Stories That Make People Say Yes (9 Proven Types) | Ben Gioia
Ben Gioia breaks down nine story types that build trust, open doors, and turn conversations into clients, even before your book is done. From the Canada Growth Network Power Hour.
Hosts: Percy Barr, Wayne Pratt and Bernie Franzgrote
Ben Gioia shares 9 proven story types that build trust, attract clients, and open doors — even before your book is finished. From the CGN Power Hour.
GROWTH CATEGORY: Marketing & Branding
Most business owners think they don't have stories worth telling. They're wrong — and that belief is costing them clients. Ben Gioia has spent years helping coaches, consultants, and experts turn their lived experience into a published book that works as a trust engine, a conversation starter, and a client-attraction tool. In this Canada Growth Network Power Hour, he broke down the nine types of stories that any business owner can use right now.
Watch the full conversation here:
WHO THIS IS FOR
SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Coaches and consultants / Corporate escapees building a second act / Leaders who want authority that lasts
Key Lessons
1. Stories hit four influence factors at once
According to Ben — drawing on Robert Cialdini's work — a well-told story activates knowing, liking, trusting, and authority simultaneously. No pitch does that. When you share a story from a client session, a personal challenge, or a weird Tuesday afternoon, you're not just entertaining. You're building the psychological groundwork for someone to say yes. The knowing and liking happen naturally. The trusting builds over time. Add a work story and you've layered in authority. Four out of six influence factors — from one story.
2. The windshield wiper keeps people engaged
Brian Tracy called it — story to information, back and forth, like a windshield wiper. Ben uses this framework with every author he works with, and it applies to talks, podcasts, posts, and any content you create. Too much information and people check out. Too much story and people feel inspired but don't know what to do. The balance is what moves people forward. Story. Information. Story. Information. Keep the rhythm.
3. Connecting the dots is the move most people miss
You told a great story. Now tell people why it matters. Use the word "because." Say "here's why this is important to you." Ben calls it the breadcrumb trail — you're a tour guide, not a storyteller performing to an audience. Lead them from your story to the insight to the action. Don't assume they'll make the leap. Most people are busy, distracted, and processing a lot. Be the guide who connects it.
Practical Steps
- This week: Write out your origin story in 150 words. The moment things were hard, what shifted, and where you are now. You don't have to share all of it. Just have it ready.
- This week: Next time you make a point in a meeting, a post, or a conversation — follow it with "because" and one sentence of why it matters. Notice how people respond.
- This week: Visit influencewithaheart.com/5wd if you've been sitting on a book idea. Ben's five-week draft program opens soon. First draft done before summer.
About the Guest
Ben Gioia is the founder of Influence With A Heart. He helps leaders, coaches, and experts go from stuck to published — in as little as five weeks — using a heart-centered, results-tested method. His clients have landed speaking gigs at Google, closed five-figure workshop deals, and signed $50,000 coaching programs before their books were finished. Ben has lived in Spain for over two years, written books under serious deadline pressure, and built a publishing framework rooted in both strategy and mindset. He cares about helping people share what they know — because the world needs it.
Connect with Ben: influencewithaheart.com | LinkedIn Explore his offers: Five-Week Draft | Brilliant
Listen on Audio
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FAQ
Q: Do I need a dramatic life story to use Ben's framework? Not at all. Ben is clear on this — you don't need epic stories. You need relevant ones. If you're still walking the planet, you have stories worth sharing. They just need to connect to something you're teaching or a point you're making.
Q: Can these nine story types work outside of a book? Yes — and that's the point. Ben teaches these for books, but the framework applies to podcast appearances, LinkedIn posts, keynote talks, sales conversations, and client sessions. Anywhere you communicate, stories do the heavy lifting.
Q: How do I know if my book idea is ready to write? Ben recommends a quick self-assessment at InfluenceWithAHeart.com. It takes about two minutes and asks the questions that reveal whether your book concept has the foundation to work — and where to focus first.
