Culinary-TV

                                           What's Your Story?

 

                                               Telling your story is very important but knowing what your

                                               story is will keep you in business.  People connect with a story, 

                                               that's how they internalize what they learn.  Do you have a 

                                               special story that no other company has?  Make sure you tell it

                                               and be passionate when you tell it.

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                                               Think about the last social or business gathering you

                                               attended.  What stands out in your mind?  Likely, it was a

                                               story relayed by someone you met or knew.  Stories are deeply tied to the way we capture information, attach meaning and retain data. Bottom line is stories capture attention and foster trust.

 

Instantly connecting and building trust with your audience, no matter what business you’re in, is paramount to making sales.   It has nothing to do with A/B testing a headline.  It has nothing to do with setting up a marketing funnel.  And, it absolutely has nothing to do with finding the best keywords that connect with your audience.

It’s about telling your story.

When the only thing you think about is selling, selling, selling, what happens? Potential customers get emails that are only promotions. They get bombarded with products to buy, but no useful information. And, they start to feel they are just a number to you, rather than an actual person.

Before you sell anything, you need to connect, and not just with a handshake or sending out one email. You need to emotionally connect with the people you want to be your customers now, and for the rest of their lives.

But how?   Think about it this way. If you were sitting down across from a potential customer at a nice lunch, would you immediately launch into your sales pitch? If you know anything about sales, I hope not! You need to know who they are, you need to know what they want, and you need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you understand them.

Stories are memorable.  Many studies have shown a

high correlation between narrativity (or story versus

straight, fact-based) and the amount of information

recalled.

Stories tie into emotions. We remember what

we feel.

Stories help rationalize.  Even though intellectually

we may know a story is a specific case of one, we feel

that a story rings true, especially if we can see ourselves

in the characters.

Stories create connection.  A story well-told

connects the teller and listener, especially if told in a

personal, engaging way.

So how do you assemble and use your stories

for your small business marketing?

Reach out to positive, valued partners and

customers.
Ask them to think of a strong, vivid image or

situation where we really helped you.  Go with your first impression, and write it down or create a valuable video asset.

Ask your employees for their stories too.
Have them think of a specific instance of “customer delight”.  (You can really make things easy for everyone by recording the audio or video of the raw response).

Record your own “origin story”.  
Why did you start the company or create the product?  What was your vision?  What problem were you trying to solve?  What obstacles did you face, and what drove you to keep moving forward?

Assemble a Library of Videos.
Video is King when it comes to the Power of Convincing.  Have at least one story per customer segment in addition to your origin story.

Stories can be used in many ways:
Send out as video links in emails.  On your website as quick credibility boosters (especially as videos).  Stories can be used as quick quotes, client testimonials or longer case studies.  Videos and Photos are a plus, as prospects are drawn to “look-alike” people and problems.  At networking events and Social Media.  Having a few interesting stories burned into memory is a great way to answer that question - “So what does your company do?”.

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                   Know Your Story - Tell Your Story With Passion!

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