i was already excited about working with her! I already saw myself getting the results I knew she had helped loads of other female business owners get She'd already painted that picture of success and I wanted it. So, I signed up and worked with her. In fact in some ways i was reassured by the fact that she had a package that just felt right for the work we were going to be doing together at a price that although it was expensive compared to other mindset coaches It actually felt a good fit for who she worked with

16:33 The stage of business they were at and, here's the key thing what she knew the outcome would be when she helped them break through the self-sabotaging behaviors and start experiencing the success they wanted to achieve. She didn't have to compete with other coaches on Price because she had specialized. She knew her people She knew their story. She knew she could help them and she knew her value Trying to be all things to all people can weaken your offer It can decrease your perceived value, and value is all perception right? And make it really hard to stand out But focusing on a specific idle client makes it easier for them to self-identify AND for them to say yes So

17:29 Who are your people? Who do you feel most called to serve? Who is the person YOU want to help win? Who is the person you can deliver the most value to? Who can you show up as your best self and do your best work for? Who can you make the biggest difference too? Spend a bit of time thinking about those questions, and see what comes up. But before you do that let's have this week's question from a listener Hi Susan, I'm Suzanne Pugh from Suzanne Pugh Hypnotherapy and here is my question. I want to know how stories can help me to get a clear message over to my potential clients because every client is different and how I work with each client depends on what they need in that moment and what they bring to me

18:27 Thanks, Suzanne. That is definitely a question a lot of coaches have and I totally get it! Your clients are all different and what you do is very bespoke And like you said just depends on what that client needs in that moment? I get that It's very intuitive and not formulaic and no two clients are the same and no two sessions at the same but That's the detail What you do with each client might be completely different and a mix of tools and practices that you've learned, evolved & made your own. That's what makes the way YOU DO what YOU DO unique! But when we look at messaging – and then what stories to share to help communicate that message – We're not looking for the detail. We're panning right out and looking for WHAT IS THE SAME?

19:20 You may be able to help all sorts of people with all sorts of problems, but what do ALL your clients have in common? What do they ALL want? Remember my story about the physio clinic. All their clients had different stories, different problems that had brought them to the physio clinic and they all needed different solutions and treatments and exercises... But we were looking for what was THE SAME! And from talking to a few of them, we found that what they all wanted was to get back doing the things they loved without pain. So even if you're a coach who uses all sorts of techniques and your clients are all struggling with completely different things You can still look for the common theme Maybe they want to be able do all the things they want to do without fear or stress holding them back

20:14 Maybe they want to stop self-sabotaging so they can grow the business they want without self imposed limitations. They want life to be easier or calmer, or change the story they're telling themselves which isn't serving them or making them feel good So step back from detail and look for what sits at the heart of what you do Think about what is true for all your clients. That overarching message that encapsulates what you do and what you help them to do, and then use stories to get that across You can share stories that show people that you get what they want, you know whats in the way, you know how to help them get past that so they can change their story and have the happy ever after they want

21:05 When you do that, people will see the value of working with you. Which is exactly what I'll be talking about in the next episode – step 6 of my process…your value! But before I go let me give you a quick action step that you can go away and do Here is your action step for today Share A Client Win And I'm not talking detailed case studies here, just a simple post with a short story about what a client was able to do after working with you. I've shared tons of mine in this podcast already because if you're anything like me, you learn from examples so the more stories and examples i share the easier it is for you to see what I'm talking about at each step of my process and you can do the same

21:59 When I first start working with a client, if i'm confused about what they do. I'll ask them to give me an example. I'll say tell me about a client? What challenge did they come to you with and what changed for them as a result of working with you? What was different then when they've shared a couple of stories with me? I can usually understand much better what they do and what they help other people do So rather than just telling people, share a story that shows them what you've helped another client do. And in doing so you'll show them what's possible for them! So that's your action step to go away and do – show people what you help your clients by sharing a Client Win. I'll see you next time for more stories that do the selling for you…so you don't have too!

22:51 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... More honest conversations meaningful connections and of course stories