Month: November 2022

Can This Neuroscience-Based Story Structure Produce Mind Control?

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A masked man burst through the door.
Alicia screamed at the top of her lungs and fell back onto her pillow.
Johnny looked up and realized it was time…

Okay, based on the details you just read, what do you think is going on here?

Did you picture a late-night home invasion?

Or maybe it sounded like Alicia and Johnny are at the hospital, just moments away from welcoming a new baby into the world.

Maybe you imagined something totally different.

But chances are that when you read those 3 sentences, your mind assumed they were part of a single narrative rather than random, unconnected sentences.

You automatically made up a story.

(Which is why “facts tell but stories sell” is only half true.)

Everyone’s brain takes sensory input, i.e. whatever you’re trying to say…

Then auto-fills any gaps until it has a story that makes sense to that individual (based on what he already knows, believes and has experienced).

All in a fraction of a second. Amazing, really.

To make sure your reader accurately understands what you’re trying to say (or at least give your message the best possible chance), you have to fill in the gaps yourself before auto-fill kicks in.

And to beat the auto-fill function, you can deliver components to the reader in the specific sequence the brain uses to process and make sense out of stories.

According to neuroscience-based testing funded by the U.S. government (DARPA to be specific), that sequence is actually highly predictable.

To keep this email from dragging on endlessly, I’ll simply list the core components in order of appearance in the ideal story structure:

1) Main characters: Who’s in on the action?

2) Key (initial) characteristics of the characters: What are these characters like? They help shape our feelings about each character.

3) Intentions: What do the characters want? This drives action. Not the same thing as…

4) Motives: Why do they want what they want? This adds flavor to the action and further shapes our feelings about the characters. A man bursting through the door to deliver a baby is vastly different than one who’s about to commit a violent crime.

5) Conflict: What’s preventing the characters from achieving their intentions?

6) Stakes: What happens if the character doesn’t overcome the conflict? If there’s no consequence, there’s no reason for the reader to care.

7) Struggle: What hoops does the character go through in his pursuit of victory?

8) Details: To tell a satisfying story, you need details to paint the scene and add realism.

I know that’s a lot… ironically without much detail.

If your intention is to create more compelling stories, I’ll let you struggle in your attempt to apply this structure.

Who am I to rob you of this all-important conflict?

Have a productive day.

P.S. If 8 components is too many, maybe you’ll like my 3-part story structure better.

P.P.S. This is unrelated, but you may be interested. Next week, I’m speaking at the virtual POP to Millions Summit, and I’d love for you to sign up now.

This summit was created to give you a never-before-seen look at how multiple 7, 8, and 9-figure business owners quickly scaled their revenue in 2022… while keeping substantial profits each step along the way.

My topic is “The 4-I Formula: How to Structure High-Converting Copy.” I’m also giving away an exclusive video training I’ve never given away free before. If you’re interested, you can snag a free ticket here.

Is It Really True that “Facts Tell, Stories Sell”?

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How many times have you heard the sage advice that “facts tell, stories sell”?

Now, how many times have you heard it stated as a fact… instead of illustrated with a story?

Maybe you’re luckier than me. Maybe you’ve heard some good stories “proving” the fact that stories sell.

But here’s what makes it really interesting: “facts tell, stories sell” is both true and false.

Not that it’s bad advice. Quite the opposite. But something important is missing.

With one simple statement, a 10-year old Jeff Bezos made his grandmother burst into tears during a road trip in Texas…

He wasn’t trying to be mean. He wasn’t even trying to be persuasive.

He was trying to show off his intelligence.

The story goes something like this.

During this trip, Little Jeff heard a commercial on the radio saying that every puff of a cigarette takes 2 minutes off of your life. Nana Bezos smoked cigarettes, so Jeff thought he’d do the math to impress and inform his grandparents.

When he came up with his number, he tapped grandmother on the shoulder, and proudly proclaimed, “At two minutes per puff, you’ve taken nine years off your life!”

That’s when the waterworks started.

We don’t know if she gave up smoking on that day, but we do know this: that “fact” struck a deep nerve.

Why?

Because stories DO sell… and sometimes the right facts make a person tell himself an emotionally charged story.

Back to the Bezoses:

When Jeff said “hey Granny, you’re going to die 9 years early because of those cancer sticks,” here’s what happened…

Grandma Bezos told herself a story. Could’ve been:

  • This habit of mine is stealing time I should be spending with my grandson
  • My grandson will be so hurt when I’m gone. No more summer road trips… no more birthday cards… when we should have had so many more
  • My behavior is making this sweet boy imagine me dying. How could I be so selfish?

You get the picture.

Little Jeff didn’t have to tell any of those stories. Grandma did that on her own… automatically.

So here’s today’s lesson:

Keep in mind that your clients and prospects are prone to telling themselves stories based on the facts you tell them.

Choose which facts you share and how you share them wisely. Because the facts may lead your audience to draw different conclusions than you think, as illustrated in this video clip:

And YES, tell more stories.

Make sure to tell the stories that tell the stories you want to tell.

The good thing about telling a story (versus stats and facts) is that you have more control over the story that plays out in the other person’s mind. You can more skillfully guide him as he draws his own conclusions.

I may write about how to structure stories for maximum control over your reader/listener’s conclusions.

If you’d like to know more about that, stay tuned. My next article will dive into that.