How to build tension and drive sales with your conversion content, without the slimy tactics
When I became a financial services broker, I thought I’d cracked the code.
The math was simple:
100% of my own sales? Fast money.
50% of the sales of 10 agents I hired and trained? Slower start, but much more scalable.
What I didn’t account for was the time vacuum. Every hour I spent hiring and training new agents left me with less time to find clients of my own. My income began to stall, and the pressure was mounting.
One day, as I wrapped up 1-on-1 training a new agent, I felt it - the weight of that imbalance. I’d spent the entire session explaining why our products were vital, sharing real-life stories of families transformed by their decisions to purchase them (and devastated by their inaction when they didn’t). I’d given everything to this agent’s future, yet my own felt precarious.
As we were packing up, the agent looked at me and asked, in almost a whisper:
“You’ve got life insurance yourself, right?”
That single question stunned me - not because I didn’t have coverage, but because it exposed the gap between what I was preaching and what they assumed about me.
I smiled and answered, “Of course.” Then, almost instinctively, I turned the question back:
“You’re not paying for life insurance right now, are you?”
What followed wasn’t a sales pitch. It was a conversation - a quiet realization that had been building in the new agent’s mind throughout the entire session. We sat back down, and by the end of that meeting, the agent wasn’t just part of my team - they were also my client.
It was the first time I understood the art of tension. Urgency isn’t something you impose. It’s a reflection of what’s already true for your audience - if you know how to guide them to see it.
Did you know that urgency increases conversion rates by 332% when it’s tied to personal cost of inaction, rather than external pressure?
Urgency isn’t about pointing out a problem - it’s about holding up a mirror.
At its core, urgency is tension. It’s the subtle discomfort between what is and what could be. But here’s the secret: tension isn’t created - it’s already there. Your job is to uncover it, and let your audience feel it for themselves.
The problem with traditional urgency tactics is that they rely on external pressure:
“Act now or lose this deal!”
“Don’t miss out - only 3 left!”
These tactics may work in the short term, but they erode trust over time. Why? Because they read as slimy AF… even when true.
True urgency isn’t about deadlines or scarcity - it’s about alignment.
Your audience isn’t moved by what you say; they’re moved by what they feel. And feelings are born from tension: the gap between what they want and where they are, the personal cost of inaction if they don’t make a move now, and the clarity of the path forward… your product, service or solution.
Your role as a storyteller isn’t to force action. It’s to guide your audience to see their own personal cot of inaction, using tension so personally aligned, they’re damn near asking you to buy VS you selling them.
Tension transforms into conversions when your audience feels it’s their own realization, and not your agenda.
My T.E.N.S.I.O.N. Framework helps you weave tension into your content in a way that builds urgency, without the slimy sales tactics:
T - Trigger the Stakes
Begin with a relatable moment or detail that introduces the stakes. Make it personal, specific, and vivid.E - Establish the Emotional Gap
Highlight what’s missing in their current situation. Focus on emotional contrasts - what they feel now versus what they could feel.N - Name the Consequences
Without dramatizing, subtly reveal what’s at risk if no action is taken. Let the consequences linger without resolving them immediately.S - Spotlight the Transformation
Offer a glimpse of what could change. Show them a moment of clarity or a possible outcome they can aspire to.I - Ignite Curiosity
Use unanswered questions to pull them in. What happens next? How could this apply to their life?O - Open the Discovery
Lead them to connect the dots themselves. Frame your call to action as a natural next step rather than an instruction.N - Nurture the Resolution
Close with a sense of inevitability. The audience should feel that acting now is the logical and emotional conclusion.
Why This Works:
Urgency created through tension works because it’s rooted in truth. People don’t act because they’re told to - they act because they feel the cost of inaction.
When you guide your audience to see the cost of inaction clearly, urgency emerges naturally. It’s not about pressuring them; it’s about helping them confront the quiet truth they’ve been avoiding.
The most powerful decisions come from within. When your audience feels the weight of staying where they are and the possibility of something better, action becomes inevitable - not because they were sold, but because they chose.
Here’s What You’ll Get Out of It:
Natural Buy-In: Your audience won’t feel pushed - they’ll feel guided. When your stories reflect the cost of inaction, they resonate on a deeply personal level. The decision to act becomes theirs alone, driven by their recognition of what’s at stake and the clarity your narrative provides.
Emotional Credibility: When you reveal truths your audience already feels but hasn’t articulated, you earn their trust. This isn’t about selling; it’s about mirroring their internal dialogue. By aligning urgency with their lived experiences, you create a connection that feels honest, not transactional.
Enduring Impact: Stories rooted in universal human truths - fear of regret, hope for change, the tension of inaction - leave a lasting impression. These narratives don’t just prompt action; they linger, guiding decisions long after the moment has passed. The consistency of this impact builds a legacy of trust and results.
“True urgency doesn’t demand attention - it arises when the weight of inaction becomes undeniable.”
Your Turn:
Think of a time when someone shared with you how one of your stories moved them to act. Answer the questions below to analyze that moment and uncover the layers of transformation that made it impactful:
The Hidden Tension:
What unspoken struggle or unresolved question did they reveal about their situation? Look beyond what they explicitly told you - what fears, doubts, or aspirations might have driven their indecision?The Mirror Moment:
Identify the detail in your story that reflected their own experience. Was it a choice you described, a moment of vulnerability, or a subtle shift in perspective that resonated deeply with them?The Emotional Undercurrent:
What feelings did your story evoke in them - regret, hope, urgency, relief? How did those emotions surface naturally in your narrative, building tension without forcing a reaction?The Silent Question:
What lingering question or realization did your story spark? Consider how the unanswered aspects of your story guided them to confront the cost of inaction or envision the possibility of change.The Resolution Path:
How did the structure of your story - its sequence of tension, clarity, and discovery - create an inevitable pull toward their decision? What moment felt like the turning point?
Now Try This:
Rewrite one of your conversion assets - an email, landing page, or ad - using these insights. When you finish, ask yourself…
Does your new asset evoke emotion before explanation?
Does it reflect the audience’s internal conflict through vivid details?
Does it create a sense of inevitability without feeling manipulative?
The goal isn’t to force urgency with slimy tactics. It’s to create a story-driven experience that makes the choice to move forward feel like the natural next-step for them.
Prefer listening to reading sometimes? Want an extra layer?
Press play for the ‘Narrated Insights’:
Today’s Mega-Prompt: "Analyze the Hidden Tensions in Your Stories"
Paid members get to use today’s mega-prompt to: uncover the unspoken fears and quiet hopes your audience might not even realize they have. This isn’t about simply using stories in your content - it’s about creating conversion assets where your audience feels seen, understood, and ready to move forward because your words meet them right where they are.
Here’s a sneak peek:
"Look beyond what your audience says out loud - find the struggles they’re carrying and the dreams they’re holding onto. Then tell a story that gently reflects their journey and shows them the next step is closer than they think."
As a Paid 8am in Atlanta Member, you will also unlock exclusive tools designed to turn storytelling into a revenue-driving machine:
Prompt Archive: Gain access to an extensive archive of prompts, each designed to help you create stories that connect emotionally and convert effectively. The archive offers actionable techniques to create targeted brand narratives for top, middle, and bottom funnel stages, ensuring you always have proven strategies at your fingertips.
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Scalable Storytelling Power: With systems and frameworks designed for efficiency, you’ll create stories that connect emotionally and convert predictably.
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