I have no STORY to sell! Help!

There is ALWAYS a story. The story doesn't have to be about you
or the product but can be a lead in story. Even for a service type
industry you can give your credentials or need of them in the sales
letter.

Many people think that you have to be an expert to get clients and
so you must pretend that you are the best in the world to get
clients. But maybe there are clients are are NOT looking for the
best in the world because they cannot afford them.

So be honest and say that you are new and give the advantages
of being new. For example, your price is lower, you are more
flexible, you'll make your pay contingent on results etc., so less
RISK.

Remember Avis vs. Hertz. Avis admitted they were number two
and used it to their advantage: "We're number two. We try harder."

Talk about being creative in your advertising.

-Ray Edwards

Joel,

Let's say your service was tax preparation...

You're a brand new accountant... no track record... no history... no story.

You can easily tell the story of notorious gangster Al Capone.

Wanted by every division in the government but they couldn't get him. The agency that finally brought him to his knees? The IRS. In fact the only federal prison time he ever saw was due to tax evasion.

You see... Al had the best gunmen... the best lawyers... even the best shoe shine people working for him. But his tax preparer? A hack. A lowdown dirty criminal just like Al.

Now... imagine for a minute that Al had a good... honest... certified tax preparer...

Old Scarface may have remained a free man forever. And had that accountant used modern day software to track last minute tax code changes... Capone would have been able to legally take advantage of every up to date tax credit, write off and exemption.

Gangland history of Chicago can't be changed... but your history is not yet written.

Sure, you're no mobster hiding millions in bootlegging money from the Feds.

But that doesn't mean you should settle for any old hack tax preparer.

My name is Joe Blow and I'm a certified tax preparer who blah blah blah

Joel, I will tell you what, PM me and together we will pound out a story for you to use. I will show you how to dig up stats for your local area as well as help in showing why your system is better than the competitions. Having been a professional printer for 7 years I am very familiar with brochure type ads and those are what you are building now only you are doing it for the web instead of paper. I think I can really help you out.

good stories...

Thanks everyone!

I especially like the idea about writing a story that explains how i came up with my product/service... And vin, tying in something like that manson idea could be great!

You guys are awesome.

Don't forget, you could also tell the story of how and why you got into the business. Use your "newness" as a plus instead of a minus.

For example, you got into selling security systems because a friend got robbed etc. You spent the next 6 months, 10-12 hours per day searching for the absolute best security system out there. Every system had it's faults... Every system had a horror story to go along with it... And not one of them was good enough to install for your friend - until you found XX.

Fresh to the marketplace doesn't mean you don't have valuable knowledge or experience to contribute, so turn the potential negative of inexperience into the positive of new ideas, and earth-shaking motivation.



- Cherilyn

Well Funkmaster, after all these helpful comments, I'd say you have a story to tell now, all right.