“People crave a wicked tale…
…and they will buy from the dude who tells them one.”
-John Carlton
Everybody UNDER-estimates the power of stories. Especially the “serious about business” guys. And engineering guys too. Guys like…. ME.
I used to write for a Canadian trade magazine that was for technical guys. Most of the stuff in this magazine was about manufacturing control programs and control system feedback loops and bar code readers and stuff like that.
One time I wrote this story about a friend who got fired from his job for no good reason. I described Generation X engineers being cynical and suspicious of the big companies they worked for.
The responses POURED in.
Another time I organized a training seminar for this company that built machines that made computer chips. Their guys were all MIT and Stanford engineers and I was nervous that the trainer, Mark Stremmel, was too “folksy” and informal for them.
I nervously slipped into the room at lunch time and witnessed all these MIT and Stanford engineers sitting in a circle around Mark as he told them stories of crawling under conveyor belts at Anheuser Busch fixing some obscure problem that shut an entire plant down.
They were spellbound. They LOVED it. It was such a refreshing break from their usual list of specifications. They enjoyed it so much… and they LEARNED A LOT. I bet a lot of those guys still remember Mark’s stories, 10 years later.
That cemented it for me, so ever since I’ve been telling stories in my emails.
I’m telling you a story right now, and here you are in the middle of your busy day… reading it.
(You were bored anyway.)
When I wanted to become an info marketer, I was forced to double the voltage of my storytelling skills. I joined John Carlton’s mentoring program so he could bust my chops.
That was a watershed decision. It’s what got me past the tipping point.
John has a program called the Simple Writing System and he’s offering superb free seminar videos and critiques in advance, to demonstrate what you actually get when you join his program.
I invite you to embrace storytelling and develop YOUR storytelling chops this afternoon – no charge:
http://www.perrymarshall.com/simplewriting
Perry Marshall
About the Author
Entrepreneur Magazine says: "Perry Marshall is the #1 author and world's most-quoted consultant on Google Advertising. He has helped over 100,000 advertisers save literally billions of dollars in Adwords stupidity tax."
He is referenced across the Internet and by The Washington Post, USA Today, and the Chicago Tribune.
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Perry,
There’s this series of video lectures by Jordan Peterson that almost ‘bridge the gap’ between Joseph Campbell & highly effective copywriting; the power of stories, how & why they enrapture an audience. Think you’ll love ‘em. The first one is titled ‘There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon’ & the concept is fleshed out in the follow up ‘Maps of Meaning’.
http://jordanbpeterson.blip.tv
Hope you’re having a great Bobsled Run.
I’m 2 minutes in and I love it already.