Birmingham, May 13th 2019, European Elections loom over the country, the eyes of the world are on it
A convicted peer of the realm, multi-millionaire and literary record-breaker takes to the stage. 500 people crane their necks, leaning in to get a closer look.
Another 1000 are watching it LIVE online.
‘Ladies and gentlemen. I would like to announce…’
He hesitates, taking in his surroundings and the enormity of the occasion.
‘I would like to announce, my intention to run for the leadership of the Conservative Party.’
The room erupts. A joke of course but Lord Jeffrey Archer already has the audience eating out of his hand.
It has often been said that Jeffrey Archer’s own story would make an international bestseller and I met him yesterday, hence sending this email out a few days early as I wanted to share a very important idea with you.
You see, I am a writer. I communicate.
Jeffrey Archer, among many things as I’m sure you will know, is a storyteller. In fact no, he’s a master storyteller.
Over the course of 2 hours he discussed the craft of writing, politics, his time in prison, even his record-breaking career as an amateur athlete.
Now published in 97 countries and more than 33 languages, Jeffrey Archer is firmly established, with international sales passing 275 million copies. He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).
The key lesson to take from Lord Archer was that yes, he is a professional writer but really, he is a storyteller. There is a difference.
Ask yourself, does your marketing tell stories? Would you HONESTLY want to read one of your case studies?
Everything, from your About Us page on your website, to your testimonials, case studies and yes, even your sales letters should tell stories. Don’t even get me started on your press releases.
So next time you sit down to write some copy, just think about the power of a story and how you can weave your own.
I did that in the first 10 lines of this email and if you enjoyed them, I bet you’re still reading now. So think creatively, make your customers the characters, set a scene, lead people on a journey and don’t forget, you are the narrator.
Your are the storyteller.
Happy Headlines.