This is one of the Most powerful network marketing skills that you can have. Even though it is so simple people have a hard time with creating a great story – We all have them, We all love to listen and we all love to be heard.
I have compiled 13 great tips to guide you to tell YOUR great story:
1. Let Simplicity Be Your Guide
One of the reasons business people shy away from including stories in their communications with employees or customers is the mistaken notion that a story has to have a complex structure and has to be subject to some rigorous rules. Nothing could be further from the truth. At its core, an effective story structure is simple. Just tell people where you were, what happened and why you’re telling them the story. End of story.
2. Share Your Story
People listen to a story because they can relate to it. Sharing your story is a super awesome way to do just that and by telling your story it allows people to see the “ True you”. Your background is where your story needs to begin. We have all heard of the saying “Stories Sell, Facts tell” and there is a reason for this – it is relatable.
3. Proclaim Your Storytelling
There’s a native American saying that goes like this: “It takes a thousand voices to tell a single story.” Similarly, it takes all the voices in your organization to tell your story. Don’t be the only one who goes around telling the story of your company. Train everyone to tell the corporate story—turn them into storytelling enthusiasts.
Storytelling is the antidote to complacency, so get people excited about telling your company story.
4. Every Great Story has Conflict.
What does this mean? Stories are relatable because people understand the pain that the teller has been through. We understand that Life is conflicted and difficult and no one is devoid from this. Share what you did not like about your background, how hard you life was, how you had to start all over again, how it affected your family, how sad it made you. All of these examples are relatable and connectable.
5. State Your Reason for Telling the Story
Your story needs to have a message—a clear takeaway for your listeners. It has to have a purpose and make a point. A story without a message is pointless in business. In some cases, you can also be bold and take it one step further by asking for the action.
6. Share Your Solution
Now is the time to actually share where you are now and how “staying the course” has gotten you out of the pain and hard times that you were in before you started earning in an online business. How has this changed your life?
7. Prune Your Details
Because we fall in love with our own stories, we consequently end up including too many details. This will backfire as people start to tune you out, not understanding where you’re going with your narrative. Guard against this by crafting your story, then walking away from it for a few days. Revisit it with fresh eyes, and start editing. Ask yourself if all your story elements really help to bolster your point. If not, prune out all superfluous details. Give people enough detail to set the context and to help them experience the story and see what you see. Giving too few details doesn’t work either, as it prevents people from envisioning your story, so aim for the right balance.
8. Use Dialogue
Make sure you include dialogue in your stories. That is, don’t tell a story in the third person. Repeat for your listeners the actual words the person in your story spoke. For example, replace “He was surprised about the error I made” with “He said, ‘I can’t fathom how you could make such an error.'” Dialogue personalizes your story, makes it more vivid and brings it to life.
9. Polish Your Skills
We’re all born storytellers—it’s something we’ve been doing all our lives. But storytelling is an ability that improves with practice.
10. Start Collecting Stories
As a business owner, you need to have a repertoire of stories in your toolkit. These include stories about who you are as a person or leader, what you stand for and what your values are. You need stories that bring your vision to life, stories that illuminate your purpose and let people know why you do what you do. In addition, develop stories that teach something, such as how to handle negotiations or conflict, or how to give respectful criticism.
11. Master Transmedia Storytelling
Today, it’s important to tell a consistent story across multiple media platforms. This is currently referred to as transmedia storytelling. It means your story needs to be shared on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google + and other social media platforms, as well as YouTube. By doing so, you amplify your voice and presence wherever your consumers and your constituents are. This reflects the reality of your audience and the way they process information.
12. Make Sure Your Story Ends with the Future.
The stories that pack the most punch are personal ones. These stories ring true. When you tell a story, speak in your own voice and drop the jargon and inflated language. Use colloquial language, and speak from the heart. Tell of the excitement and enthusiasm on your Journey and never forget where you came from because that has given you the strength to be where you are today.
13. Don’t Read Your Story—Tell It
Don’t ever read your story. Spend whatever time it takes for you to practice telling your story. It may not be perfect if you tell it without reading it, but nobody is looking for perfection. Your listeners are looking to be engaged, to be inspired, to be entertained. Speak directly to them to get them to lean in to hear more about what you have to say.
Make a pact with yourself today!
Make a pact that you will tell your story to 100 people in the next month. It is important to let people hear you and for you to have a voice. Enjoy the Journey as it is your life and YOUR story!
