THE POWER OF STORIES

There’s a lot of talk these days about being authentic, genuine, real, etc. It is great advice really. People are attracted to authenticity, they want to see realness in the people they follow, they want to relate to them and see that at the end of the day, we are all just human.

This past year I have focused my articles on ways to help you be a better communicator. I have given you tips and tricks for all sorts of situations in which you might need to communicate urgency or give a presentation, lead a group, convey information, or speak in public. I focused a lot on providing value through information and while I know that information is valuable, even more so is the impact that real life stories can have on you and your business.

In this next year, I am going to go a step further and instead of just providing you with valuable information, I am going to give you that information in the form of stories whenever possible. Stories from my life and experiences as well as others’ experiences will hopefully provide a fresh take and a new perspective for you to learn from. I want to show you how YOU can use stories to provide valuable information while also being an engaging communicator!

Storytelling is an ancient art. Stories have been handed down from generation to generation to help teach culture, history, survival, tactics, and more. Think back to when you were a child. You probably read or heard stories that carried some kind of message or lesson that wasn’t directly a part of the story (fairy tales anyone?). Stories help us relate to and internalize information and form an emotional attachment to it. It is this emotional attachment that makes stories so powerful.

Stories build trust and create meaning, context, and connection. Nowhere are these things more critical than in business. You must be able to connect with your audience in a meaningful way in order to gain and retain clients. Storytelling conveys purpose and businesses with purpose will stand out, attract customers, and beat their competitors.

When you create and share stories as part of your marketing and business communication plans, you allow your own experiences to become part of your business’s story. This allows you to show your audience that you are relatable and that you can use real life experiences to help your clients in their own endeavors. Using your personal stories in your business can also give you unique content to share with your audience (which will make you more memorable!).

If you have been here since the beginning of the 10-4 blog, you might remember the story I shared of the break-up with my hair stylist. This is a terrific example of how a personal experience can be used in your business. In this story (read it HERE), I shared how my hairdresser broke up with me and how the whole situation could have been much better with a little different approach and better communication. It’s an impactful story and I bet many of you can relate to it. By being able to relate to it, you will remember it and retain the lesson held within it.

I can’t wait to go through the next year sharing my stories with you as well continuing to provide useful information in a memorable way! If you have a story to share in which better (or different) communication could have made a difference in the situation, please reach out to me at [email protected]. I would love to hear your story and share it here on the blog (with your permission of course!).

Thanks for stopping by! I can’t wait to continue sharing amazing stories and information with you! I would love for you to book a 60-minute session so we can work on your storytelling process or just chat about your business communication plan, or even talk strategy and public speaking (which is really just public storytelling)! Head on over to my resources page HERE to book your call, connect on social media, or just see what I am working on. You can even download my FREE eBook to get you started with my 5 tips for communicating greatly!

Hope to see you soon!

Ciao for now!