How Do You Tell the Story of Your Business? Part 1: Questions for Clarity

January 21, 2009 by Ronda Del Boccio, The Story Lady
Filed under Storytelling

About 2 years ago, Walt said to me, “I always tell my clients that you’ve got to tell your story, but they get confused. They ask, ‘Where do I start?’ ‘Do I go back to when I was a baby?’ And I don’t know what to tell them.”

I met a speaker and bestselling author named Sandra who said that when she teaches branding, she tells people they have to have a story. “But I’m not sure how to tell them to tell a story.”.

Mike Litman said something to me when I explained that the benefit people get from working with me is that I teach you to emotionally connect with people through storytelling. He said that he made his first million when he learned how to connect with people through stories.

No matter what business you are in, learning how to tell a story is an essential business skill. Storytelling is not just for coaches and speakers. Everyone needs to learn to tell a compelling story that emotionally reaches your prospects, customers and associates. Storytelling is not optional. It is so critical, that you will serve all your customers more effectively and add significantly to your profits when you learn how to tell a story.

Like anything else, if you do not start out with a plan, your efforts at storytelling will fall flat. perhaps you are someone – or you know someone – who tells “eye-rollers” – stories that wander the 7 hills of Rome and the back woods of the Ozarks and still don’t come to a point, so by the time 10 or 20 minutes have passed, you’re rolling your eyes.

Or maybe you’re guilty of sticking to the facts, thinking that facts are all people need in order to make a decision. How’s that working for you?

The folks at T-Mobile with the G1 Google Phone understand that facts aren’t enough. You can learn about the applications, but after a feature is named, you hear a story sharing the ap in action.

The G1 demo starts with the facts, like…“Imagine having instant access to Google at your fingertips…” then there’s a story. You hear a guy trying to turn a doorknob, disgusted that he forgot his keys. His friend with the G1 Phone uses it to find a locksmith. Problem solved. The real genius is that you see the phone floating in center screen and it looks like you’re making the phone do the searches, so you also are getting a tutorial in how the phone works.

Great – that’s how T-Mobile does it…but what about you?

How do YOU tell the story of your business?

You will tell all kinds of stories in your business – stories in your blog posts…stories in your articles…stories in your products…stories on teleseminars…

But the first story you need to create is the Core Story of Your Business. I’m going to give you a specific formula.

First ask yourself these 3 questions. Take some time to reflect and write your answers. This isn’t something you’ll spout off right away. Oh, you may spout off part of it, but especially when visioning your future now, you want to take some time and create a vivid sensual experience.

Always carry a notebook and pen with you. Jot down notes, emotions, thoughts and ideas that come to you. This will serve you well in so many ways.

I often say, “You don’t know what you’re really thinking until you write.” Writing is thought in action. Writing conjures your emotions and brings them into conscious awareness.

Now here are the 3 questions for clarity that I have my business mentoring and author clients answer.

Questions for Clarity (prequel to your Core Story)

1. What life events/experiences made you want to do what you are doing with your business?

Example: Maybe you had a disaster wedding and now have a business that helps people create a memorable event. No matter whether you’re selling physical products, info products or services, you started doing it (or want to start) for a reason.

2. Passion is your fuel. What passion made you want to transform yourself?

Example: My friend Gina is passionate about teaching people how to live the life of their dreams by running an internet-powered business. Her passion for teaching a million people is her fuel.

3. Vision your business as it will be in 5 years. Write every single detail down to what clothes and cologne you wear, whom you serve, how much you make, what you love most, etc. You create this vision as it is now, 5 years from now. In other words, this isn’t something far off that you’re starting from “don’t have’ to “will have.” You’re creating the vision of how your business is in 2014 – NOW.

Never get caught up in the “how.”

I’ve heard so many people talk about goal setting in increments, such as now you have this, now you have that in steps, but life doesn’t always work in steps. Also, you can’t always reverse-engineer the steps to the end you want. You don’t know exactly how you’re going to get there.

Maybe you’re asking, “but don’t you need some sort of road map or plan?”

Yes, of course you want to have a plan,not just fly by the whims of emotion, however, you never want to get caught up in the “how.”

Why? Because you don’t know what you don’t know, and not knowing how to do something should never stop you from going for it.

When I started to learn marketing, I never imagined I would become a business mentor and author coach within 2 months of starting to learn an entire new industry for me. I did have a vision of my business in 5 years, and I am on track for that vision — but I would never have conceived of some of the roads I would take along the way.

Think of it this way. You plan a road trip and you start off on Highway 13, but when you get there, you find there is a detour because part of the road washed out, so you have to figure a new road. That’s a picture of life in this economy for many people. You started off thinking you’d take a certain road, but part of it shut down. So you either cry and whine about it, or you find another way.

Many times, a new road will open up that wasn’t on the map, but it’s there for you when you open yourself up to the idea that you don’t have to understand every single “how” on your path to get there.

When you don’t know how, simply say in your mind or aloud, “I wonder how I am reaching a thousand people a day easily and effortlessly” and you’re well on your way. Now that’s a powerful story to create!