The consultancy owner said no to my proposal, then hired me 20 minutes later after I told him one story.

Last year, I was pitching my growth system to a consultancy owner stuck at £15k months. I opened with the usual: framework slides, case studies, testimonials. His eyes glazed over by slide three.

So I ditched the deck and told a story:

• Act 1 – Catalyst: The month my own consultancy dropped from £25k to £8k with zero warning, and I had no idea where the next client would come from.

• Act 2 – Conflict: Sixty-hour weeks chasing referrals, spreadsheet panic at 2 a.m., feeling like I was running an expensive hobby, not a business.

• Act 3 – Change: Built a predictable system, hit consistent £30k months, got my weekends back, and finally felt like a real business owner.

He leaned forward. "That's exactly where I am. How fast can we start?" The deal closed that afternoon. That's when I learned: your struggle story sells better than your success slides.

Why stories sell (and frameworks deliver)

Stories stick. fMRI scans show stories light up the same brain regions as real experience. Bullet points? Not so much.

Brains crave arcs. The classic setup-struggle-success pattern is hardwired into us.

You become the guide. When you're the hero who overcame their struggle, your audience sees you as the guide who can lead them through theirs.

Bottom line: Stories grab attention and build trust. Frameworks give prospects confidence that you know what you're doing. Together, they're unstoppable - stories make you memorable, frameworks make you credible.

How to write your 3-act breakthrough story (in 20 minutes)

Act 1: Catalyst
"The moment everything changed…"
Where were you? What problem smacked you in the face? Why did you decide something had to change?

Act 2: Conflict
"The long nights…"
What did you struggle with? What nearly broke you? Name one emotion you felt - people remember feelings, not facts.

Act 3: Change
"And then we…"
What breakthrough did you reach? What changed? What's the lesson you now live by?

Template:
"Back in [year], I faced [ugly problem]. After [conflict], we finally [solution]. Result: [metric]. That's why I help [audience] do the same—faster and with fewer scars."

My 150-word Breakthrough Story

In 2021, my own consultancy was stuck in a brutal feast-or-famine cycle. One month we'd hit £25k, the next we'd scramble for £8k. I was working 60-hour weeks, chasing every referral, and my pipeline was a mystery. The long nights were filled with spreadsheet panic and "where's the next client coming from?" anxiety. I felt like I was running a very expensive hobby, not a business. Then I stopped chasing shiny tactics and built a system: predictable lead generation, streamlined sales process, and clear revenue milestones. Within six months, we hit our first consistent £30k months, and we grew from there. More importantly, I got my weekends back. That experience taught me that most consultancy owners aren't lacking expertise; they're lacking systems. Now I help boutique consultancy owners break through their revenue ceilings and escape the feast-or-famine trap, usually within 90 days.

Your turn: The 20-minute story challenge

Write your 3-act origin story (aim for 150 words). Post it on LinkedIn with #SignatureStory and tag me. I'll feature three stand-out posts in next week's newsletter.

(Set a timer for 20 minutes. Done is better than perfect.)

Make it real: Next steps

Stuck at £10k months? Pin your story to your LinkedIn "About" section and watch how prospects respond differently.

Breaking £30k? Record a 90-second video of your story and add it to your sales conversations.

Scaling beyond £100k? Use your story to open client workshops, then invite your team to share their own stories.