Find the Business Story You'll Tell Daily the Rest of Your Life (Mike Ulmer and Jason Barnard) - Branded Search (and Beyond) with Jason Barnard

Mike Ulmer talks with Jason Barnard about find the business story you’ll tell daily the rest of your life.

Mike Ulmer founded Catapult, a company that reflects his belief that great business books are great books. And at Catapult, story comes first. The company makes a point of interviewing its customers to find out their story, their processes, the ins and outs of their business, what they do, how they do it, and why they do it. Catapult’s methodology: the “Only Ten Business Questions That Matter” questionnaire. And after 25 years in journalism and 15 books, Mike learns something new every day about the three essential skills of a writer: how to ask the right question, how to listen for the right answer, and how to find the right words.

We all have stories to tell, maybe we have heard people say they do not, but in fact we all do. And in business, it’s all about finding the right story, or even the best story, that will leave an impression on customers and that can be told over and over again.

In this episode, Mike Ulmer and Jason Barnard discuss the importance of a compelling backstory for your business and how to build a groovy one. With lots of practical tips, this chat is sure to help you to find the business story you perhaps thought you don’t have.

And while Mike and Jason are both great writers and marketers, they also shared a lot about the importance of listening to editors and sales people.

As always, the show ends with passing the baton… the rather insightful Mike Ulmer passes the virtual baton to next week’s wonderful guest, Olga Zarzeczna.

What you’ll learn from Mike Ulmer

00:00 Mike Ulmer and Jason Barnard
00:40 Quick Backstory About Colonel Sanders of KFC
01:39 Help Ukraine’s Cats and Dogs: Buy Anton Shulke a Coffee
02:16 Mike Ulmer’s Knowledge Panel
03:02 The Brand SERP of Mike Ulmer’s Books
03:51 Jason Barnard’s Recommendation to Improve Mike Ulmer’s Brand SERP
05:23 Mike Ulmer’s Thoughts on Book Covers
07:45 Google is a Child: Jason Barnard’s Side Story
09:06 What is the Purpose of a Backstory for Business?
09:52 How to Build a Business’ Backstory
11:09 What if a Business Has No Backstory?
13:10 What Does a Hook Mean in a Story?
14:32 Three Questions That Always Get a Story
16:35 What is the Importance of the Hook to a Story?
17:57 Talking in Threes: Rule of Three Technique
22:48 Importance of Listening to the Perspective of Others (Editors and Sales People)
29:07 Passing the Baton: Mike Ulmer to Olga Zarzeczna