#76: Why Telling Your Story Will Not Grow Your Business (SUMMER REPLAY)

This summer, we're bringing back a few of our most valuable StoryBrand Podcast episodes, the ones we believe are worth hearing more than once.   Today's replay is all about one of the biggest mistakes businesses make with their messaging, which is trying to tell their own story instead of inviting the customer into a story. If your marketing feels clear to you but still isn't converting, this episode will help you diagnose why.   You'll learn how to stop making your company the hero and start positioning your customer as the hero instead.   Ready to clarify your message and grow your business?   Attend StoryBrand Your Business LIVE to learn how to explain what you do in a way customers instantly understand: https://storybrand.com/live/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=sbyourbusiness&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_workshop    Visit StoryBrand.com for business training, messaging tools, and resources to help you grow: https://storybrand.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=storybrand&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_home    Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storybrand   Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storybrand

Most people walk into a negotiation hoping reason will win. Then the other side throws a punch, and suddenly your "win-win" mindset starts costing you money, leverage, and sleep. Whether you're dealing with a tough client, a legal threat, or a conflict that got personal fast, you need to know what kind of negotiation you're actually in. So how do you protect the relationship without getting steamrolled?   In this episode, host Donald Miller sits down with John Lowry, negotiation expert and author of Negotiation Made Simple, to talk about what to do when nice stops working. John explains how to spot competitive negotiators, use power without letting your ego drive, and shift a stuck conversation toward a smarter outcome. You'll learn when to accommodate, when to compete, and when to hit pause before the whole thing blows up. Listen in to learn the skills to turn a tense negotiation into a better result.   Buy "Negotiation Made Simple" here: https://www.amazon.com/Negotiation-Made-Simple-Relationships-Delivering/dp/1400336325   Ready to clarify your message and grow your business?   Attend StoryBrand Your Business LIVE to learn how to explain what you do in a way customers instantly understand: https://storybrand.com/live/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=sbyourbusiness&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_workshop    Visit StoryBrand.com for business training, messaging tools, and resources to help you grow: https://storybrand.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=storybrand&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_home    Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storybrand   Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storybrand

Believing in what you sell is one thing. Asking someone to pay for it is another. When it's time to talk price, follow up, or close the deal, everything starts to feel awkward. So you wing it, avoid the hard questions, and hope the customer decides on their own. But hope is not a sales strategy. What if selling could feel less like pressure and more like helping someone cross the finish line?   In this week's episode, Donald Miller talks with Jonny Holsten, CEO of Bridge Selling and author of Fix Your Broken Sales Calls. Jonny explains why so many sales conversations fall apart and shows you how to guide buyers through a simple "bridge" from pain to purchase. You'll learn how to ask better questions, qualify without sounding rude, present the right solution, and close the sale without the cringe factor. Listen in to learn how to make sales feel clear, helpful, and a lot less awkward.   Buy Jonny's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Broken-Sales-Calls-Conversations-ebook/dp/B0GG5532KF     Ready to clarify your message and grow your business?   Attend StoryBrand Your Business LIVE to learn how to explain what you do in a way customers instantly understand: https://storybrand.com/live/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=sbyourbusiness&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_workshop    Visit StoryBrand.com for business training, messaging tools, and resources to help you grow: https://storybrand.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=storybrand&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_home    Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storybrand   Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storybrand

Business owners often think growth comes from doing more, offering more, and saying more. But the more you add, the easier it is to confuse customers, muddy your message, and slow down sales. When people don't understand exactly what you do or why it matters, they move on. So how do you keep your message clear while your business keeps growing?   In this episode of the StoryBrand Podcast, Donald Miller talks with Tricia Sciortino, CEO of BELAY, about how the company used clear messaging to grow past $100 million in annual revenue. Tricia shares how BELAY refined its language, avoided confusing customers, and learned to position each service around the real problem it solves. Listen in to learn how the right words can help customers understand your value and buy with confidence.   Need help finding the right people to grow your business? Visit:http://belaysolutions.com/donaldmiller   Ready to clarify your message and grow your business?   Attend StoryBrand Your Business LIVE to learn how to explain what you do in a way customers instantly understand: https://storybrand.com/live/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=sbyourbusiness&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_workshop    Visit StoryBrand.com for business training, messaging tools, and resources to help you grow: https://storybrand.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=storybrand&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_home    Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storybrand   Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storybrand

Most leaders are making decisions in a world that keeps changing faster than their plans can keep up. Tactics expire. Trends fizzle. Teams get confused. And when pressure rises, it's easy to chase quick wins instead of building on something solid. But what if the best way to grow through uncertainty isn't to find a better tactic, but to lead from better principles?   In this episode, Donald Miller talks with Chase Koch, executive vice president at Koch Industries and co-author of Becoming a Principle-Driven Leader, about what it takes to lead when the stakes are high and the future is uncertain. Chase shares the principles his father, Charles Koch, taught him, the business failures that made those lessons stick, and why knowing what people are truly best at can change everything. Listen in to learn how to make better decisions and run your business with more clarity when everything around you keeps changing.   Get Charles and Chase's book, Becoming a Principle-Driven Leader, here: https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Principle-Driven-Leader-Principles-Enduring/dp/1637635249   Ready to clarify your message and grow your business?   Attend StoryBrand Your Business LIVE to learn how to explain what you do in a way customers instantly understand: https://storybrand.com/live/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=sbyourbusiness&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_workshop    Visit StoryBrand.com for business training, messaging tools, and resources to help you grow: https://storybrand.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=storybrand&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_home    Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storybrand   Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storybrand

It's easy to give up on people when they disappoint us, miss expectations, or don't seem to fit the role they're in. But great leaders know people are rarely just "good" or "bad" at work. More often, they're either understood or misunderstood, positioned well or placed poorly. What would change if you started looking for people's potential before writing them off?   In this episode, host Donald Miller talks with Brian Hooks, CEO of Stand Together and co-author of Believe in People, about how leaders can unlock more value by helping people discover and use their gifts. They discuss building stronger teams, solving social problems from the bottom up, and why believing in people may be one of the most practical leadership decisions you can make. Listen in to learn the secret to putting people in the right role so they can do their best work.   Brian's book is out now, get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Believe-People-Bottom-Up-Solutions-Top-Down/dp/1250200962   Ready to clarify your message and grow your business? Attend StoryBrand Your Business LIVE to learn how to explain what you do in a way customers instantly understand: https://storybrand.com/live/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=sbyourbusiness&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_workshop  Visit StoryBrand.com for business training, messaging tools, and resources to help you grow: https://storybrand.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=storybrand&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_home  Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storybrand Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storybrand

Anything that works has the same 5 elements behind it. Anything that fails is missing one of those. That is true for businesses, relationships, and personal goals. Most people never stop to ask which piece is broken. They stay busy, execute harder, and measure the wrong things. But success is not random. It follows a pattern. What if achieving your goals comes down to understanding that pattern and making sure every piece is in place? In this episode, Donald Miller sits down with Dr. Henry Cloud to unpack the 5 components behind every successful outcome. They explore why belief matters more than motivation, how your brain filters what's possible, and why success always leaves clues you can follow. Tune in to learn how to identify what's missing, focus on what actually moves the needle, and start building momentum toward the future you want.   Buy Dr. Henry Cloud's new book now:  https://www.amazon.com/Your-Desired-Future-Essential-Steps/dp/0063487837   Ready to clarify your message and grow your business?   Attend StoryBrand Your Business LIVE to learn how to explain what you do in a way customers instantly understand: https://storybrand.com/live/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=sbyourbusiness&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_workshop    Visit StoryBrand.com for business training, messaging tools, and resources to help you grow: https://storybrand.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=storybrand&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_home  Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storybrand Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storybrand

Remarkable customer experiences don't happen because someone on your team happened to be in a good mood. They happen when a business decides, in advance, how people should feel at every step. Without that kind of intention, even great companies become forgettable. So how do you design moments customers actually remember and share?   In this episode, Donald Miller sits down with Will Guidara, author of Unreasonable Hospitality, to talk about how business owners can turn everyday transactions into memorable moments. Will explains why hospitality is not just for restaurants, how systems can teach your team what "right" looks like, and how his new field guide helps companies build teams, create a culture of excellence, and deliver magic in a deliberate, repeatable way. Listen in to learn how to make customers feel seen and turn that into a competitive advantage.   Learn from Will: Will Guidara / Unreasonable Hospitality https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/ Unreasonable Hospitality The Field Guide https://uhthefieldguide.com Pre-Meal Newsletter https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/premeal   If you want help creating messaging that drives sales, attend the next StoryBrand Your Business Live workshop for direct teaching from Don and hands-on guidance from a StoryBrand certified marketing Guide:    https://storybrand.com/live/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=sbyourbusiness&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_workshop   Buy the updated Building a StoryBrand 2.0  https://storybrand.com/building-a-storybrand-book-new/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=basb2.0&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=BASB2.0  

A lot of brands are saying the wrong thing first. They lead with their mission, their story, and their personality, thinking that will make people care. But customers aren't looking for a brand to admire. They're looking for a guide who understands their problem and can help them solve it. When your message starts in the wrong place, your customer tunes out before you ever get a chance to help. How do you know if your brand is leading with the wrong story?   In this episode, host Donald Miller breaks down the difference between primary and secondary messaging and explains why that shift changes everything. He shows how to talk about your customer's problem, communicate why you care, prove you can help, and make the next step clear. Don also shares simple website tests to help customers quickly understand what you offer and why it matters. Tune in to create messaging that drives more sales.   Connect with Donald Miller on social media: https://www.instagram.com/donaldmiller/ https://www.facebook.com/donaldmillerwords http://StoryBrand.com   Make your marketing and messaging work with the StoryBrand framework—and you can do that with the updated version of the book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0, now available! https://buildingastorybrand.com/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=&utm_term=cb&utm_content=SB_Framework

Most businesses are losing sales in the first few seconds, not because the offer is weak or the product is bad, but because the message feels like work. When people have to stop and decode your language, they don't lean in. They leave. And if confusion is costing you customers before the conversation even starts, how do you fix it fast?   In this week's episode, Donald Miller explains why confusion is the real reason businesses stall and how zero cognitive load messaging helps customers buy. He breaks down the "curse of knowledge," why people say "I'll think about it," and the 3 questions your messaging must answer in seconds. This episode gives you a simple framework to clarify your message so customers engage, trust you, and take action.         Connect with Donald Miller on social media: https://www.instagram.com/donaldmiller/ https://www.facebook.com/donaldmillerwords http://StoryBrand.com   Make your marketing and messaging work with the StoryBrand framework—and you can do that with the updated version of the book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0, now available! https://buildingastorybrand.com/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=&utm_term=cb&utm_content=SB_Framework