Write Your WSJ-Worthy Transformation Story

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Welcome to Lesson 16 of The Purposeful Performer!

Transform yourself from product-pusher to trusted advisor by writing your transformation story as if you were authoring an article for The Wall Street Journal.

This single exercise—writing out your vision of industry transformation first—will dramatically improve your point-of-view, boost your confidence with executives, and make it easier to communicate big ideas.

Total points up for grabs: 25

Writing leads to clearer communication

The most influential strategic sellers don't just tell—they write their transformation story first, shaping a powerful narrative that executives can't ignore.

Writing is the hidden superpower most sales professionals overlook. While everyone focuses on improving their speaking, presenting, and objection-handling skills, elite performers understand that writing is the foundation upon which all effective communication is built. When you write out your ideas first, you're forced to clarify your thinking in a way that verbal conversations don't require.

There's something profound that happens when we commit our thoughts to paper (or screen). The process of writing requires precision and clarity that speaking simply doesn't. In conversation, you can get away with fuzzy thinking, interruptions, and tangents. But writing strips away this luxury. It forces you to articulate exactly what transformation you're proposing and why it matters.

This is particularly crucial in strategic selling. When pursuing seven- and eight-figure deals, you're not selling products—you're positioning visions of transformation that will reshape entire business units or organizations. These complex ideas can't be properly conveyed in improvised conversations or standard slide decks. They must be carefully crafted narratives that connect with executives at both an emotional and intellectual level.

As Graham Weaver, Stanford Business School professor and managing partner of Alpine Investors, advises: "Don't write a story about what happened. Write your story, then make it happen." This approach fundamentally shifts your position—from reacting to creating, from following to leading.

When you write your transformation story first:

1. You gain intellectual clarity: The process forces you to think through inconsistencies and gaps in your logic that might otherwise go unnoticed.

2. You develop a distinct voice: Rather than sounding like every other seller reciting marketing talking points, you develop a perspective that's uniquely yours (or one that sounds more like a founder CEO).

3. You create reusable intellectual property: A well-crafted transformation story becomes an asset you can adapt for LinkedIn content, presentations, emails, and follow-ups—saving time while maintaining consistency.

4. You build credibility through association: When your ideas are framed as they would appear in prestigious publications, you subtly position yourself alongside thought leaders in your industry.

5. You overcome the "seller" label: Executives don't want to talk to sellers—they want to engage with experts who can help them navigate complex transformations. Writing positions you as the latter.

Think about the last truly impactful business book or article you read. It likely wasn't impactful because it pitched products—it was impactful because it shifted how you think about a problem or opportunity. That's precisely what your transformation story should do for executives.

Strategic sellers who master this approach find they no longer need to "hunt" for opportunities. Instead, executives seek them out as valued advisors who can help them navigate uncertain times. This shifts the power dynamic entirely—from begging for meetings to being invited into strategic conversations.

The exercise that follows isn't just about improving a sales skill—it's about transforming how you engage with the market and positioning yourself as the rare seller who thinks like a trusted consultant rather than a quota-chaser.

In today's uncertain business climate, executives are looking for trusted advisors who can guide them through transformations—not just another salesperson pitching products.

Let me share a personal experience that changed my career trajectory. In 2019, I was asked to fill in for an executive who dropped out of speaking at Skift Global Forum, a prestigious conference where CEOs from major airlines and travel brands would be present. I had just eight months of experience in my Strategic Account Director role, and only three days to prepare.

Rather than panicking, I applied a principle that became my secret weapon: write it out first.

I wrote a LinkedIn article on the topic—how to delight guests with Conversational AI—before building my presentation. This approach:

• Helped me work backward to create the presentation

• Solidified my talking points and built my confidence

• Created a valuable asset that lived beyond the event

The result? I nailed the presentation. Several executives approached me afterward, impressed with my expertise. When I followed up by sharing my article, seven of them responded with praise for my deep industry knowledge (which, honestly, I was still developing).

This principle fundamentally changed how I approached sales. Instead of trying to sell products, I started writing about transformations. When I approached Delta Air Lines with my "Open Letter" strategy, or when I created distinct point-of-view assets for each major opportunity, I wasn't selling LivePerson's technology—I was positioning a blueprint for becoming a conversational business.

The elite revenue generators don't sell products—they communicate a vision of transformation that executives can see themselves in. And the best way to develop that vision? Write it out first.

That’s what we’ll focus on today, building upon the muscles you’ve built over the past two lessons.

It's time to write your Wall Street Journal-worthy transformation story. This isn't about your product—it's about the future of the industry as seen through your expert lens. Let's break down how to do it (with real-life examples):

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