Let Me Tell You A Story

“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.” -?Seth Godin

When someone says, ‘let me tell you a story’ it grabs our attention.

Humans love stories! From the time we are toddlers we find them to be enthralling. A well-told story gives us images that stick with us. After all, people don't think in words; they think in pictures.

More importantly, stories evoke an emotional connection. And, to paraphrase Maya Angelou,

People will forget everything you said but they'll never forget how you make them feel.

Because of the images and emotions, stories make things easier to recall; even simple ones.

For example, here is a list of seven items.

• Beaver
• Motor Scooter
• Fedora
• Mountain
• Sunglasses
• Cup of coffee
• Mobile Phone

Before you read any further, close your eyes and see how many of those seven you can recall.

Now consider this silly story:

There was a beaver named Tom. He woke up late one morning and grabbed a cup of coffee. After taking a couple of sips, his neighbor saw him and said,

"Tom, beavers don’t drink coffee."

So he put the coffee down and put on his fedora. Being late, he had missed the beaver bus and he was forced to ride his motor scooter instead.

Tom was on his way to work, but he kept looking at the beautiful mountain in front of him. Suddenly he was overwhelmed by an adventurous feeling and decided to blow off work. The beaver adjusted his sunglasses and rode the scooter all the way to the top of the mountain. While standing at the summit he took out his mobile phone and snapped some breath-taking pictures.

It was a day Tom the beaver would never forget.

Isn’t it easier to remember the individual list of items when they are included in a story?

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How powerful can telling a story be for business?

Once upon a time my connection Bob Burg and I were having a conversation about his landmark book, The Go-Giver. He shared a secret with me:

The basic premise and tenets that make up that marvelous book were also in a previous book of his which had sold...okay.

But, when he connected with his co-author John David Mann and weaved those principles into an allegorical story, the resulting book became a smash hit!

For a brief overview of what Bob and John call the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success, watch the video below. (And DO read the book as well!)

SO…

How can you use the power of story telling to accelerate your success?

Here is one way.

Make them sick and then give them the cure!

When explaining the products and/or services you offer, tell a story which is compelling and personal.?

Have this story feature problems that are common to those who fit your Ideal Client Profile.

For your story, think of the people suffering from a problem like a character in a play, movie or book.

Each important character’s story has an arc.?

The story about your customer’s problem should briefly include:

• Introduction
• Backstory
• Controversy and/or Struggle
• Resolution

Often, you must make people realize they are sick (because they don’t know) before you can give them the cure.

Some customers have become so accustomed to certain things that they don’t know they have a problem.

Or, they do know they have a problem, but are not aware there is a way to solve it. But, they are able to relate to the symptoms!

While listening to your well-crafted story they will begin to recognize that they are suffering from those, too.?

This is why telling the story of someone else who had the same problem is so effective in helping inspire them to take action on changing.

These stories are a conduit to help you serve them and make their life better.

Need help constructing your effective customer solution story? PM me.?

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About?Bob Sager

The Founder of?SpearPoint Solutions, Bob’s professional background includes over three decades of experience in sales, leadership and training. Combined with creative thinking, he uses that experience to develop business strategies that help organizations increase sales and margins. Additionally, Bob facilitates training on methods of thinking more creatively that organizations can practically apply to all aspects of their business so they can thrive in the modern?economy.?