"Great stories happen to those who can tell them." --Ira Glas
“Adrian, how do you do this?”
My friend asked me referring to my sales emails.
He said, “Do you seriously just come up with stories every single day?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“How the hell do you do that?” he said back.
Well, I'm about to show you exactly how I do it.
After this short read, you will know how to turn every single story into a sales message.
There is an art to it, and it's not hard to master. You just got to be consistent, that's it.
Being consistent with what I show you here will turn you into the best marketer on the block. You don't need to be smart or whatever the hell you think you need to be.
You don't even need to be creative. Just be consistent.
Now, how do you turn every story into a sales message?
Before I show you how to do that I am first going to sell you on why "Story-selling" is the way to go.
Why Stories Sell More Than Any Other Kind Of Marketing
I've written about this before, but I'll go into it a bit deeper here.
As a trained hypnotist - I have uncovered a lot about human behavior, influence, and what it takes to get somebody to make a decision.
Here is what I've found out.
Human beings are emotional creatures first. Logic is second, always.
We do not think our way through life like many of us believe, instead, we feel our way through life. In every single moment, there is an emotion that is present.
A mind empty of thoughts still feels.
And emotions, our feelings, are the things that drive every single decision we make.
So, if you want to influence somebody to do something, like make a purchasing decision, you need to appeal to their emotional side.
This is how Hitler got millions of people to commit such heinous acts.
He captivated their emotions and got them all riled up, believing anything that left his worthless little mouth.
None of what he said made logical sense. Be the only race in existence and rule the world? What the f***?
Logically, it's stupid. But emotionally? Makes sense for somebody who's been basically hypnotized by Hitler.
My point is simple: Tap into the emotions of your prospect and you can snap your fingers and make them a buyer.
And you guessed it...
Stories are the easiest way to do that.
Since the dawn of time, human beings have been captivated by stories. It's how we gain an understanding of the world and make sense of things.
For millennia we have made sense of this thing called life by hearing the stories told by other people.
Why? Because stories have this amazing ability to get us to feel deeply.
This is because stories create images in our minds, and these images are what our emotions follow.
For example, as a vegetarian, I can hardly stand the thought of eating meat. It makes me want to throw up. In other words, just picturing eating meat brings this funky feeling over me.
That's because I do not have an "appealing" picture of meat in my head. When I think of meat, I think of a pig with all kinds of diseases living in horrid conditions. Ones where infections are expected.
Do you think I have to fight the urge to eat meat every day with that image in my head? Absolutely not.
On the other hand, a meat eater likely pictures all of the tasty dishes of meat when they think of meat. Maybe they picture a big juicy and cheesy burger.
With that image, they'll feel pleasant about eating meat. Do you see how it's the image we hold in our mind that determines what we do or don't do?
And stories by their very nature create images in people's minds.
Here's an example:
"It was a cold, pitch-black morning. My teeth rattled together as my feet touched the floor.
Suddenly, a loud crash comes from downstairs, followed by two more big thumps.
Every hair on my neck raised, my heart tightened up and I could feel my stomach turn into a knot.
I decided to get up anyways, and as I made my way downstairs, what I saw made my eyes nearly drop out of my head."
Do you see how you just pictured all of that? As you read that you created a mental movie in your own head, without me having to try. It happens on its own.
And when you can create an image in someone's mind, you somehow become a director of that movie, and you can direct it in the way that you choose.
Drawing out the emotions that you want to pull out and leading them in the direction you want to take them. This is how movies can get us to stick around for hours, even if the movie is boring.
For example, I thought the movie News Of The Times with Tom Hanks was so damn boring. Like deathly boring to sit through. The only reason I didn't leave is that at the start of the movie, they tie you in with a story: a little girl who is lost and needs to find her way back home.
Although boring, I was emotionally invested in seeing if that girl made it home. And more than 90 minutes later... she did.
The director of that movie "controlled" my actions in a way, and to make it even more genius, they made it seem like it was my idea.
This is the power of stories, and with them, you can damn near control the mind of your buyer. I know that seems like it could be bad, but if you're in business to help people (like I am), then this skill is crucial.
It's how you're going to impact people. It's worth mastering.
Do you get it now?
If not, just remember millions if not billions of people will pray before they go to bed tonight. All because some guy 2000+ years ago told stories that changed the literal direction of history.
Now, let me cover the most important aspect of telling stories that sell.
The Key To Turning Every Every Story Into A Sales Message
Without this one thing, you will always struggle to be a great storyteller.
And it's so simple that you may just gloss right by this, but if you do, I assure you will be leaps and bounds behind the marketers who do this one thing.
What is this one thing?
Here it is:
Assume that stories are everywhere. And assume that every story can be a sales message.
Not to be corny, esoteric, or woo-woo but the only reason I can do this is because I sincerely believe that stories are everywhere and I assume that everyone can be turned into a sales message.
Assume it. Now.
Next - it’s time to start telling your brain to “look” for stories for you. Trust me, it will.
Think back to the time that you purchased your current vehicle.
I bet that when you drove off the lot you began seeing the exact same year, make, and model as yours. Like everybody just copied you. Right?
That’s because of our Reticular Activating System.
Basically, the moment you’re mind becomes aware of something, you begin seeing it in your experience everywhere.
So if you’re looking for stories, or just tell your brain to find them, you will begin seeing them everywhere.
It is natural and will happen without your effort or faith.
Your only job is to give your mind a clear instruction: find the stories.
And I promise…
They will come.
How To Tie Your Products And Services Into Stories
So when those ideas do come, how do we tie our sales message into it?
Simple - find the “lesson” or “golden nugget” inside of the story, and tie it into your product.
A study by the University of Texas at Austin found that people are better able to remember information when it is presented in a story format.
The study found that participants were able to recall 65% of the information that was presented in a story format, compared to only 50% of the information that was presented in a traditional format.
This is because our minds are receptive to new insights through stories more than a typical "lecture" style.
And all stories highlight lessons, in some way you can find a lesson or insight in each story.
For example, there is a story of two monks who were walking down a path when they were approached by a woman in a white dress, she asked them if they could help her get over to the other side of the path without getting her dress muddy.
Without hesitation one of the monks picked her up and carried her over, and then they continued on their way.
5 hours later the other monk (who didn’t grab the girl) said, “Why did you pick her up? Don’t you know we aren’t supposed to touch women?”
“Oh, you’re still holding her?” said the other monk, amused, “I put her down 5 hours ago.”
The lesson in this story?
There could be many, but the one I'd grab out of it is how people “carry yesterday into today and miss out on the opportunities that life presents us.”
Like people carrying their excuses or “reasons” they can’t buy your product.
Then you can have them ask themselves if that’s really the kind of life that they want to live.
If not, then it’s time to “drop yesterday's excuses and buy the thing.”
Do you see how it’s done?
Remember: Stories make the mind receptive to new insights.
And once someone believes something they will act out on it.
Here are some other examples of stories that I've used as direct sales messages through email. And watch to see the pattern they all follow.
Example 1
Subject line: “Oh no, they’re drowning!”
Looking down, I noticed a group of them hanging out in the water.
There were about 20 or maybe even more.
Initially, I thought they were fine since they were all moving.
However, to my surprise, they were actually drowning right before my eyes.
Yesterday, after a few hours of rain, my backyard was covered in large puddles.
Approaching one of them, I could see a bunch of roly polies submerged in the water at the bottom.
“Oh, you guys can breathe under water?” was my immediate thought.
Followed by, “Maybe I should Google it.”
And when I did this is what I saw:
“Roly polies must live in damp locations because, like their ocean relatives, they use gill-like structures to exchange gases. They require moist environments to breathe, but cannot survive being submerged in water.”
“Oh shit,” I thought, “They’re fucking drowning.”
So I leaned down and began picking them all up and pulling them out of the water.
I went on to do this for nearly twenty minutes, going to each puddle in my yard to save every rolie polie I could.
Turns out rolly pollies LOVE hanging out underwater… it’s what they do.
But they forget that they can’t survive more than a few minutes while hangin’ there.
Their little brains don’t get it so they end up offing themselves.
They jump in the water and think,
“Oh, fun! This is awesome.”
And before they know it, they’re dead. Gone.
It reminded me of entrepreneurs who fall in love with their ideas but suck at marketing.
They have fun with their business, passionate about their idea, yet their lack of marketing skills leaves them drowning, hoping someone will save them -- aka buy from them.
This isn’t how the game is played though. You must know how to market.
Especially learning how to do it without spending a dime in capital.
It’s a skill that will pay dividends.. LITERALLY!
And you don’t have to join another $20k mastermind to learn how to do it (only to drown some more)
All you have to do is subscribe to my “No Capital Big Business” newsletter where I’ll show you many different ways to market your business WITHOUT spending any capital.
Oh, did I mention it’s free?
Cause it is.
Just click here and sign up: www.adrianmoreno.co
In the same way I saved those rolie polies from drowning, I’m offering my hand to save you from doing the same thing.
It’s what I do.
-Adrian
Example 2
Subject line:“That’ll never work, Buck.”
After nearly landing in prison, avoiding a lawsuit, and losing a close friend,
Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, met Marion Frank Rudy, a former aerospace engineer turned “nutty” shoe dog.
He had a crazy idea..
Injecting air into running shoes.
After Marion shared the idea, Phil ran it by his first employee, Jeff Johnson -- at which point he decided to give it a go.
His former track coach and business partner Bill Bowerman scoffed at the idea.
“Pff —air in shoes.
That’ll never work Buck.”
Phil, being the shoe dog and pioneer he was decided to still truck along.
However, once the LD 1000 came out with a flared heal with air, it began leading to problems.
If runners landed wrong it could cause pronation and serious knee problems.
He had no choice but to recall the shoe — preparing for severe backlash from his customers.
But guess what?
They were still happy.
Why?
Because Nike was innovating. They were doing things that weren’t done before.
They looked different. Felt different. Performed different.
And people were wearing them outside of the track, which was unseen before with other brands like Adidas and Puma.
All of his efforts were seen as progress, so when he made a mistake they didn’t mind…
That’s what happens when you’re leading from the front.
It’s the same with YOU as a brand.
How do you make people feel?
Do they associate the feeling of progress with you?
Do they feel like they are moving forward in life when they come across your brand?
This is what being a thought leader is all about.
Not innovating the next “Big thing” — but by leading people forward.
Helping others progress in their lives.
And most importantly, showing others what’s possible.
So, if you want to position your brand as a leader in your industry by positioning YOURSELF as a thought leader - then join my Power Pitch Program.
It’s made for people like you.
The ones who are bold enough to be an example of what is possible with the power of their story.
Enroll now: www.thepowerpitch.co
-Adrian"
Example 3
Subject line: My nephew “cheated” on his homework. Why I’m happy about it.
You ever heard of a thing called ChatGPT?
Of course, you have. You’re not living under a rock.
Turns out my nephew used it for his homework last week.
He said he couldn’t figure out this problem, and remembered that I showed him ChatGPT and gave him my login.
So he typed in the question word for word into ChatGPT and it gave him the answer in two seconds.
Then he said he had to show his work, so he asked it, “Show how you got the answer.”
He aced his homework.
Some would say he cheated, and he’s picking up a bad habit.
To those I say, “My nephew will make more money than you.”
All I see is an 11-year-old boy who understands the difference between working hard and working smart.
He is no timid boy. And no dumb one.
If the answer to every homework problem he gets is at his fingertips, why spend his time stressing about how to do it?
Why be less effective with his time? Why solve a lesser problem?
That’s broke people talk. People who don’t value their time.
Reminds me of high-ticket service providers who spend all of their time fishing on social media hoping they get someone to sign up.
Why do that when there are better and more efficient things to do with your time to get an even better outcome?
This is one of the many reasons I love borrowing other people’s audiences to short-cut my growth.
I don’t fish one-to-one directly with prospects to get business.
No, I just borrow an audience, attract flocks of high-quality leads and convert a healthy percentage.
In other words, I market to the people and organizations that have my customers, and then I get endorsed by them to their audience.
“A bigger bang for your buck” as my dad always says.
Work smarter. Market smarter. Make more money. Have more time.
That’s it, that’s the message today. Right there.
If you want to play small and eat crumbs on your way to the grave, that’s cool.
But if you want better results in your business…
And you refuse to work “dumber” when you can work smarter…
Then my Power Pitch Program will be the thing that gives you the boost you need - even if you don’t have a huge audience or a lot of credibility yet.
Like I’ve been saying, the time is NOW.
Hit the below link to grab it
-Adrian
Example 4
Subject Line: 'American Idol' Crowns Its 2023 Winner
And how this can make you all the money you want.
Who won American Idol doesn’t really matter.
How they won it is everything.
You see, I haven’t watched a single episode of American Idol in over a decade.
But every now and again I’ll come across a video on Facebook or Twitter from American Idol.
One day I came across this young man named “Iam Tongi”
It was his audition video.
It opened up with him talking about his father, who he had recently lost due to kidney failure.
My eyes quickly wailed up with tears as he talked about it. I could feel myself fighting them back as hard as ever.
Already, this guy captured my attention… and my heart.
Then… he sang a song called “Monsters” by James Blunt.
Needless to say, my eyes cheeks were soaked after he sang.
I couldn’t believe his voice. It was mesmerizing.
This is why I was so damn happy when I saw that he won.
Not because of his voice… rather because of the story he told.
It captured the hearts of millions of people.
His competitor Megan Danielle was a phenomenal singer too, but the fact of the matter is simple…
The emotional grip she had on America did not come close to Tongi’s.
America showed that with their votes and crowned him as the winner.
And if you want your prospects to vote for you with their dollars then you have to do what Iam did.
Not have a voice from heaven, but capture the hearts of your prospects by drawing out their deepest emotions.
This is the secret.
If you can emotionally connect with a prospect, they will have no problem choosing you over a competitor.
In order to connect with them on this level, you have to tell good stories.
Just like Iam Tongi did. His story, and the first song his chose to honor his story was the most captivating thing I’ve ever seen.
Not that he was “Marketing” per se, but as a marketer I couldn’t help but see the beauty of this.
A powerful voice backed by an arguably more powerful story.
No human can resist.
And if you back your products and services with powerful stories.
No buyer can resist.
This is why I urge you to start getting on podcasts NOW.
A podcast gives you the perfect platform to broadcast your stories to large audiences of people and capture their hearts.
As a result, you’re sales will increase and you’ll have what we call “Raving fan” followers.
The ones who vote with their engagement AND dollars. The ones who share you with their friends just like I shared Tongi’s audition video with my mom and my best friends.
When you use story-based marketing you can’t help but gain the upper hand and stand out.
I know you have a story inside of you. It’s time to start sharing it with the world.
You ready?
Click here to start >> www.thepowerpitch.co
-Adrian
Example 5
Subject Line: Lil Wayne Stuns Audience at L.A. Concert with Sudden Cancellation
Is Wayne losing his mind?
Would you have done the same?
Lil Wayne was at his last stop for his latest “Welcome To Tha Carter Tour” and he did something that left a sour taste in a lot of people’s mouths.
I have mixed opinions on it, nonetheless, it was a move that very likely changed the life of one of his artists (for the better)
And that artist is Allan Cubas. An up-and-coming rapper hailing from Honduras.
He signed to Wayne’s label “Young Money” a little over a year ago.
On the last show of the tour, Lil Wayne brought him on stage and instead of being cheered on…
Allan was booed.
Hearing this, Lil Wayne walked back out and walks up to Allan, and says,
“We’re not about to bend over backward for these folks.
We work too hard for this shit.
This is my motha-fucking artist Allan, we Young Money, we appreciate ya’ll time.”
Then he walks off stage: Show canceled.
After I saw this I went and looked up Allan Cubas on Youtube to see if he sucked like that crowd made it seem.
To my surprise….
I can’t stop listening to the guy.
He has a unique sound that I rock with.
With a blend of Spanish and English, raspy voice rap, and R&B style melody - he not only captivated me but a lot of other people too.
In the recent week, his Youtube videos have received hundreds of thousands of views with comments such as:
“Wayne standing up for his Artist brought me here. This hard to 🔥”
“Wayne a genius. Stopped his show for ol boy and now got ppl checking out his music. Genius marketing from the GOAT”
“Oh nah this is 🔥🔥🔥 and dude is about to blow.... stay tuned wtf. Wayne knows what he's doing”
“Young Money has a gem on their hands.”
So say what you want about Wayne, but the dude pulled a genius move in my opinion.
Yeah, he pissed people off.
They paid for a show and he canceled it halfway through.
However - I assure you that this artist that got booed off stage will never live the same life because of this move.
This is the power of standing up for what you believe in.
When you aren’t afraid to share your truth with the world you become like a magnet.
You attract people that will as I say, “Go to bat for you.”
I am now a fan of Allan Cubas.
A raving fan even. I am listening to his song “Inseguro” as I type this email.
I also respect Wayne more.
So ask yourself, are you standing up for what you believe in? Are you firm on what you stand for when you present yourself to the world?
Especially with your brand.
If you are, you’ll know it because people will be coming to you and thanking you with their dollars -- just like I’m thanking Allan Cubas and Wayne with my streams.
If that’s not happening for you and instead your always chasing down your next sale -- you’re not putting yourself out there in the market in a way that builds a magnetic reputation.
But there's good news: It’s easy in today’s age to do this.
No matter where your credibility and audience stand now.
With the internet, you can access tens of thousands to millions of buyers.
This is just another reason I love podcast guesting… It allows you a vehicle to do just that.
And in my Power Pitch Program, I’ll show you everything you need to know to get booked on more than 5 shows a month (or even 5 a week) so you can begin building your audience by sharing your value with the world.
But if you’re too scared to stand for what you believe in, please don’t join us.
I only want those bold enough to make a name for themselves in my program.
If that’s not you -- I have no idea what you’re even doing on my email list, to be honest.
You’re not invited to buy my stuff.
However… if you ARE that kind of entrepreneur… the one who isn’t afraid to stand firm in what they value and aren’t afraid to share it….
Then join me: www.thepowerpitch.co
-Adrian
Example 6
Subject line: Why I like unsubscribers
I woke up to a funny email today.
This was the kind of email that can hurt your feelings.
Not mine of course, in fact, I loved it.
It felt amusing and should I say… satisfying?
Anyhoo…
Here’s the email:
“Hi Adrian.
I find your emails and style of copywriting to be very offensive. You may be offending others as well.
I am choosing to unsubscribe for that reason.”
Now, here’s why this is a GOOD thing.
Think about this.
Does Harley Davidson try their best to appeal to everyone? Fuck no.
Are they successful?
Eh’I guess $6B+ a year in sales revenue isn’t too shabby.
The point is simple, every successful brand attracts a particular type of person and repels another one.
And that is why I wrote this woman back appreciating her for the compliment.
My marketing was working.
That email she replied to happens to be my most profitable email.
Her comment wasn’t a sign to change how I was marketing.
It was a sign that what I was doing was working, and to keep fucking going.
This is what it takes to be a thought leader who truly makes a significant impact.
You cannot, I repeat, you CANNOT impact the world by trying your hardest to appeal to everybody's preferences.
If you KNOW that what you sell positively impacts people’s lives then god dammit you have no fucking choice but to attract and repel.
Again, this is thought leadership. Not everyone will like you, but the ones who do…
Will go to bat for you because of how you’ve changed their life.
If you’re READY for that -- and know you’re not scared to be true to what you believe and show it, then join The Power Pitch Program, and let’s get your message out there.
Together.
Click here: www.thepowerpitch.co
-Adrian"
The Format Of Story-Selling Messages
If you read each one of those emails you will see that all of them followed a similar format.
First, an opening hook that drew them in.
Then the story itself
The lesson hidden inside the story
The seamless transition to my product (click here to learn more about these)
My CTA (Call to action)
Easy as 1-2-3. First, you open them up with a story, make them emotional, throw in the lesson, and then turn it around and make a pitch.
This kind of selling feels like a real experience for people, and it's this experience that actually causes real change in them.
The one that will make a positive impact on their life.
In Conclusion
If you want to impact more people, you have to sell more stuff.
If you want to sell more stuff, tell more stories. They are captivating, hypnotic, and influential and they create an emotional experience inside of your prospects, one that makes it easy for them to say "Yes" to giving you their hard-earned money.
Make a list of all of the beliefs and insights you need your customers to have, and then begin finding and telling stories that highlight those beliefs and insights and use them in your sales messages.
Begin telling one story a day and you'll find yourself making more money than you ever have before. Mark my words.
If you liked this article please share it and connect with me on Twitter @Adrian_markets.
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