The
Art of Storytelling
Whether
you want to touch a nerve, reach a new audience, or boost your sales,
storytelling is the most powerful tool in your arsenal. As humans, we love a
good story, and when it resonates with us, it can drive us to take action when
nothing else can.
Think
about it. Which would you rather read, an interesting story, or a sales letter?
Which are you more likely to remember a week from now, a compelling story, or a
features and benefits comparison? And which are you more likely to buy, a story
you can see yourself in, or a product that does x, y, and z?
If
you think back on your most recent purchases, from the business coach you hired
to the car you bought last summer, chances are you’ll find a story that
resonated with you, and that drove your decision to purchase.
Stories About You
You’ve
heard it time and time again: People buy from those they know, like, and trust.
And part of getting to know you is hearing your stories. Your potential clients
want to know how you came to be in business, what experiences you’ve had that
drove your decisions, what lessons you learned along the way.
Your
stories don’t have to be directly related to business to be powerful, either.
That anecdote about the time you nearly got arrested for not having a valid
driver’s license is the perfect lead in to a blog post about better record
keeping. Or the story about how you accidentally seated two warring families
together at your wedding reception? It’s just what you need to drive home a
point about relationship building.
Stories About Your Clients
Otherwise
known as social proof, stories about your clients are incredibly useful in your
marketing and branding strategy. Testimonials, white papers, case studies and
the like are all just stories, after all, and they showcase how you and your
products have changed a life or a business for the better.
Stories About Your Products
Yes,
even your products have stories to tell. Why did you decide to create that new
coaching program? What will it help your clients achieve? Who is it not suited
to? These stories and more can show your potential clients more about your
products and services than any sales page ever will. When you openly share your
thought processes as you were creating your program, buyers will instantly know
if it’s a product that will work for them or not.
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