The Business of Stories with Susan Payton
In 2015, I shared my ‘very ordinary’ story with 1500 business owners and it totally changed my business - and my life. I went from struggling to be seen and heard, to having dream clients signing up to work with me. It blew my mind. I saw first-hand how sharing stories in business is not just essential; it’s a superpower! Since then, thousands of business owners have bought my book, The Business of Stories, and used my simple storytelling frameworks in their content and marketing - to cut through the noise, communicate their value, build authority and create connection. If you strugg...
10
Episode 64: Are you telling the world about your work?
<p>If you've ever felt uncomfortable talking about your achievements, celebrating your clients' successes, or sharing the difference your work makes, you're not alone. </p><p>But, holding back in that way may be the very thing that’s stopping the people you want to help from finding you.</p><p>In this episode of The Business of Stories, Susan shares some powerful insights from her experience judging the New Earth Business Awards - where she discovered a disconnect between the incredible transformations coaches were creating behind the scenes and the stories they were sharing with the world. </p><p>Yo...
Episode 63: Just Saying - The truth about the 97% who didn't buy
<p>What would you think if you made an offer and only 2 or 3% of the people you offered it to, bought it?</p><p>Would you think that was a success – or a failure?</p><p>In this short Just Saying episode, Susan challenges the idea that once an offer or launch or programme closes - the measure of whether or not it was a success is how many people bought it.</p><p>And yes, of course, the whole point of putting an offer out is to make sales ...</p><p>But, the story doesn't end there.</p><p>Th...
Episode 62: When you want clients but hate marketing – with Lizzy Kurtzer
<p>You know you’re good at what you do. You know you can make a real difference to the people you work with. And you want more clients. But what happens when so much of the marketing advice out there just feels … icky?</p><p>In this episode of The Business of Stories, Susan chats with Lizzy Kurtzer about her journey from struggling to talk about her business and attract clients, to finding a way to market herself that feels natural, authentic and aligned with her values.</p><p>You'll discover:</p>Why so much traditional marketing advice can feel...
Episode 61: Just Saying - The truth about making sales while you sleep
<p>Have you ever looked at other business owners who seem to be making sales on autopilot and wondered what you're doing wrong? Why does it all seem so effortless for them, when you're working so hard to make things happen?</p><p>In this episode, Susan shares something she said that nearly brought a client to tears - with relief - and why the stories we don't see behind other people's success can leave us feeling like we're falling behind.</p><p>Because there's often a lot more going on behind the scenes than anyone talks about.</p><p>...
Episode 60: B2B storytelling – How to connect with different audiences without confusing your message
<p>If you sell to organisations, you might struggle with knowing whose story your content should be speaking to. </p><p>The person who benefits from your work? The person inside an organisation looking for someone like you? Or the person who ultimately holds the budget? </p><p>And how do you connect with all of them without your content feeling scattered or disconnected?</p><p>In this episode of The Business of Stories, Susan chats with June Hogan, founder of Wildwood Coaching, about how she uses storytelling to connect with three very different audiences, build trust - and even ‘se...
Episode 59: What stories to share when you have more than one ideal client or audience
<p>It can be hard to know what stories to share, when you have more than one ideal client. </p><p>Maybe you work with both individuals and organisations. Or the person who pays you isn’t the person you actually work with. Or you have several audiences who all seem to want different things.</p><p>If so, this episode of The Business of Stories is going to help you stop focusing on everything that makes your audiences different and uncover the golden thread that connects them. </p><h3>You'll discover:</h3>The one question that makes finding stories fo...
Episode 58: Underused Story Strategies #2 — All the places you could be using stories (but probably aren’t)
<p>When you think about using storytelling in your business, you probably think about content. A social media post. An email. Maybe a client story on your website.</p><p>But what if stories could be doing far more of the heavy lifting in your business - in places you might never have thought to use them?</p><p>In this episode of The Business of Stories, Susan explores some of the most underused places to use storytelling, from your website and lead magnets to your courses, presentations, launches and sales conversations. </p><h2>You'll discover:</h2>The overlooked places...
Episode 57: Underused Story Strategies #1 — Using stories to build strong business foundations
<p>When you’re looking for clarity in your business, it’s easy to assume the answers are somewhere outside of you. In another strategy, course, or expert telling you what your niche, message or offer should be.</p><p>But what if the answers you’ve been searching for have been hiding in your stories all along?</p><p>In this episode of The Business of Stories, Susan explores one of the most powerful, and underused ways to use storytelling in your business.</p><h3>You’ll discover:</h3>The overlooked storytelling strategy that could completely change the way you buil...
Episode 56: How your flaws could be your crazy advantage - with John Spencer Williams
<p>What if the things you’ve spent years trying to hide, change or smooth over are actually the very things that could help you stand out?</p><p>What if the qualities you dismiss as flaws, quirks or weaknesses are exactly where your greatest strengths are hiding.</p><p>In this episode of The Business of Stories, Susan talks to Crazy Successful author John Spencer Williams about why success doesn’t always happen despite the things that make us different - sometimes, it happens because of them.</p><h3>You’ll discover:</h3>The surprising reason your biggest flaw could...
Episode 55: How to Do Less and Grow More - with Emma Hine
<p>Hands up if you started your business because you wanted more freedom and flexibility?</p><p>I’m hazarding a guess you’ve got your hands up right now. I think we all did.</p><p>But, have you now got the ‘freedom’ you dreamed of?</p><p>In this episode of The Business of Stories, Susan talks to Emma Hine, who built a seven-figure business that looked incredibly successful from the outside, while behind the scenes she was working 90 hours a week - and had created what she describes as a “monster”.</p><p>Emma shares the deeply personal jou...
