The Broken Funnel You're Not Seeing

I was building an audience, not customers. Here's the brutal truth about why great stories don't automatically equal great sales.

Author

Stephen Stanberry
August 4th, 2025

friend!

Few weeks ago, I stared at my own analytics and wanted to throw my laptop out the window.

My storytelling posts were crushing it. Hundreds of likes. Comments like "This hit different" and "Exactly what I needed to hear."

But my guide sales? Pathetic.

I was telling stories that made people feel something, but apparently not feel like buying something.

That's when I realized I was making the same mistake 90% of founders make.

I was building an audience, not customers.

Here's the brutal truth most creators won't admit:

Your stories don't suck. Your bridge does.

You're connecting emotionally but not commercially. People love your content but have no clue what you actually sell.

The problem isn't your reach. It's your bridge.

Most founders skip three critical pieces:

🧱 Story-to-solution connection – You inspire but don't direct

🧱 Clear next step – People don't know how to work with you

🧱 Consistent nurturing – You post randomly instead of strategically

My 3-Part Bridge Fix:

  1. End every story with stakes – What happens if they don't act?

  2. Connect your lesson to their next step – Bridge the gap explicitly

  3. Give one clear path forward – Not 5 options, one

I tested this on my next post about my radio station story.

Instead of ending with "What dream are you chasing?" I ended with "If you're stuck telling stories that don't convert, my guide shows you exactly how to bridge that gap."

Same story. Different bridge.

Sales doubled that week.

Want the complete 3-Part Bridge System? I'm putting together a free guide with the exact templates I use to turn emotional connection into commercial action.

Grab it here.

See ya tomorrow,

Stephen

P.S. Stop building an audience. Start building customers.

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