What's your story?

Stories make your business relatable and more importantly make you stand out from the crowd.

Data alone can be overwhelming for some people being walked through presentations, reading articles, and listening to interviews. Stories instead, engage hearts and minds and allow watchers, readers and listeners to relax into the moment.

EVERY GREAT SALE STARTS WITH A GREAT STORY

In today’s competitive market offering a standout product or service isn’t enough. Every one of your competitors are trying to make more noise than you. But it’s not always noise that cuts through. It’s your story. Stories teach us about life and help us appreciate others and their different perspectives. A great story humanises a brand, allowing customers to feel some kind of connection and understanding. But crafting that story can be hard, especially when you’re so immersed in the detail.

Here are some tangible actions and questions to help clarify what you do and why, and to ultimately tell your business’s story in a genuine and engaging way.

WHY DO YOU EXIST?

When you decided to start your business there was story that went with it. This could have been related to a commercial problem you wanted to solve or for some personal reason. Revisit ‘why’ you exist and remind every member of your team, your customers and whoever will listen. This will deliver a holistic view of the background to your passion and why your purpose matters so much.

Stories make your business relatable and more importantly articulate the problem your product or service is trying to solve for them. To be authentic the story must have context for the audience otherwise it becomes a sermon and you’re back to old school selling by telling.

Action: Write down why you started doing what you do and why it matters?

HOW DOES YOUR STORY SILENCE YOUR COMPETITORS?

Your customers, like you, are exposed to many narratives and messages, so having a story that will elevate your company from the rest is so important. It gives you an edge and more importantly ensures your customers’ choice becomes an emotional one.

Action: Check that your marketing messages reinforce the story of why you do what you do. Create consistency across your social media, website and employee sales collateral. Your story should be everywhere!

YOUR STAFF ARE YOUR STORY TELLERS

Ensuring your staff understand the reason why you exist is important. They also need to be clear on their role and importance in the story. Put simply, if they believe and connect your story’s meaning for themselves, their motivation will naturally resonate when they share that with customers.

Action: Ask your staff to share their pitch of your story? Is it compelling?

CUSTOMERS THAT CARE ARE THE BEST ONES

Your story is a chance to create an emotional connection and perhaps even make customers feel good about a particular problem or opportunity they may have. If you want someone to trust you with their hard earned dollars you need to engage in a way that entices understanding and meaning.

Action: How does my story help customers feel good or solve a problem?

STORIES DRIVE CHOICES

There’s a gap in the market when it comes to businesses sharing their own unique, organic, human stories to drive a connection with customers on an emotional level. This is one of the key reasons we started Whiteark.

Stories give us life and your brand deserves the most awesome story ever.

I hope you have some fun creating your story, there’s no time like now…

Story, Stories in Business, Storytelling, Customers, Sales