Stories capture our attention.
They are everywhere… in our family history, day to day lives, novels, advertising TV and Films.
It’s often easier to remember a story than a bunch of facts, especially if there is an emotional element to it – rags to riches, single to wedded bliss. We all like a happy ending.
Every day whether consciously or unconsciously we engage with clients through our own stories. We share our successes, our passion, perhaps our failures along with our products and services…
And each time we are demonstrating what we are good at, whether this is overcoming a fear of technology to run a successful online business, mastering your money story to increase your income, changing your lifestyle to improve your health.
It’s a very powerful approach.
But you may have found, like most of us, that it’s not always easy to get our message across to others.
From the 60 second pitch to writing your LinkedIn profile, there is an art to storytelling…. read on for a few tips.
No one wants to listen to rambling introductions at networking events or presentations. Be concise and authentic with a human interest element that leaves the listener wanting to learn more – “how did you do that?”!
Know what you want to convey. For example…your mastery of sales techniques has helped to double the size of your own client base in 18 months and your clients are now experiencing the same results.
Don’t go into too much detail. Most of us have a very short attention span and just want to hear the highlights. If they’re interested they’ll ask.
Be sensitive to your audience. How much is it appropriate to share with them? Is it relevant to them?
Identify the best ways you can communicate your story for maximum impact – testimonials, webinars, blogs, eBook, the media, your website, your sales pages?
How can you relate your own experience to what your clients need help with or are interested in? There’s a danger that we get so wrapped up in what’s happened to ourselves that we forget about the client!
If you have a website and are on social media it’s worth reviewing what your story tells others about your brand. Using different language, being more vulnerable or revitalising your copy could make all the difference to attracting more ideal clients.
