An intangible, self-revealing experience may be the most profitable investment you can make.
In the Industrial Age, the idea of spending time and money to understand our “why I’m alive story” didn’t make a lot of sense. It was obvious. We were alive to work (mostly in a robotic manner) for the denser, material world. But as we rapidly shift into the new age of humanity, the dynamics of what will make our business successful is also shifting. An intangible, self-revealing experience may be the most profitable investment we make.
I still remember the day in 1996 when I wrote my first big check for $1500 on a personal development course. My hand was shaking. It seemed huge. Was I losing my mind or what? I wouldn’t even have a tangible product to take home! But like many of you who’ve taken a similar risk, you realize that strategically investing in your self is worth every dime.
Why?
Without a solid foundation, we can waste thousands of dollars on promotional materials that don’t accurately represent our essential Selves. When we take the time to unravel the mystery of why we chose our particular business - our brand, logo, image and communication style comes from a place of inner strength and visible congruency. When we dedicate ourselves to that, our clients feel our commitment. They know they can count on us. It’s more than making money now; our business is infused with a deeper, unshakable purpose.
And it won’t even matter how many coaches, massage therapists or other service providers there are. When we discover at a core level why we’re here and then express it, we’ll have plenty of clients. Sharing a well-told personal story reveals our uniqueness and who can compete with that?
Taking Care
Sharing a story isn’t about rambling on wasting people’s time, but simply the compelling truth that, once revealed, creates a strong bond with another human being. It’s the story Gandhi referred to and encouraged us not to betray. It’s the life that lives on in the speech from Martin Luther King. It’s Steve Jobs speaking freely from his heart and clearly stating his purpose.
A balance between owning our life experiences and not getting stuck in them is the key. If we haven’t taken time to examine our lives, we often live in fear and denial, which leads to constant, frenetic activity. If we spend too much time with our story, we can become paralyzed by it to the point that we take little or no action.
Getting into Action
There are many formulas for composing a compelling story. (i.e. what you wanted, the challenge or obstacle, how you resolved it, and the point) It’s important to clarify your intention and know when to use which story (i.e. introducing yourself, building trust and making it easy for people to decide) Chris Haddad’s video is a good example of a story that makes it easy for people to decide. www.haddadink.com. Steve Chandler uses witty examples of using trust-building stories versus spouting features and benefits in his CD series called The Joy of Selling.
The beautiful thing about telling stories is that people come to their own conclusions. Most of us would agree that the days of manipulative selling are over. Stories unite. Some futurists say what our world needs most right now is to bring back the story - the ability to tell ours and genuinely listen to others.
You probably wouldn’t risk being an indie professional if you didn’t have a high level of conviction in your product or service. Learning how to communicate your story succinctly with enough sensory detail is crucial in today’s noisy business environment. When we invest the time and energy to understand the relevance of our distinct story, it’s likely that our prospects will also recognize our value. The outer world reflects the inner world.
Learn more about the author, Pamela Ziemann.
Hand-picked by the Biznik Staff because we think they’re cool these are books and you should know about them. Check ‘em out!
Pamela,
What I love about your article is that you want people to tell their stories with passion. With conviction. With emotion. And those are all ingredients for a deep connection to each small business owner's brand. It is something that is usually left out of the equation. Thanks for point that out to us all.
funny that you should write this the day after i just had a coaching session with Lisa Bradley, where we did talk about my story and why i am doing what i do!
neat!
This really resonates with encounters I've had in the past week, in which people have asked me what made me start up an event like "World Dance Showcase". Rather than rambling off the mission statement I had so carefully written and revised over the past year, I just responded organically.
In the first encounter, it came out not bad, but a bit muddled (that's why I prefer to write), but oh....in the second and third encounter it came out with such pure, refreshingly uncomplicated truth. I saw their eyes light up, and I felt electric and illuminated from within. My heart had finally communicated.
Now I just have to figure out how to make money with it!
Wow, Pamela, what a refreshing take on connecting with clients. Thank you so much.
What I'm learning is to keep my story relevant to the client, our social context and brief. Then I'll ask her/him to tell me a little bit about their own story by saying, "Has anything weird like that ever happened to you?"
Because of my Uber-Sharing temperament -- I'm a fairly prolific writer/author and book coach -- I work to resist dominating the discussion with my story and witty maxims.
I wonder if there's anyone else out there who "keeps it so real" that the person they're sharing with feels blown out of the water. Molly Gordon calls this type the "the emotional strip tease" story teller.
Hope to see you at BizJam'08
Jennifer, you are so right on. Not only is it telling a relevant story, but being able to truly listen to other's story. Like Ghandi says, "Be the Change You Want to See in the World." When we do the emotional strip tease as Molly so beautifully says, we encourage others to do the same. And yes, let's look for each other at Bizjam.
Congratulations Suzanna on getting to your uncomplicated truth. And Amy, I'd love to hear your story sometime.
Steve, Thanks for bringing your expertise to the mix.
You: Did you know Steve and I are co-hosting an event on July 28th? Do-It-Yourself Branding & Creating a Compelling Story. Would love to see you there.
Thanks for your encouragement. Hey, if any of you have an interest in ways to grow your listening skills, see my recent biznik article:
I Know Exactly What you Mean!.
I'll look for you at BizJam -- I'll be the shy one with bells on!
One of my all-time favorite subjects, Pamela. We did an e-tip no too long ago on this topic.
Stories are so powerful and I think of late, traditional marketing has not taken full advantage of this wonderful tool for connecting.
EVERYONE has a story to tell! Thanks for giving us permission to tell them.
For future retreats based on the theme of entrepreneurs and storytelling, checkout my mentor Barbara Winter's work: Compelling Storytelling A Fresh Approach to Marketing
"Your first job is to get your own story straight."
~ Natalie Goldberg
Terrific article, Pamela. Thank you for sharing your timely and meaningful insights.
I could not agree with you more. The reason I wrote "A ToolKit for Healing" is to pull together all the elements of healing from abuse so that others could experience a more cohesive healing experience. I hope to save others time and money rather than have the long and rambling process I experienced.
Noreen,
I imagine you will save others time and money by sharing your story. How cool that we are learning to drop the "drama" stories and start using our voices for good & helping others.
Rock on everyone!
You sneaked in that story about forking over $1500 for a personal development course and that's what kept me reading! Very important to offer something of value about yourself to your audience so that they feel connected. My blog and newsletter are very personal, and it's the self-disclosure/revelation aspect that gets and keeps subscribers, who then feel that they know me and feel confident about working with me.
Thanks for sharing what kept you reading Carol. I just attended an event yesterday with someone I'd been in contact with a couple times. When he shared a gutsy story about himself, everything changed. I really feel like I know him now. I won't hesitate to refer the appropriate clients to him.
All the best with your blog, it's such an art form to know when to share what and feel into the intention of why we are sharing it. Sounds like you're on it.
Thank you for putting such great words to the passion behind what drives so many of us. I especially love your phrase, " a place of inner strength and visible congruency." This speaks to a holistic presence that is an unspoken and gracious invitation to engage. Thank you!! Deb
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