Sometimes the universe has to hit me over the head with its messages before I notice them! In the past, I haven’t always listened to the hints it’s been giving me. Here’s an example of what I mean….
Last fall, I won a $500 coaching session with a master storyteller to help me create ‘my story’.
In late December, I hired a new coach and one of her first suggestions was that I craft a signature talk based on my story …. Burnt out retailer to online marketing expert… as she felt this would help people relate to me.
Just a few weeks ago I won another coaching session with another master storyteller! (Third hit on the head from the universe). She spent 90 minutes with me to draw out elements for a great story that I could use in a variety of ways.
FINALLY – it hit me!!! Storytelling is an element that we often DON’T use to create an emotional connection with our prospects, but with a relevant story, you can sell more with ease.
Here’s the cautionary tale …. It’s not just your story of survival, or overcoming, or being brave or being the hero — the story must be RELEVANT to what you are selling. For instance, I didn’t start this blog with my story about being a retailer … it wouldn’t have been relevant to this particular topic.
A great story can:
✓ Inspire people to take action
✓ Elicit empathy & cooperation
✓ Influence and impact others.
This means, that the RIGHT story can help you sell more programs / products / services.
MAYA ANGELOU said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Now, if you’re anything like me, you might be telling yourself – but, Diana, I’m not a storyteller OR Diana, I don’t have a big story to tell! However, I think we are all storytellers – we are constantly sharing stories of our lives and what happens to us every day. Social media has proven to be one of the biggest places that people now share their stories!
As business owners, we are constantly required to answer the age-old question — WHAT DO YOU DO? Most often, a new business owner will explain about their process, their knowledge or their expertise. Or perhaps about the results that they get for their clients.
The truth is that too often what we say can leave a prospect bored and disinterested. But what if instead, you shared a success story about the transformation a client experienced from working with you OR a story that demonstrates your passion for why you do what you do!
Here is an example of each:
1. Success story — In the fall this year, I met Jane in a breakout room at a virtual networking event. She had a difficult time explaining exactly what her business was about and she was frustrated with her lack of sales. After a few conversations, Jane joined my 10-week coaching program. Together we found a simple way for her to explain her business to other businesses and to translate that onto her website! Before she finished the program – she was able to sign a $50,000 contract with a client. (This is a true story that demonstrates that once Jane was able to clearly articulate how her business could help others, she was able to attract more clients).
What success story do you have that could help you sell more? Notice the struggle that Jane experienced – and the transformation.
2. Passion Story – During my retail career, I volunteered with our local business association and had the pleasure of meeting hundreds of business owners. But what frustrated me was that after several years, I noticed that too many of these business owners closed their doors because they either burnt out; went into debt or couldn’t make their business profitable. And that most of these were women! That’s what inspired me to teach business owners to build predictably profitable businesses without burn out! Their passion and their frustration fueled my own passion (true story).
Do you have a ‘passion’ story? I’m sure you do! The next question is … can you boil it down to less than 100 words? Give it a try and always have it handy!
While these are only two types of stories that you could use in your business, you might try keeping a list of stories that you could use to show your prospects that you understand their challenges. Storytelling is like a muscle – the more you use it, the more your stories will impact and inspire!
YOU CAN DO THIS
Diana
If you’re attending Marketing Workshop Week, notice the stories that I’ll be sharing! BTW- even though we started on Monday, you can still join us for the rest of the week! Register here: https://dianalidstone.com/workshop-sign-up/
