When I took my first statistics course in graduate school, I felt lost. “Statistics is a whole different way of thinking,” a more advanced classmate said helpfully.
The best advice came from a professor who told our (mostly terrified) class, “Study statistics with a pen and notebook nearby. Draw pictures. If you’ve got a question about taking two marbles out of a jar, draw the two marbles.”
Somehow drawing didn’t seem to fit the serious, left-brained world of statistics…but it worked. To this day when I read an article with statistics, I’ll often draw a diagram.
I thought of this example when someone recently said, “I have to admit, I don’t understand the fuss about storytelling. It seems more like entertainment.”
Storytelling often gets presented as right-brained creative activity. No wonder business owners often fail to realize that storytelling can help you gain credibility and present yourself as an expert.
The problem is, a lot of storytelling books focus on story structure. They draw analogies with storytelling from movies. Or they evoke memories of campfires, fairy tales, and even bedtime stories.
Bedtime stories are supposed to put you to sleep. Marketing stories are supposed to inspire you to take action.
Anyway, business stories aren’t about being creative. They’re about building credibility.
Stories allow you to present information that your audience will resist if you share it any other way. They let you get past your audience’s initial reaction: “Come on, that can’t be true.”
You know you’ve told your best business story when your audience gives you the response you’ve been seeking. They sign up for your lead magnet. They forward your message. They listen to you more carefully and respect you as an authority and (if you prefer the term) thought leader.
Challenge #1: Answer the skeptical question: “Will this really help me?”
For instance, I’ve been reading Shawn Driscoll’s kindle book on Love-Based Business Models. I’ve read a lot of books on that topic and frankly wondered how these models might help a real live business owner.
Then Shawn told a story about an executive coach she calls “Sharon,” someone who’d been advised to start a blog and write a book. Sharon found these activities tedious and frustrating, as well as unprofitable. She wanted to be “out and about,” connecting with thought leaders. After taking Shawn’s assessment, Sharon realized she scored low on qualities related to creating information products and off the chart on qualities relating to building relationships and inspiring others. She found ways to get in front of potential clients in live settings. Her business took off.
That story clarified exactly how Shawn’s system of business models would benefit my clients (and me, too). This type of story would be a success story, highlighting the way she helps her clients achieve the results they wanted. It would be hard to communicate the value of Shawn’s system without a story.
Challenge #2: Answer the skeptical question, “Do you really deliver value ?”
ShareMySpace.com was founded by two members of my coworking space. When they first explained the company, I just didn’t get it. Their website says, “ShareMySpace makes it simple to find and book the right space.”
But this concept story explains what they do and why I might use their services:
“We were searching for a place to hold a birthday party for my teenage daughter. We wanted a place big enough for 30 people, where we could bring our own music and fix our own food. We couldn’t do that in a hotel meeting room, even if we were willing to pay the exorbitant prices the top hotels charge in my city.
“Then a friend of a friend told us about a church that rented out its reception hall during the week. It was a great facility, conveniently located, with a really nice kitchen.
“So we wondered: how many halls like this go unused because nobody knows about them? And we bet there are conference rooms, meeting spaces and more.
“Since we’re well-connected in the tech world, we built an app. When you become a member, you get access to hundreds of great places. Let the parties begin!”
I used this story as an example in my book, Grow Your Business One Story At A Time.
Stories Build Credibility
Both examples show stories that drew on a unique combination of left-brain strategy and right-brain playful creativity. Yes, they had some entertainment value — but that was beside the point. They helped these business owners communicate their value and establish themselves as the go-to services in their field.
BTW, I’m happy to work with you on communicating your expertise and value to your audience. Begin here if you’d like to set up a consultation. You can apply the cost of this consultation to your copywriting project if you choose to move forward with me.
One of the best ways to establish your expertise is by writing and publishing a case study. Many small business owners find the idea overwhelming. I’ve developed some training to help you understand how case studies can help and what you can do to get started.
Click here to learn more.
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