Attitude,  Clients & Customers,  Communication,  copywriting

Are you manipulating people with your copy or are you using influence?

Last week one of my clients asked me if I write these weekly emails in advance and simply set them up to go out each week in an email campaign – interesting.

That’s a terrific idea. I wish I could sit down and bang out 10 of these at once. Yet, that’s not my process. I have so many ideas and things I want to share with you each week. It’s more fun for me to write either the day before or the day that I send out the email. Like I’m doing now. 🙂

My goal is to have them fresh, interesting, and sort of my stream of consciousness of what I’m thinking and working on in hopes it inspires and gives you something you can actually take away and use in your business, or maybe your life.

Today as I was doing my early morning writing, I started to think about story. And realizing how much I’ve studied it in the past two years. The pandemic truly gave me time to take some courses and read a bunch of books I probably wouldn’t have before.

I did have a goal though. Each new year I always focus on one area that I want to enhance some skills. So two years in a row it’s been copywriting and story. Who knew I’d have so much more time to focus on it!

What’s interesting to me is that I’ve been on this planet for over 50 years and just now decided to focus on this. It always marvels me how divine intervention, and timing always works.

One of my favorite sayings that I revised is “When the student is ready, the book, course, or resource will simply appear.”In my experience, it’s true.

And I hope these past emails on story and copy have been of interest. I know when you signed up to be on my list, I promised marketing and launch help.

One thing I know, without copywriting skills and the use of stories, all those other skills are kind of useless. In working with a new client this week, I always go through all their content, copy, offer, etc., all the things that I teach in my 7-steps.

What I noticed, especially in their emails, was the lack of interesting, intriguing, or entertaining copy.

They were just selling their stuff as a retail store would. You know the sites, that keep hammering you with emails about discount coupons and buy this, or that.

It’s not how you will sell anything with any longevity, or in my experience soulfully.

I’ve been reading this book (yeah, I know another one!) and it has this terrific list I wanted to share with you. See below. The book is The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influences, & Persuasion Through The Art of Storytelling by Annette Simmons. 
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What I love about it is it gives you 6 types of stories that you can use to influence the people on your list. 
The key here is “Influence.”

Certainly, you can use copy to manipulate people, using scare tactics and invoking fear. AND, I definitely don’t recommend it, hence my focus – Soulful Marketing. 

What’s interesting is that using manipulation won’t give you the long-term results you want. For long-term results, using influence is a much better method and helps to create and build trust, which is really important.

As an aside – did you know when people come to your website, they ask themselves 3 questions, unconsciously:

Is this interesting?

Can I trust you?

Is this right for me?

Building trust is really important. And the best way to do it is by telling your story and using one of the 6 types. You want to share with them a story that stimulates an experience of trustworthiness.

Maybe it’s a story about how you worked with a client and ended up firing them and gave them their money back. Or how you turned down a client because you didn’t share the same values. Or something else.I think you get the gist.

And if you don’t, please email me. I’m happy to answer your questions. Or maybe you want some guidance and have some ideas of what I can share in future emails. 

I’m open – would love to know what else I can share to help you.

I appreciate you.

Looking for a good nonfiction book to help you on your work or business journey check out my book review blog –

Thanks for being here! We’re definitely on this journey together.

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