Effectively Telling Your Business Story
If you tell your story in an exciting, compelling, amazing way, other people will stop what they are doing to listen to what you have to say. It should never be assumed that everyone knows how to tell their story. In fact, it is an art form, when done right.
Everyone needs a story to tell
There is no doubt that everyone has something to say and that each person’s story is unique. However, although the heart of the story contains everything that it should, if that story isn’t told in a compelling, effective, tug on the other person’s emotion sort of way, it will not have the desired effect and that would be a shame and a waste. It truly is all in the approach. It is important to understand here that everyone has a story to tell. It is the technique and the delivery of each story and of each person that varies. One of the common element in all stories must be the emotional/human element. All stories (including yours) must have that element or the other person will not respond. If the other person’s feelings are not affected, they won’t be interested in continuing with the relationship. Those heartstrings are extremely important. People love a good story, especially one with a happy ending.
When it comes to crafting your story, it may take you a little while to develop it to the point where you feel that it says exactly what you want it to say in exactly the way that you want it to say it. Developing a good story often takes shaping, honing, and tweaking. When a person hears (or reads) the story of another person, there will definitely be a reaction. Humans need to relate to one another with their feelings. If the story makes the person feel good, they will want to hear more because they will want to prolong that good feeling. You may consider that emotional connection (or rather, the storyteller’s ability to call up that emotional connection) manipulative. However, human beings can’t function without it. If you think about it in those terms, it certainly doesn’t seem like a bad thing.
What does a good story accomplish?
A good story accomplishes a lot of very valuable things. A good story can change a person’s mind about whatever they are thinking. A good story can help a person to see things from a totally different perspective. A good story can convince a person to made a decision that would have gone in a different direction otherwise. As the storyteller, in addition to telling an emotion-filled story, you also need to make use of other skills that are critical to your success in that situation. You need to really listen to what the other person wants and needs. If you tell your story in the right way, it will go straight to the heart of the other person and it will stay there. If that happens, that means that it will also be remembered for a long time. Of course, in addition to telling your story very effectively, you must also make it interesting, imaginative, and inspiring. In other words, you need to make sure that your story is impossible for the other person to turn away from.
Conclusion
In business and in life, your story is critical to your success. It allows you to have successful relationships and it gives other people the opportunity to see slivers of who you are as a person and to understand something of what you believe in and in where your passions exist. If your story is really good, it will connect you to people on many different levels. In fact, if your story is told well enough, people will not only respond to that story but will be hungry for more and more stories and will be constantly looking for what you have to say next.
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Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
Discussion: How Does Your Business Story Entice Your Audience?
Even better if your story has a special process of growing and the story is rich and passionate.
The people that began my company with me at the same time were the discovers of “EL PRECIADO” THE TREASURE OF THE RIVER PLATE a Spanish vessel of 1706.
Believe me this story in particular is amazing. Maybe you can find some of it in internet the chief of operations Collado wrote a lot about this and the newspapers
Also the story of the treasure sale in Sotheby’s in New York
By Memo Carretero
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
Discussion: How Does Your Business Story Entice Your Audience?
The article while interesting seems to hinge on the idea that your audience should be addressed in ways that conform to social selling; liking, friendliness, and other personality attributes combined in an attention-getting story line.
Business life today is overly earnest and prospective clients, if they do meet with you, find time very precious and demanding. This strongly suggests that you have less then 30 minutes in which to present ideas which will solve the prospect’s immediate problem. The presenter’s attitude/posture should be one of teaching in the sense of providing new information and case descriptions in an expert and knowing manner. Drawing the audience into the presentation and personalizing it is the prime objective. To do this effectively, best do your homework to learn about the prospect’s business/problem.
By Gabriel Berner
These are really good ideas to keep in mind – no matter who you’re trying to win over and how. I like how it mentions the importance of finding your way to the reader’s heart. We apply creative storytelling to proposals using similar methods. In longer form documents, it’s even more important to capture – and keep – their attention. Otherwise their eyelids get awfully heavy.
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
Discussion: How Does Your Business Story Entice Your Audience?
The story we say about our co which gives the impression as to what we are & has only truth which buyers will start believing & accept it . No glossy picture presenting which people does not want to listen . All our buyers always comeback saying you tell the truth as your material speaks more then you.
By Mayank Sanghvi
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
Discussion: How Does Your Business Story Entice Your Audience?
Interesting post. The cool thing about what you’re saying is that story-telling applies everywhere. I’m a data guy and this is a skill set that is often hard to find. Researching the subject, I have concluded that a part of the reason is the right brain / left brain thing. Right-brainers tend to be more social and communicative. Left-brainers, on the other hand, tend to be more analytical and have a comparative advantage in math versus writing and story-telling. Any advice you have to the bean counters of the world would be appreciated.
By Taymour Matin
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
Discussion: How Does Your Business Story Entice Your Audience?
You can tell your story in a variety of media’s short 1-2min video, articles in a magazine, etc… it does not have to be a long drawn out process. Just like having your short elevator pitch to be able to sell your products, you need to sell you. Why? Because we buy from those we trust, we trust those we know so the more I know about you, your values, your history the more likely I am going to buy from you.
By Brian Lord
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network – #1 Group for CMOs
Discussion: How Does Your Business Story Entice Your Audience?
A number of considerations heretofore not discussed come to mind? 1- the length of the sales cycle and the number of visits needed to close 2- is the “sales” presentation invitation a response to a prospect problem or just an FYI intro to your services and 3- when offering your advice to the overarching question, is it based on your in-depth experience (10 or more recent sales) or just the logic of the question’s content?
Honesty and trust are question requirements for the last item.
By Gabriel Berner