5 REASONS YOU NEED A STORY IN BUSINESS

Selling yourself (thus your product or service) is best done by the use of a story. The following points will help illustrate why a story is important. This blog will not tell you how to write your story, but it will stress the importance of having one. BizQuack will offer an educational session on this topic before the end of this year.

1. Strong business relationships are more easily formed with the help of a story. When you share your story it becomes a trust building mechanism. People trust people that they know and by sharing your story you will become known.
2. People like to hear stories. Listening to a story is something most people have enjoyed since their childhood. It is a way of getting your audience to relax and pay attention. Remember, a story is not a sales pitch.
3. Emotional decisions are made through stories. Buying a product or service is, to some degree, partially an emotional decision. Stories, as a rule, open up our emotional mindset.
4. Stories are remembered. I seldom remember a sales pitch, but I do remember stories all the way back to my childhood as well as stories from a good book or movie. How many times have you recommended a book or movie to friends?
5. You will own your story. Your story is unique to you, and chances are good that the listener has never heard the same story before.

When I meet anyone new, I make it a point within the first minute to ask that person to share their story with me. It helps let their “guard down.” They are more open to further conversation and they always ask me to share my story.

By making my story a “compelling story” chances are good that it will be repeated by the listener, and it will spread to other potential customers or referral sources.

For me, I find it a lot easier to tell my story than to give a sales pitch. My business passion is moved from a sales pitch to a place within my story. Part of my story includes sharing the benefits I provided and how I differentiated myself in order to build my business.

There is a method to building a good story and BizQuack has a class on the subject which will be offered in November.