In the last blog I talked about knowing your “why”; today I was reminded about storytelling at http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130802112108-7374576-this-will-be-the-1-business-skill-of-the-next-5-years
Storytelling has been around for centuries. It is how we learned values, how news was spread from village to village and yes, even the bible. We tell our business stories to attract customers and build our networks of support. We tell stories about great service as well as the rotten stuff. We are fascinated by how businesses started and grew and more so how they flopped.
We love gossip. Just look at all the magazines at the checkout in the supermarket. Did you know that when 2 or more people get together to discuss others they will always err on the side of negativity and if there is nothing negative there we make it up? Talk about stories!
Telling stories is not about the sale or even the product but rather the impact of the product or the company. This is not about BS to try to con people but rather the story of why you do things and how what you do has made a difference. I often tell the stories my clients have said to describe what I do. The latest is I will hug you and support you while kicking your ass to help you move forward. You see the image and you understand the process. Another client was telling a story about me at a networking group. She was struggling with some issues and not only did she gain clarity but she also saw that I was able to help her achieve more than she imagined she could and grow her business more. What stories do your customers tell about you? What stories do you tell?
When we tell good stories about our businesses and our customers, our faces light up there is an energy an excitement and others want to be a part of it.
Stories can also be used for problem-solving and sharing of ideas; of stretching the imagination. Think of the stories you heard growing up that excited you and made you want to try something new. Stories can help you dream in Appreciative Inquiry. (but I’ll save that for another blog)
Won’t you tell me a story?
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