This subject line is a direct “plagiarism” from a post in the NHB group:
“In copy, stories only matter to unaware audiences, but when it comes to aware and hyper aware audiences, stories tend to hamper the offer, rather than enhance it.
Removal of stories and focus on mechanism of how it works, why it works, and for whom it works will do better, instead of how it came to be.
They don’t care or have time to care how it came to be which is the story
This is why you’ll see some 5-10 min VSLs crushing it (no story where the audience is aware), yet failing others (where the audience is unaware and needs a story).”
Here are my two cents:
1) this is forcing a weird definition on “story”
In the post, he’s assuming that story = the product’s origin story
Sure.
If I’m already a long-time follower/customer, why would I be interested in hearing your rags-to-riches bragging every time you sell me the same product?
But then, does this definition even make sense?
If story = your own origin story…
Then, Michael Lewis is doomed.
He wrote his autobiography in 1989… and we won’t have Moneyball, The Big Short, or the Undoing Project. Time to get a job at the construction site.
2) good luck writing emails for more than 3 days
The numbers say:
- The more you email = more sales you’ll get
- 85% of your customers will only buy after 90+ days
Now, imagine you can only make straight offers without telling any stories…
You cannot:
~ talk about a nightmare story of your prospects
~ talk about a success story of your customers
~ talk about anything related to the news/industry
~ talk about how you discovered, researched, and perfected your product
~ talk about your Mechanism in a “show, don’t tell” fashion
Good luck sustaining the readership for more than 3 days.
(90+ days? lol)
This is why I say—CONTEXT is everything.
“When you are doing a VSl” –
Yes, the origin story is for an unaware audience.
But when it comes to long-term conversions, building a relationship through storytelling makes selling ANYTHING easier.
Because…
“Unless you have a story, you don’t have a way to persuade people.”
– Michael Lewis, the bestselling author who continues to tell stories
Cheering for you,
– WYH