The Power of Brand Storytelling

Park Howell teaches the ABT (And, But, Therefore) framework — a three-part story structure derived from Hollywood's Hero's Journey — and shows how mortgage professionals can use it to break out of rate commoditization and create compelling, audience-centered messaging. Best for LOs who struggle to differentiate themselves when asked 'why you?' by agents or prospects.

Takeaways you can run this week

• Write your first ABT today using this exact structure: AND (what your audience wants and why it matters to them) + BUT (the specific obstacle or uncertainty blocking them right now) + THEREFORE (your process or offer that resolves it). Example: 'You want to buy a home and feel confident it's the right decision AND you want to protect your family's financial future, BUT interest rate volatility is making you fear looking foolish, THEREFORE let's walk through our [name your process] to determine together if now is the right time for you.'
• Name your process so it sticks in prospects' minds. Borrow from Park's advice: label your consultation method something tangible — e.g., 'Cost of Emotion vs. Finance Analysis' or Dave Savage's 'Total Cost Analysis' — then build your THEREFORE around it so clients can picture what working with you looks like.
• Rewrite your LinkedIn bio using the ABT format: open with what your target reader wants and why it matters to them (their perspective, not yours), state the BUT (why they don't have it yet), then introduce yourself in the THEREFORE as the mentor who can get them there.
• Practice ABTs daily by writing every outbound email or social post in AND/BUT/THEREFORE format. Park's rule: write the words in explicitly at first, no matter how clunky it feels — the message will immediately be stronger, then edit them out once the structure is solid.
• Use the ABT in your next agent pitch meeting. If you get five minutes, open with a single ABT under 15 seconds: '[Agent], you want buyers who close with confidence, but rate uncertainty is making your clients freeze, therefore I have a process that helps them decide with clarity — can I show you?' Then follow with one short story example.
• Take Park's online course 'ABTs for Selling' at businessofstory.com/abt — it's under 18 minutes across three videos and specifically covers persuasive communication for sales contexts.

The playbook

1. Step 1 — Identify your audience: Name one specific person (first-time buyer, move-up seller, referring agent). Be as precise as possible.
2. Step 2 — Write the AND statement: What does that person want in relation to your offering, and why does it matter to them? Keep it positive — this is the vision of a brighter outcome, not the problem.
3. Step 3 — Write the BUT statement: What is the single biggest obstacle, fear, or contradiction preventing them from having what they want? Use the word 'but' (or 'yet' / 'however') as a direction-change trigger.
4. Step 4 — Write the THEREFORE statement: Introduce yourself and your named process as the resolution. Focus on what you make happen (outcomes), not what you make (products).
5. Step 5 — Read it aloud. If you feel a visceral 'that's it' reaction, it's working. If not, rewrite the AND or BUT — the resolution is only as strong as the problem it solves.
6. Step 6 — Deploy across all formats: sales presentations, landing pages, LinkedIn bio, social posts, agent pitches, and email subject lines.

Worth quoting

“In times of chaos, people seek context — storytelling is the only way you give that context.”

“If you compete on rate, you're stuck in the primordial muck of being commoditized.”

Best for

LOs who default to talking about rates and products but can't articulate what makes them different when an agent or prospect asks 'why you?'

Links from the show notes

• Business of Story Website
• Business of Story Podcast
• Get More Agent Referrals