A is for Accept
Our first stop on our 3-part ABC starter journey to encourage you to use the power of “story” in your business is A. I’d like you to accept that stories work on all levels and that they help you ‘sell as you tell’. Whether the message you are working to get across is meant to influence, to persuade or to sell a physical product, your service or an idea-stories DO boost your chances of being heard and remembered.
Even as a long established writer, I too need to revisit the basics and as I’m doing so this season, I’m inviting you along. Not only is two company but you and I can encourage each other. To prove my point, I’m reposting what I first wrote for the Women’s Enterprise Centre.
You know from your own human experience that the attention we eagerly set aside for stories is embedded in our DNA. We learn about the world from early childhood and as we grow we find ourselves choosing an awful lot in life from candidates to commercial brands, based on their story!
Stories have the power to draw us in and to keep our attention even in our noisy world. It’s because they can help us simplify large or complex chunks of information. This means the listener can absorb more. They can differentiate among competitors. Most importantly, they can keep a mind calm enough to make a decision, if this is the goal.
Story encourages recall. In the marketplace, especially today – being memorable is pure gold.
Now the second activation piece on the power of story:
Can you accept that your personal story is of value and people will want to read or hear it?
I can report that for more than 25 years as a writer of marketing materials, every project began with a close examination of the strengths and the secrets of an organization or a person. That audit, ultimately led to building a compelling and memorable story.
Your story helps people get to know, like and trust you. The details you choose to share help them identify with you and to remember you.
Build your own story. Privately, write out as much detail as you can of your own story. Your values, how you chose your work, your passions and your ‘why’s in life and work. You may find both surprise or affirmation in this exercise. Take your time. Please.
To connect well with others in business or community it is good to know thyself first and to trust that others want, in fact, need to hear your story.
After all, how are you going to know where to go and how you want to get there if you don’t fully explore WHO you are?
Next time: B for business relevance and the types of stories you’ll want to have at the ready. We’ll tell and share more on this story, next time.
Helena Kaufman edits and curates writing designed to sell, influence and inform and if applicable – entertain- to boost your reader’s engagement and their ability to remember you. Collaboration and clarity in the real story you want to tell goes a long way to finding your voice and creating the right volume of content to bring value to your audience.
The Story Market is a lifelong passion and truth be told, compulsion for Helena. She brings in 25 years of experience in public relations and an award-winning writing career. “It all starts with a story,” she says. Visit helenakaufman.com to read more or to connect via the contact page.
