You’re just as human at your finest moments as your weakest. So why tell a story that would shock your audience as if they’d picked up an issue of True Confessions?
For instance, If you’re a business coach, you probably don’t need to share your relationship break-up story. But if you did, your break-up story could…
- be a metaphor for a business breakup: “When you dissolve a partnership…” or, “When your market deserts you for the new technology…”
- be a source of tips for running a business when you’re emotionally vulnerable
- show how your breakup made you a stronger, more resilient business owner
Present your story as “Lessons Learned,” not “Work In Progress.”
A Law of Attraction coach shared her struggles to attract a mate. Finally she attracted a wonderful boyfriend, only to break up a few months later. All these stories were shared in real time.
Clearly this coach needs to attract some good marketing strategies. “If she can’t attract her own desires,” a reader might say, “how will she help other people? Maybe the Law doesn’t work.”
The more successful you are, the more vulnerability stories will help you.
Research psychologists find that we feel warmer toward a very successful person – someone we already admire – who displays vulnerability. But we don’t respect a less successful person who appears vulnerable.
In other words, we like superstar Julia Roberts more when she trips on her way to the stage. The unknown newbie who does the same thing? He’s a loser.
And it should go without saying: If you’ve done anything illegal or spectacularly dumb, save the story for your lawyer and your therapist.