How to Make Your Story the Reason They Buy — Not Just Why They Like You

The difference between relatable content and revenue-generating content.

Picture this.

You finally nail it. You know how to tell your story online. Heck, you’re so good at it that everyone and the mailman flock to read your mouth-watering content. It has the perfect blend of your personal story and your expertise.

It conveys a clear message to the reader, and it gives them a taste of how you can help them.

But STILL no one buys.

Why?

Because you’re too caught up in relatability that you clouded the purpose of your story. It’s not all about vibes—it’s a vehicle for conversion.

This has happened to me more times than I can count. I mean, it still happens to me a bit today. So, to save you the trouble of becoming a storyteller with no clients, here are three questions and frameworks I used actually to make money from my stories.

3 Questions Your Story Must Answer

Again, your story is the VEHICLE, not the entire package.

Think about these 3 questions whenever you write your story:

• What problem do I help solve — and how do I prove I understand it?

• Why am I uniquely credible — not just in credentials, but in lived experience?

• What future can I show them — that’s possible if they trust me?

Notice how all of these questions challenge you to think deeper about how valuable your story is to your audience and how you can use it to position yourself as the right person to help them.

You see, I use my story all of the time as a way to dig deeper into the readers’ psyche.

I don’t just bring it up for shits and giggles. I bring it up to agitate the reader. I want them to understand the consequences of not fixing a particular issue. I let them know the horrors I faced from letting the issue linger. I let them know the lifestyle they can achieve by following certain action steps. I let them know who they’ll be in the future if they continue to implement that advice.

Everything is outcome-based.

Sure, storytelling is the vehicle, but people want to know how to get from point A to point C. They don’t care about B.

They say this in sales all the time: “Sell the vacation.”

That’s what people buy in the first place.

From “Relatable” to “Ready to Work With You”

The main storytelling framework I use to turn my stories from relatable fanfiction to reliable assets is the PAS framework.

I’ve mentioned this framework so many times before, but it works. People have used this framework since the time of horseback riding. PAS stands for problem, agitation, solution. It’s about presenting a problem to your reader, agitating that problem, and giving them the solution.

Think of a toothpaste commercial. First, it will present to you the problem: cavities. Then, it will agitate it: the pain that comes from cavities and possible decay that can lead to dentures. Finally, they give you the solution: this fluoride toothpaste that will make your teeth cavity-proof after two days of brushing. This is the exact same effect you want to implement into your stories.

You can use client examples as well!

• Ex: A stressed and overworked entrepreneur tried your pilates exercises and now they’re stress and anxiety-free at work and can work for long periods without pain

• Ex: A person with bad finances entered your financial counselling program, and now they save their money better, have a solid monthly financial plan, and aren’t stressed about what could be in their bank account

Again, we want to think about outcomes.

Sell. The. Vacation.

Conclusion

Use the PAS format with every story you integrate into your articles.

Don’t just write any story for the sake of relatability. Use it as a vehicle to sell the vacation so the reader converts into a buying customer. Provide them with all the potential outcomes if they don’t solve the problem, as well as if they do solve it. Make the choice clear for them.

Then, get them on a call and work your magic :)