The Art of Storytelling to Grow Your Business
A 4-Module Adviser Development Program with Vanessa Stoykov
People don't remember facts-they remember stories. In today's competitive advice landscape, connecting with clients through authentic storytelling is one of the fastest ways to build trust, inspire action, and grow your business.
This hands-on programme, led by international award-winning financial educator Vanessa Stoykov, teaches advisers how to craft and deliver stories that attract and retain clients. Across four fortnightly online interactive learning modules advisers will develop a personal signature story and a client transformation story ready to use in meetings, marketing, and presentations.
On completion of this course, you will:
- Understand how storytelling influences client trust and decision-making
- Have developed a personal signature story that connects with clients
- Be able to create engaging hooks and relatable backstories for advice conversations
- Know how to highlight risks and demonstrate transformation to show the value of advice
- Be more effective at delivering stories confidently across meetings, presentations, and marketing
- Increase client referrals and conversion rates through impactful storytelling
Course Structure
Module 1 | 7 Oct 2025 - Why Storytelling Works & Your Personal 'Why'
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the cognitive processes involved in decision making
- The role of external factors on how we make decisions
- Understand the neuroscience behind story telling
Content
- Neuroscience of decision-making and why stories stick
- How advice changes lives' and builds trust
- Practical exercise: Create your 3-sentence "why I became an adviser" story
Module 2 | 21 Oct 2025 - Hooks, Flashpoints & Backstory
Learning Outcomes:
- How to capture the attention of your audience with effective openings
- How to create effective openings
- Understand the concepts of flashpoints and turning points
- Learn how to use these tools to create stories that resonate
Content
- Designing openings that capture client attention
- Identifying flashpoints and turning points that resonate
- Practical exercise: Writing a short, relatable adviser backstory
Module 3 | 4 Nov 2025 - Highlighting Risks, Transformation & Client Stories
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand how to use stories to help clients understand their risk exposure
- Know how to develop conversations that help clients act with urgency
- Develop the skills to create before and after client journeys
Content
- Demonstrating what's at risk and creating urgency in client conversations
- Structuring before-and-after client journeys
- Practical exercise: Drafting a client transformation story that inspires referrals
Module 4 | 18 Nov 2025 - Storytelling in Action
Learning Outcomes:
- Develop effective storytelling skills to be used with clients
- Know how to develop and incorporate impactful stories into presentations and social media
Content
- Delivering stories confidently in client meetings, seminars, and on social media
- Templates and tools to continue creating impactful stories
- Practical Exercise: Deliver a 2-minute story pitch and get real time feedback
Facilitator
Vanessa Stoykov - Chief Executive Officer, Evolution Media Group (Aus)
Vanessa Stoykov is an international award-winning money educator, with a focus on making talking about money entertaining and relatable. In the current cost of living crisis, she is a trusted voice to the media and to everyday people about new ways to think about money in a challenging environment.
She was voted by Finder in 2024 as one of Australia’s most loved top financial figures, and writes a Sunday column for eight million Daily Mail readers.
With over two decades of experience in the wealth creation space, Vanessa Stoykov knows how important it is to have courageous conversations in order to achieve financial freedom.
From her 25-year history of owning her own financial services education-focused media business, Evolution Media Group, Vanessa has a deep understanding of the finance world and has the unique ability to communicate this in a way that everyday people can understand.
She is also a member of Chief Executive Women (CEW) and one of the founders of the Fund Executives Association for superannuation senior executives.
Dates: 7 October, 14 October, 4 November & 18 November 2025
Time/ Duration: 11am - 12noon, 1 hour per module
Delivery: Online
CPD: 4 hours
Course Fee: Member $598 (incl. GST) | Non-member $650 (incl. GST)
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations made before 30 September will incur a $50 cancellation fee. No refunds will be provided for cancellations received on or after 30 September, unless approved by Financial Advice New Zealand.