The Art of Storytelling for Influence and Entertainment

“Story is the pathway to helping the listener see themselves in what is being shared.” - Laurie-Ann Murabito

Introduction:

The power of storytelling is a fundamental human communication tool. It's both influencing and entertaining. Storytelling is a tool that helps your listener see themselves inside of your story. Get ready to start using personal stories to address sales objections, influence your audience, and embrace your relatability, even if you haven't experienced extraordinary events.

With that said, here are 5 reasons why you should start storytelling today!

Stories is exactly how information was passed down from generation to generation. It's exactly how great leaders move crowds of people to take action, change and believe is something greater than themselves.

1. The human brain is wired for story

Blogging helps your website to be more than just a place for people to visit. It gives them the opportunity to interact with your business in a way that isn’t possible through other forms of content on your website. By blogging, you have the ability to help drive traffic back to your website and convert that traffic into leads. For example, if you blog about an important industry event and share it on Facebook and Twitter, you can expect a boost in new signups to your email list or visitors to your website.

2. You tell stories everyday and all day

Blogs are a great addition to your site as they give you the ability to create authoritative content. They also help you establish credibility and become an expert in your field. Moreover, they provide you with an opportunity to build an audience that will help push your company’s brand recognition.

3. Handel sales objections with ease

Stop pulling out 'canned' response to objections on sales calls. Your prospect has heard them before and your job is not to "handle the objection" for them. An objections is a belief your prospect has.

"Expensive compared to what?"

"What do you mean you're busy?"

"Where do you want to be next year?"

Instead use a story from your work that helps your prospect see they're not alone.

For example, when someone tells me they're shy and have this fear of public speaking, I share a story.

You sound just like my client Kim, who is a busy mom of twins and a legit fear of speaking in public. As a matter of fact, she quit her corporate job to start her own home organizing business just so that she wouldn't have to speak at meetings. She hired me the year she set a New Years Resolution to overcome her fear of speaking. Not only did she overcome that fear but because of speaking she got on morning TV 5x during our work together, paid to write a book for her industry, and is now nicknamed the Famous Home Organizer.

4. Model commercials

Watch any 30 second commercial to understand the power of story. Marketers of companies spend millions of dollars on a quick ad that is designed to evoke pain, know there's a solution, and remind you of them,

The other thing to understand is stories don't have to be long. They can be short and get their point across in 30 seconds or even a few words.

5. Feeling like you don't have any stories to tell

Feeling like your life is uninteresting because you haven't climbed Mt. Everst, survived a hijacked plane, or started a company in your college dorm? Congratulation! You're more relatable to your audience.

Let's get you started making a list of stories you can start using in your presentations, sales calls, and social media. Answer these prompts.

• Two challenges I've had in my life are (answer for your business too)...

• The funniest thing that happened to me is...

• One regret I learned from is...

• I was so excited when...

• If I could go back and change one things, it would be...

To get started on finding your stories watch this video.

Other resources to help you get started with blogging

Start telling stories today:

Here is a quick checklist to get you started with you storytelling. A month from today, you'll be thrilled you did.

• Make a file or a document that's easy to add stories to. I use Notes on my phone and iPad.

• Watch the suggested video above to help you kickstart your Story Bank today.

• Listen to Ep 161 Beyond Facts and Figures: The Magnetic Pull of Storytelling in Sales and Persuasion of Be In Demand Podcast

• Start weaving stories into your written and verbal content