💡 Business Tip - Become a Storyteller (Issue #61)
Sell with stories, not dry features and facts
Let me tell you a story about selling…
Nothing is more boring than someone spouting facts. And we tune out people and messages that are dry, irrelevant, and uninteresting.
Human beings are wired for storytelling. We can’t help it!
We’ve been sharing stories with each other around the fire since the beginning of our shared language. Visual storytelling (e.g., cave paintings) has been around for over 36,000 years. Oral storytelling is even older! Probably over 50,000 years old.
So, it’s no wonder we are drawn to the signals of a story being told. We tune into that familiar framework.
Personally, you’ve been listening to stories since you were a child. You probably can’t help but perk up your ears and lean in when someone says, “Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time…”
So, do the same for your audience!
Wrap your marketing in an interesting story.
Put tantalizing tales around your sales.
Make the story intriguing and relevant for your ideal customers and clients. Your story will attract the right people, but others will probably ignore it. That’s okay.
You want your stories to resonate with potential buyers. You want them to recognize the situation and be excited about the outcome you can provide.
“Oh, I’ve had that problem!”
“I've been in that same situation.”
“I recognize that issue. Are they able to fix it?”
As you might imagine, stories created by your past happy customers will obviously be attractive. That’s one reason I tell you to always request testimonials from your customers and clients. Their words provide credibility and set the context in ways that your own words cannot.
So, as you are preparing your marketing materials for your website, social media, videos, email campaigns, etc., use stories about your customers. Work with them to get quotes, photos, and videos.
Nothing sells better than a true and compelling story about how you made someone happy!
I’m Larry Cornett, a business coach who can work with you 1-on-1 to design, launch, and optimize your business. You might also be interested in my “Employee to Solopreneur” workshop. I live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and Great Dane while running my businesses 100% remotely.
