EP242: Turn words into wealth: Compelling Stories with Aurora Winter

Great to be on the show with you, Brad, and I'm looking forward to helping the listeners turn their words into wealth.

Sounds good, Brad. Well, I am an entrepreneur, as many of the listeners probably are. I've launched multiple businesses in different industries. Hopefully you'll ask me some questions about how I managed to do that. And usually it was with the right words. I've written 10 books. I'm an award-winning screenwriter. I'm a film and television executive producer. I launched a company, raised 5 million, made 8 films. So a bunch of things that we can dive into. I'm really passionate about the neuroscience of communication. And I'm passionate about helping people articulate the message of what they're up to in a clear way. compelling way so that it puts cha-ching-ching in their bank account.

Well, TurnWords to Wealth is the product of a decade of experience. And people can use that as a resource to how to design their own unique million-dollar message. There's also seven different recipes to make seven figures with your message. So there's a lot of tools and tricks in there that it took me decades to learn. But you can... grab it in the book, Turn Words Into Wealth.

Well, what I really love about the neuroscience first from the 50,000 foot view, there is a recipe for everything or a blueprint would be a better word to use on this particular podcast. Once you understand the blueprint, you're golden. Because you can use that blueprint to build words that will turn into wealth. You know, you can use a blueprint to build a house, but there is a similar blueprint. to the structure of compelling stories. There are multiple different blueprints. Some blueprints are for castles. Some blueprints are for sheds. Some blueprints are for cottages. Some blueprints are for apartments. But there's a blueprint hidden behind effective communication. So I'd love to share some of those blueprints today because people can use that right away to communicate more effectively. So one of the key blueprints, one of the meta. blueprints is the neuroscience of communication. So it's kind of like a meta blueprint for, I'm not a builder, so forgive me if I use the wrong metaphor, but a meta blueprint for building would be the foundation needs to be laid deep enough to sustain the value of the building and the weight of it. And you need to have a roof. Okay. So we have foundation, weight of building and roof, three key elements perhaps in building that you can work with. In the neuroscience of communication, we also have the sequence. I mean, you have to put the foundation first before you pour the concrete and you have to wait until that's done to put the roof on. Similarly, most people make key mistakes in communication when they don't do it in the right sequence. So there's just three key steps to powerful communicating, to the neuroscience of communication. And the foundational step is you need to appeal. to the crock brain. That's the ancient reptilian brain. That is the foundation of communication. If you don't do that first, you haven't got the person's attention and you are just talking and they are not listening. So you must, must, must start first by understanding, get the attention of the crock brain. It takes me longer to explain it than it will. for you to actually do this. So what does the crock brain respond to? The crock brain responds to fear, but not too much fear. It responds to something yummy, good, sexy, or money, or fun, or friendship, a little taste of something good, or a little taste of something frightening. And it responds to novelty. So if it's the same message that it's heard a thousand times, you don't have attention. So simple examples would be the subject line on an email needs to convey what is the value proposition, the title of a book. Turn words into wealth. That's what we're talking about today. Turning words into wealth or another book. Marketing fast track. We're talking about, you know, the little book that launched a new business and generated $250,000 of 90 days. Okay, so that is the first step, the foundation of communication, attention. If you ain't get attention, you are speaking at length, but you are not communicating. Okay, so that is the foundation. I've never explained it this way. This is actually really good.

Yeah, okay. It's the hook. Exactly. And here's an example that will drive this home. So many people, when they're at a networking event, say they're at a conference or maybe they're at a Rotary Club or Chamber of Commerce meeting, you have eight seconds to grab attention. Most people squander that attention by saying, Hi, my name is Aurora Winter and I'm from Same Page Publishing. That's it. I've lost the attention. Whereas if I say. I'm the author of Turn Words Into Wealth, and I'm going to help you turn your words into wealth. My name is Aurora Winter, and I'm the founder of Same Page Publishing. Changing the sequence made a big difference. So everybody can do this, and I think most listeners will go, oh shit, I'm guilty of that. Just saying my name and my company name. We really need to understand those first eight seconds really matter. Once you have got the hook, as you put it. You then have permission for a little bit more attention. So the crock brain is like, oh, this sounds novel. This sounds interesting. This is different. Could be something I'm interested in here. You get a few more seconds of attention. In those next few seconds, you want to build the building, if you like. The middle step is social proof. This is because the midbrain is always seeking status. connection, or who else is interested in this? Human beings survive for millennia, not because we have sharp teeth or sharp claws or that we're faster, but because of the tribe. So we are very... hyper vigilant to the meta messages from the tribe. So you speaking to me is a meta message that appeals to the midbrain. You think I'm worth talking to, I think you're worth talking to, that's midbrain. Or to use this book as an example, you can see there's awards on the cover. So this one outstanding nonfiction book of the year when it came out. That satisfies the midbrain. Check. Other people think this is worth talking about. And then the third step, which often people start with the third step, is the roof. But you can't put the roof on before you've got the foundation and some walls. And that is the cerebral cortex. And that is you can tell a story, you can give a statistic, you can give some meat. to your message, but then you want to rinse and repeat this process approximately every five minutes. It's very expensive for people to truly listen. And in order to keep them listening, you need to re-engage. Again, with the fear or the novelty or the what's in it for you. Again, with the social proof. And that can be just a phrase or a sentence. And again, with what is your core message. And so many people, especially well-educated people, the more educated they are, the worse they can be at communicating because they just start with the roof and they don't build the foundation and they don't have any walls to support. To support the demand, really, the request for attention.

Well, I like to tell people they're not in the business they think they're in because they are in. Show business. That's right. You're in show business.

You may not want to be in show business, but in today's day of media, you actually are because you have to show how your business is going to help them. Right. And you do that by, you know, the hook, the social proof. And then your meat of your message and then repeat hook, social proof, meat of your message. So and you could do this very easily. You know, you're talking to a prospective client and you just work after you've had your initial conversation. Maybe you've talked for five minutes. You check in with the person. They perhaps give you an objection. And then you say something like, you know, I'm so glad that you shared that concern. My recent client, Fred Smith, had exactly the same worry when we started working with him. And here's the result that he got. So you acknowledge their concern. And then I've hit the social proof. And then I go on to the story. I don't resist. You want to use a keto. You want to join with whatever the objections are and acknowledge where they're coming from. And then if you do have a story that's just like my other client and he had that same concern. And here's what happened. OK, here's another easy to follow recipe for how to communicate. powerfully. Then when you tell your story of Fred Smith, who you helped with a similar problem, you want to make the story very clear. How you make a story clear, by clear, I mean it's not muddy, it's not jumbled, it's not all over the place. So just think through what was the hell that your client started with before he hired you? And what is the heaven that you took him to? I don't want you to have a bunch of steps in between. This is where the story gets muddy. And people who are experts tend to be all obsessed, passionate, committed to the 49 steps they took between the hell and the heaven. You actually don't want the person thinking about those 49 steps. You want them seeing you as the entire bridge. You're the expert. You know the steps. They don't need to know the steps. They just need to know you can take them from whatever hell they're in. to whatever heaven you have promised. And they need to hear your conviction that you can absolutely positively do that.

Well, how much money do you want to make?

The highest leverage activity to make the most money is communicating clearly and powerfully. That's what makes the money. The difference between a coach who makes $50 an hour and one who makes $500 an hour or even $5,000 an hour is the quality of their thinking, yes, but also the quality and the caliber of their way of communicating their thinking. So many people, in my view, make a really big mistake focusing 80 hours a week, working on their business, working on... mastering their craft, and then they're exhausted and they put zero energy into mastering their storytelling skill. They put zero effort into collecting the stories of the clients and patients whose lives they have transformed, and they are shooting themselves in the foot. They are costing themselves. Hundreds of thousands or potentially millions of dollars. And here, I'll tell a quick example. You think you're busy? How busy do you think Steve Jobs was when he was the CEO of Apple?

And he practiced for three weeks with each Apple before each Apple launch. What to say, when to pause, where to stand. Three weeks he practiced. Why? Because Apple launches triggered a whole bunch of revenue. And this is what I like about powerful communicating. When you've got your message down, you can actually deliver it once. And it can be consumed hundreds of thousands of times. You can deliver it once in a great book, a great video, a great podcast. And many, many, many people can listen to you do that. And then you have that message at the ready when you're talking to the next prospect. or when you have a problem that you need to solve. Most people know the 80-20 rule. 80% of your results come from 20% of your inputs. Well, in that 20% that are so high leverage is definitely communicating what you're up to.

Exactly right.

Absolutely. And that's one of the things I do. I'm a media trainer, so I help people get their message down, whether they're pitching to raise capital or they want to raise a book. write a book or they want to be on TEDx stage. There's so much practice going into the media training. So you get all of your bullet points clear, you get your stories clear. And then I interview people again and again. So they get it down. They practice. It's like you have to, you know, put the reps in at the gym, you know, in order to get strong at the gym, you have to put the reps in. But here's an example I think that is a fairly good metaphor for being on TV or being on podcasts. Most people can talk. So they think, hey, well, I'll just go on to a podcast or I'll go on the Jimmy Fallon show and no problem, I can talk, right? But even though it looks like it's just coming off the cuff, they have practiced so much. It's the difference between walking and ballroom dancing. To really be an effective communicator, you have to put in the hours of practice that a ballroom dancer does. Those ballroom dancers, they look so... graceful and effortless or a different kind of dance if you like a different metaphor. But that's the difference between just normal shooting the shit, shooting the breeze versus actually being a professional communicator. You put in the reps, you put in the time, you collect stories, you practice delivering those stories. And a great way is, you know, get a media trainer, work for somebody like myself, perhaps write your book because most podcast hosts or if you want to speak on stages or TEDx, they like to see that you have a and the root of the word authority is author. And then you can spread your message far and wide and reach millions of people. Otherwise, you're stuck duking it out, talking to people one-on-one with an ineffective message, which if you put a little effort into the message, your closing rate or your enrolling rate would probably increase by five or 10x. Yeah,

Exactly right. I think you want to get 100 videos out there. Your first 50 may suck. But what you've already learned on this podcast, if you just do the couple of things that I've already mentioned, the three steps of neuroscience and the hell to heaven, and you bang out 100 videos. By the hundredth one, they'll be pretty kick ass because you will have gotten it down. You'll have put in the reps. It's like the first time you go to the gym, the first time you, you know, do a leg press, you know, you're not going to lift as much as on the hundredth day that you do a leg press when you've got it down. Right. So lean into it. And I think also perfectionism. keeps people stopped because they try to make that first video perfect. Just get over it. And also not all the videos have to be stories of a hell to heaven transformation that you take your clients on or that you yourself have gone through in whatever your business is as a builder or contractor. 80% of them should probably be that core message. But like we were talking about, Brad, before we started recording. 20% could just be about your passion, like you are a competitive shooter. Some videos could be about your passion for that and the hell to heaven transformation that you've gone through as you trained more.

Or just whatever your passion is, like throw in a couple of videos about other things that you care about. Because sometimes your tribe, will respond to those things. I'm like, I'm looking for somebody to help me with my business. I'm a contractor. Brad seems okay, but Brad also likes shooting. That's my hobby. Wow. He's my guy. Yeah.

Well, I don't think there's any should to it. I think every person is well served to consider what am I willing to do and what's off limits. And if there are things off limits, that's totally fine. I mean, I have a new YouTube channel. It's called Strategic Basics, as you can maybe see in the background there. And Strategic Basics is a... communication tip every week, basically. But I'm looking at all different breaking news stories and then going, wow, that's a cool story. And then teasing apart what is the business takeaway from that. So it's breaking news to business breakthroughs on strategic basics. But it's so interesting looking at all the different ways people communicate. Last week's episode was actually about homeless streamers in China. This is whole thing with these girls out at like 4 a. m. on the streets with their ring lights and their iPhones recording videos in China, all trying to be the next it girl. It's like, wow. I never knew. And then there's actually a whole like kind of farming of that. They kind of get indentured because they get taken into a group that helps them do that, that gives them the iPhone and the ring light and da-da-da-da-da. But then they owe them money so they can't get out of it. Anyway, but it's interesting to see all the different ways communication shows up.

I know. The other China story that was kind of interesting is these 90 second soap operas have. blown up. So it's like a whole hour and a half movie, but in 90 second chunks. It's a billion dollar business in China. It's a $600 million business in the United States right now. And what it is, is you kind of get the first couple for free, but maybe on TikTok or something like that. But then you get so hooked into the story. People pay maybe 50 cents or a buck to watch just 90 seconds more. So they end up spending maybe $30 to watch a feature length film. That's amazing. So that speaks to the neuroscience, like that dopamine hit of, I have to know what happens next.

Okay, so you've watched these, Brad.

Well, I'm a, you know, I'm obsessed with communication. So it's part of understanding what makes people tick and what makes people keep watching. And I actually think, oddly enough, it's worthwhile for your audience to watch a couple of these because it's the neuroscience of communication. It's the hook, little payoff, and then to get the next. dopamine hit, you have to watch the next video. So there's something to be learned everywhere. Yeah.

Exactly. And the real payoff for business owners is to look at the blueprint hidden behind communication. So even when you're watching videos on TikTok or on YouTube, notice which ones you glaze over and don't continue watching and which ones hook you. And then instead of being annoyed that you're hooked, notice what they did and see if you could translate that into your next video. Translate that technique.

get stuck in this? Be attentive. Pay attention. I was going to change the topic and say the other thing I really love to help people with, which we can maybe get into, is make sure that they have a solid business plan behind their lead magnet, behind their videos or their podcast or their book or even their networking conversations. Many people fail, not because their message isn't good. That is the usual way they fail. But if their message is good, the second way to fail is you don't have a clear business plan.

Well, and I just want to underscore that. It's like the difference between somebody giving you a list of exercises to do at the gym. Intellectually, yes, you have the list. But. Until you've worked out of the gym and broken into a sweat and done it repetitively, you haven't got the muscle. And then when you're in a high pressure situation or you have an enrolling conversation, you don't want to be thinking about what was point number three that Brad said I should cover. You want it to be automatic. And it only gets automatic when you've practiced enough.

Easily. And then you need to keep it fresh. You need to keep practicing. I mean, I love being on podcasts, but one of the reasons I'm on a couple of podcasts every week is because I'm really committed to being an excellent communicator. And each podcast host asks me different questions. This is the first time I explained neuroscience, you know, using the metaphor that I thought would appeal to your audience. So it's keeping me sharp and also contributing, I hope, a super valuable skill to the listeners. Nothing could be more. important than communicating powerfully. And I can give you tips for free that you can use right away.

You still have to practice.

this stuff in real

I would start with you and then come up with the avatar, but I think we're probably saying the same thing. So I always like when people are pivoting to a new business or considering a new offer that they start with. What do I really, really love to do? And what am I good at? What am I really good at? What have I put 10,000 hours in? And then who is that worth the most to? I think it's important to start with who you are because there's lots of different businesses that could be profitable, but you don't want to build a trap. So for example, in the past, I've sold tax shelters. So I have an honors economics degree. I've got an MBA. I'm really good at number crunching, but I don't love it anymore. But I've certainly put in more than 10,000 hours as a writer. I've written 10 books. I'm a ghost writer. I've written 30 screenplays. I have an award-winning produced screenplay. I called Eli's Lesson, you know, made eight films, oversaw 250 hours of TV programming. I've got expertise that's worth a lot. And that I still love to do. And then who is that worth the most to? In my case, it's worth the most to people who already have successful businesses, who are already making six figures themselves and usually have a seven or eight figure business. Because the difference I can make when I help them nail their communication, it opens up millions of dollars for them. I mean, I have a client who's selling his business for a hundred million dollars. Good communication can mean the difference between selling a business for 10 million or 100 million. So that's who my expertise is worth the most to. But everybody should or everybody is well served. You don't have to do anything to first, I think, start with themselves and then exactly right. Go on to who's the avatar and then tailor you communication for the person that your skills, your passion, your expertise is worth the most to. And this requires. The no muscle.

So many people think everybody, everybody that I can enroll is my is my client. I should go for it. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You need to have firm boundaries like around social media. Maybe you don't have pictures of your kids. You have clear boundaries. Decide what you will say no to. So, for example, yesterday I had a call with a prospect who listened to a podcast that was on four times. I'm like the same podcast four times. And he read my book and he was like super excited. But he was just at the beginning of his author journey. He didn't have a business to go as a back end. He had some ideas for some kids books, you know, that would appeal to ages four to seven. So I could help him. And I would probably love helping him. He seemed like a lovely human being. But he's not my ideal client because I can't help him make tens of millions of dollars of more money because he's starting at zero. And getting from zero to making six figures is hard. But getting from making six figures to making seven figures is relatively easy. And going from seven figures to making eight figures is actually even easier and more contingent upon the exact right words. So, you know, I wished him well, but I didn't choose to offer to take him on as a coaching client.

Exactly right, Brad. That 80-20 rule also works the other way. So that client or prospect who had sued her previous contractor, who was complaining about four other, contractors that she'd worked with, she's very likely in that 20% of clients who will cause you 80% of your grief,80% of your up at 3am tossing and turning because something didn't go right or they complained or they're suing you. So it's really better to, in my opinion, define Who are my no clients? I would say clients who previously sued other contractors and complain about it for them are probably on your hot no list. Then who are your super yes clients? Like they're committed, they pay on time, they're appreciative, they're grateful, they don't scope creep or whatever those things are. And then who are them, you know, probably, and they pay you twice as much as you get from your other clients. Then there's going to be some prospects in the middle. Right. But it's a it's a it's a spectrum. But you want to really clearly define your very best avatar and speak to that person on your videos or your blog posts or what have you. And actually, you want to repel the people who are in that 20 percent that will cause you 80 percent grief. It's like dating. Yes. Like business is like dating. When you're dating, you actually don't want every gal or girl. No, you just want the top ones. Yeah. To dance with a little bit.

And here's the paradox. I find that people who pay more are less trouble.

The ones who barely can scrape by to make a whatever $500 purchase, they are so strapped for cash that they are usually full of complaints. But the person who spends $5,000 is usually thrilled. And you may have given them the same. The same result. But one is it has a higher expectation. You did it with higher caliber materials or what have you. And they're thrilled. So it's not always worth it to bend over backwards and offer somebody really a break even deal. I would say if you're only breaking even, you're actually losing money. Because people don't calculate the cost of the. hidden overhead behind your assistant, your office space, your rent on your office space, your phone, your gas in your truck. They don't also add that in. So if they're just going for break even or a very 10% margin or whatever the case may be, they're probably losing money.

So you're better off not closing the client that you're going to lose money for.

For business? Yes. I like the E-Myth. That's a great one. The E-Myth Revisited is an excellent book by Michael Gerber. I also like Talent Code by Daniel Coyle, which says basically talent isn't born, it's grown, and here's how. And here's how is basically deep practice. You got to be challenged and then you have to have a mentor. So talent code. Yeah.

It's the fastest way to accelerate.

I've had many, many coaches and mentors.

Yeah. Coaching is the fastest way to accelerate. It's the old path of working as an apprentice alongside a master. I mean, that worked for Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, and it still works today. So when you have an opportunity to work with somebody like Brad, who's already been there, done that with thousands of clients and has had so many wrong turns, right turns, you know, you can ask him one question. He can give you an answer in a minute and it will save you 10 months of going the wrong way. Yeah.

Yeah, if people are already successful entrepreneurs, experts or leaders, and they'd like VIP one-on-one help, they can apply for a business breakthrough call at bookcall. biz. That's book. call. biz. And then I'll look at their business and their communication plan, see if I can help them raise capital or write a book or launch a YouTube channel or get on podcasts or get the media training. If you're not already successful at up to something, then the best resources would be my books, Turn Words Into Wealth. And you can read up about other clients whose lives I've changed at my website, which is same page. publishing. com same page, publishing. com. Cause I come on the same page as my clients and help them. And if you'd like more free resources, strategic basics, my YouTube channel has a video a week about breaking news and how, you know, you can use that to have a business breakthrough. Awesome.

I think a good question is, is it too late? I think a lot of people have that as a limiting belief. And I want to say, no, it's not too late. No matter where you're starting from, you can always become a better communicator. And honestly, even if you become a 10% better communicator, it may double your income. So it's not too late. You just have to decide that you're going to put in the effort and then put in the effort. And, you know, potentially work with a media coach who can help you accelerate that path. But just paying attention, putting in the effort, collecting those hell to heaven stories, understanding the three steps of neuroscience, and you'll be ahead of 90% of other people. That's