From Sympathy Likes to Client Conversions: Crafting Stories That Sell | Ep 7

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Every coach on social media has heard the advice "just share your story" - but which stories should you actually tell? Not all stories generate engagement, and even fewer convert followers into paying clients. This episode cuts through the confusion to deliver a clear framework for strategic storytelling that actually grows your coaching business.

Discover why you need both your anchor "founder story" and smaller everyday narratives to build a memorable brand. I explain why repetition isn't annoying but essential branding - people need to see your story at least seven times before it truly sticks! Learn how to create a comprehensive story file with different versions of your key stories for various contexts and platforms.

The visual component of storytelling often gets overlooked, but your photos and videos communicate powerful emotions without requiring lengthy explanations. I break down which story formats work best for different purposes - reels for emotional impact, graphics for clarity, and carousels for step-by-step narratives. Most importantly, you'll learn which stories actually convert clients instead of just generating sympathy likes.

The critical difference between vulnerability and oversharing comes down to a simple question: are you sharing to get support from your audience or to offer support to them? Oversharing serves you; true storytelling serves them. Before hitting post on your next personal story, ask yourself who really benefits. Your audience doesn't need perfection, but they also don't need every detail of your personal diary.

Ready to craft stories that position you as the expert guide who helps clients move from darkness to light? Comment on this episode to learn more about my Signature Style System and transform your social media storytelling from random sharing to strategic client attraction. It's time to make your story the one they remember - the truth that ignites the reason they stay.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
If you're a coach on social media, you've probably
heard these words Just shareyour story.
And in your head, you thoughtwell, what frigging story should
I tell?
Should I tell the one about mydivorce, how I left my corporate
job?
Or maybe even that time I criedin the Walmart aisle because I
couldn't find what I needed?
Which story is the right storyto tell on Instagram?

(00:20):
And the truth is not all ofthem need to be told.
Not every story gets the likesthat you want it to.
Not every story is the rightstory for your business.
Today, I'm going to break downwhat stories you should share,
how you should share them andhow to make them actually grow
your business, and I do this allthrough my signature style
framework.
Now I know that we want to makeyour story the one they

(00:44):
remember, so let's go.
Welcome to another episode ofthe Story Lab.
Today, we're talking about whatstories you should share, how

(01:08):
you should share them, and we'regoing to actually work on this
through my signature styleframework.
So that's what we're going tolook at today.
So, number one this is thebiggest question I get Do I need
one big story like my originstory, my founder story, or can
I have a lot of smaller ones andjust go with the smaller ones.
Do I have to share everythingin my life or can I just share

(01:30):
bits and pieces?
And here's the answer you needboth.
Your founder story is theanchor.
That's what explains why you dowhat you do and why it matters
to your audience.
But you also need a bunch oflittle stories and little
lessons and client wins andthose moments when you go aha,
that's it.

(01:50):
But the good news is you cantell your story over and over
again.
People don't remember it thefirst time.
They remember it once they'veseen it repeatedly, usually at
least seven times.
Make it a reel, make it agraphic, make it a carousel.
It a graphic, make it acarousel.
Tell it in a podcast.
Repetition isn't annoying, it'sbranding, it's how you get

(02:10):
known for something.
So share your story.
As a matter of fact, Irecommend you build a story file
and each of your stories try tohave each of your main stories
that you tell in your businesstry to have a elevator pitch, a
three minute version of it and akeynote version of it, so you
can share it in all thosedifferent ways whenever the time

(02:34):
comes.
All right, so the next question,and this is really about how it
looks.
So we're going to take a lookat the visual of this.
How do I make my storiesengaging without writing a novel
?
And this ties into the picturethe video You've heard.

(02:56):
Picture shares a thousand words.
Your picture, or your video, isthe story.
So post something like a pictureof your old cubicle and your
corporate job.
That is going to tell a storyin and of itself.
That's going to tell a story ofbeing trapped, sadness,
whatever you want it to tell.
Or maybe you can post ascreenshot of your first Stripe

(03:17):
payment.
Your first client paid you.
Oh my God, this was amazing foryou and all the amazing things.
You don't need to tell a 2,000word story about it.
All the emotions, all theconnections, that's all in that
video or in that photo.

(03:40):
So sharing the visuals matterand, of course, format matters
as well.
Some stories belong in yourreels because you need to get to
the emotion.
Some can be graphics whenclarity matters.
Not every story needs to have along caption.
You could even use a carouselformat to tell a story.
So pick the format that matchesthe moment and that story that

(04:03):
you're sharing so that it worksfor you All right.
Now this is another big questionthat I get which stories
actually attract clients insteadof just getting me sympathy
likes?
And this is actually a trickyquestion because it depends on
how you're showing up.
You see, some stories that makeyou human actually are going to

(04:27):
land that client.
Some stories that you wouldn'tthink would land you a client
will help you get a clientbecause they see you as human
and they see you as somebodythat gets them.
So I shared this past week astory about my dog passing and
how my um, the dog who surviveshim, is actually dealing with it

(04:50):
and that story I I'm notdirectly expecting it to get me
clients, but that story issomething that makes me human
and shows me as a human in mycontent.
So that could get me somefollowers, me a client.
But what you really want tofocus on when you're looking to
drive the point home for clients, you need to show them the

(05:11):
transformation, and this iswhere I tell you you got to show
them the darkness and bringthem to the light.
It's that darkness and the factthat you understand their
darkness, that before and thenyou can show them that with your
service they're going to havelight.
You're selling happy.
That happy is what they want,that happy is what they're after

(05:35):
.
So that's what's going toconvert your clients and that's
stuff like what your clientsachieve because of you, what
they're going to get to becauseof you.
If it's just drama, if it'sjust the darkness, if it's not
showing them how you get tolight, they're not going to buy
because it looks like you don'tknow how to get them to that
light.
Now you can share whateverstories you want, just know that

(05:58):
you want to position yourselfas the guide to the light, you
want to help your audience andyou want to show them that you
can get them the results they'relooking for.
Those are the ones that aregoing to convert the other
stories.
Sure, you can share them, butthey're not going to get you
clients, all right.
So the next question is how do Ishare stories without feeling

(06:19):
salesy?
And so many people end thestory with buy my program.
Now, one week left in myprogram.
You don't need to do that.
You don't need to say commentyikes, if you're ready to buy,
you can just end the story withsomething simple like if this is
where you are, how can I help?
You can not end it with a CTA.

(06:40):
You could actually just talkabout some of the things in your
program, tell a story aboutsomething in your program and
how somebody's winning becauseof something in your program, or
share my new report is out thisweek.
We talk about this, this andthis and if you're part of the
signature membership, you'regoing to get this, this and this

(07:02):
.
That's a soft sell.
You're sharing a story butyou're not directly pushing them
to buy.
There's lots of ways you can doit and then have a system for
your stories.
Know that you're going to telldifferent stories and what each
of those stories is actuallygoing to accomplish.

(07:22):
When you share your founderstory, you want to inspire them.
When you share a client win,you want to show them that they
can get that win from yourprogram.
When you share a failure,you're showing that you're human
.
Have a system so that you'rebuilding connection with
credibility and, most important,what's the balance between
vulnerability and oversharing?
So oversharing all right, I'mgoing to be blunt here.

(07:45):
Oversharing is when the storyserves you.
If the only purpose of thatstory is to serve you, you're
oversharing, storytelling andconnecting.
And vulnerability is whenyou're serving the audience.
It's not so you heal.
It's so your audience learns.
If you're serving you, you'reoversharing.

(08:07):
But if you're helping yourclients, your audience, if
you're showing them the nextsteps, if you're bringing them
up, offering them a solution,that's appropriate.
That's vulnerability, that'sstorytelling.
Understand that there are twothings.
If the story serves you, you'reprobably oversharing.
If the story serves you, you'reprobably oversharing.
If the story serves them,you're telling a story.

(08:30):
You're being vulnerable.
You're reaching your clients.
So, before you hit post, askyourself am I sharing this to
get support from my audience oram I sharing this to offer
support to my audience?
Your audience doesn't needperfection from you, but they
also don't need every detail ofyour diary.

(08:52):
You want to keep some stuff toyourself.
You should keep some stuff toyourself.
It's normal.
So make sure the story servesthem.
So what story should you share?
You should share the storiesthat connect, the stories that
position you as an expert, thestories that invite people in
closer.
Those stories are the ones thatare really powerful.

(09:15):
And if you're ready to startdesigning your storytelling
through the Signature StyleSystem, please reach out to me,
comment on this episode and letme know you're interested in
taking the next step.
I'll help you build your systemso your stories actually land
with your audience and theydon't just get likes, they get
you clients.
If you enjoyed this episode,please do me a favor.

(09:39):
Go to your favorite podcastplatform, give us a rating, give
us a like, give us a comment,whatever you can do on that
platform, make sure you do itand let me know that you enjoyed
this episode.
Or there's something else youwant to hear?
Until then, let Make your storythe one they remember, the

(10:09):
truth that ignites the reasonthey stay.
This is your time, the brighterthan ever.
You've got something to say.