Two women decide to go on a trip together…

When they stop for a drink at a bar, a man tries to assault one of them….

As a result, the other friend shoots him dead.

She is now a woman wanted for murder.

Both friends leap into the car and make a desperate run for it to Mexico.

Will they make it across the border or will the law catch them?

Do you recognise the plot?

It’s Thelma and Louise the classic 90s road movie with Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis.

It’s a strong clear storyline isn’t it?

You are compelled to find out if they make it to freedom. You want to feel that satisfaction of a resolution at the end – like with all good films, books and plays.

It is what bestselling business author and CEO of StoryBrand Donald Miller calls a “story loop”.

The loop opens with the premise of two women who get into trouble on a road trip… and closes with their eventual fate as the law comes after them.

And like Miller I believe that we all need to start using stories to get our message across (whether in business or making our voice heard).

Miller argues that stories are essential, and they need to be told in the same way as a good movie plot.

Stories attract customers and draw them into your content, whether it’s in a presentation, a website, email, sales page or video.

A good story keeps them reading, watching and listening, It makes them want to come back for more.

But too many businesses fail to turn their message into a clear story. Instead it’s a load of loosely connected facts, claims and stats…

…We’ve been in business for 10 years

…We’ve won an award

…We’re respected for quality and affordability

…We have thousands of subscribers.

Blah blah blah.

Zzzzzzzzz….

Even if you attract someone to your website, they’ll be too bored to stick around for long.

But what if, instead of the usual guff, you had this on your webpage…

“In 2015 I lost my job and found myself struggling to keep a roof over my head.  I was in £10,000 of debt and had two teenage children to support. But then I discovered something that changed my life…”.

Or this…

“The government and the media are keeping a deadly secret from us. I never realised it until I became ill about two years ago. And when I discovered it was all down to something in the water supply, I was shocked, as you will be too…”

These are the openings of story loops. They’re dramatic, compelling, irresistible – and if you can base your business message around one (of your own of course!), you’ll see a massive improvement in your bottom line.

In a recent interview, Donald Miller said: “I’ve watched businesses increase their sales by 20, 30, 40 percent just by clarifying a message that people could respond to”.

For instance, let’s say you want to set up a blog about freelance writing and attract loads of people to it. Why should they come to you? What’s your connection to the business? What’s your story?

Or let’s say you demonstrate sugar-free cake recipes on a YouTube channel. Why are you doing this? What’s your aim? What’s the story?

Or perhaps you’re trying to create a membership site for Amazon sellers. What made you do this? Why you and not another online advice website?What’s compelling about you? What’s the story?

That’s the question people are going to ask within seconds – what’s the story here? And that story has to be clear and compelling or they’ll go elsewhere.

Because let’s face it….

The internet is full of noise and it’s hard to be heard

The internet is a saturated, crowded place, full of businesses and voices vying for attention…. where our attention is under constant bombardment…. social email alerts, emails, pop ups, advertising messages, news headlines…

What’s more, half of the people you are trying to reach are on smart phones. They might be on a bus, cooking dinner, at a restaurant, waiting for a train, or walking down the high street.

If you don’t find a way to standout, captivate your audience’s attention very quickly, and give them a strong reason to stick around to find out more, you’re not going to succeed in business.

And one of the most powerful and instant ways to hook customers is with a story. In a matter of a few hundred words, a story can…

* Get your message across in an exciting emotional way

* Reveal your purpose, your mission, your cause

* Show that you are unique, credible and human

More importantly, stories are addictive. They make the reader want more.

The science of why stories make people buy stuff

Professor Paul Zac is Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont University. He specialises in applying the science of the brain to build stronger business and organisations.

Ten years ago he began research into a neurochemical called oxytocin. It sends a signal to the brain that says: “it’s safe to approach others” and is sometimes called the ‘hug hormone’.

Professor Zac experimented on ways to hack the oxytocin system. He did it by showing people human interest stories on video and testing their blood.

He not only found that these kinds of stories increased oxytocin, but that the oxytocin increased the likelihood that the person wanted to do something to help the person in the video, for instance donating money to a charity.

So oxytocin is one of the brain chemicals responsible for someone clicking ‘buy’ or ‘subscribe’.

And there is even more science behind this…

Pioneering neuroscientist Antonio Damasio was the first to show that our rational thinking was driven by emotions forged in the insula. This part of the human brain is responsible for deep emotions like disgust, lust, pride, guilt and joy.

And it’s this part of the brain that gives you impulses to drink alcohol, smoke a cigarette or chomp into a bacon sandwich, even when your rational mind wants to do otherwise.

When someone hears a good story, the ‘insula’ is activated, creating a sensation of craving and longing. That bit of the brain wants to be satisfied with a reward– the story loop must be closed!

This is why social media networks like Facebook and Twitter are so popular – people can get instant bite-sized stories whenever they log on.

That’s what makes social media so addictive.

So if you can turn your message into a similar bit-sized story, you are more likely to get noticed.

This is why a business story should be as clear and urgent as the premise of Thelma and Louse.

OK, so you you’ve not gunned down a man and fled the crime scene, (I don’t think so anyway?) but there will be a hook for your business, if you look deeply for it.

Here’s an example from a membership site called Women on Fire http://www.womenonfire.com offering help, advice and support.

Here’s the story on the website. …

“Life and executive coach Debbie Phillips started Women on Fire in 2003 after noticing how her hardworking, successful coaching clients suffered from isolation. She decided to bring them together.

Immediately, they loved being able to meet each other and share what they were “on fire” about. Soon, they asked for their friends to be included … and their mothers and sisters and daughters and colleagues … and on and on it went. Now, thousands of women are part of the Women on Fire circle of connection and support.”

This is the kind of story that you should tell on your website About Me page, on your social media pages and in press releases and interviews.

There are seven classic formulas you can choose from, then adapt.

• Battling the enemy– From David and Goliath to The Gruffalo to Luke Skywalker in combat with Darth Vadar, people love are stories of people going up against more powerful enemies. Are you or your customers pitted against corporations, laws, prejudices, media bias and other forces?
• Rebirth – have you gone through an experience that has transformed your life in some way? It could be a journey, experience, health problem, personal tragedy or spiritual revelation.
• Quest– are you on a mission to achieve an objective? For instance, a local environmental campaign might seek to defeat the building of a ring-road, a diet business might aim for a certain weight or body mass index, an education ‘how to learn German’ business might aim to make people fluent in 100 days.
• Evangelical– are you trying to champion a cause or spread a message? It could be that you’re passionate about a business philosophy or bringing a new kind of cuisine to your city.
• Rags to Riches – have you pulled yourself out of disadvantaged circumstances? It could be poverty, poor education, deprived upbringing, illness, depression, shyness, physical disability…? Have you been on a journey?
• Escape– have you set up this business as a way of escape, self-expression or distraction from problems? And are you seeking to help others find the same joy and release?
• Obsession– have you become obsessed with something so much that it has driven you to create your business or services? Perhaps you are mad about a hobby like gaming or modelling, or you’ve been betting on the dogs for 20 years.

To find the story, dig deep into why you are setting up your business (or why you set it up). It could be that you’re overcoming a problem you or a loved one has encountered, or that you’re striving for a goal you share with your customers. Perhaps an experience in life made you spot a gap in the market. Or a chance encounter inspired you with an idea.

It doesn’t matter, as long as you make it as clear as an action movie. See if you can fit the story into 500 words or less. If you can’t, it’s probably too complicated.

Better still, imagine it as a movie pitch you’re selling to a top executive who has given you TWO MINUTES.

“Two women decide to go on a trip together…one is now wanted for murder….”