Today I’d like to introduce you to one of my colleagues from Ecademy, Bernadette Doyles. Bernadette posted a very insightful and educational blog giving tips that we can all use in some form or other. Here’s the blog, reprinted with Bernadette’s permission!
Five Tips for Telling Your Story
The hopes and dreams, ups and downs you’ve experienced since starting your business would probably make a terrific story. In fact, it should make a terrific story, one you tell the world as part of your unique appeal. The story of how and why you’ve built your business can be a powerful addition to your marketing presence.There’s a way to tell your story that will engage potential and current clients. It will make doing business with you more attractive. Nothing makes us more interesting than the story of who we are.
Here are five tips for telling your company’s story effectively:
1. Imagine Your Story as a Movie: If you were writing the screenplay for the story of your company, what would you write? Let your story unfold, from the first day you realized you wanted to be in business and everything after that. There are a few very basic themes about which all movies are made: the Cinderella story, the hero or heroine saving the day, and so forth. Which theme does your story take?
2. What Was Your Motivation? Something you should definitely share is your motivation for starting your business. Did you look around and see a need no one else was filling? Were others in your field only offering part of the picture? Was there some big turning point in your life that prompted you strike out on your own? Whatever it was, revealing how it all started is an important part of your story.
3. Who Are Your Heroes? Who inspires you? A superhero? A character in a book or movie? Imagining someone heroic for inspiration can add real strength to your story.
4. What Have You Learned? Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame learned the value of perseverance as he struggled to sell his fried chicken recipe. What lessons can you share that might inspire others?
5. Tell the Truth: Honestly revealing your struggles as you built your business makes you appear more vulnerable and approachable. Many successful people have shared stories of hitting low points on the way up. Even if your company’s growth wasn’t in a straight line, sharing how you’ve regrouped and adapted can make a compelling story.
Knowing who you are and why you’re in business makes doing business with you more attractive. Begin to develop your own company’s story to share with others. Tell the truth in a compelling and interesting way that will cause others to appreciate who you are. Make your story a metaphor for your business, something that makes you unique.
Once you’ve crafted a story to tell, begin to use it in your marketing. Deepen your connection with clients by giving them insight into your company. Share your story with prospective clients to help develop trust.
There’s one more bonus to chronicling your journey in business. Once you clarify for yourself your path as an entrepreneur, you’ll begin to attract the business that will create the next chapter in your story.
My lovely colleague voice artist DB Cooper, recently told us about a video that she has on her YouTube channel. It’s a very interesting interview with DB sharing her extensive voiceover experience with voiceover and the gaming world. You can find it here: DB Cooper speaking on voiceover in the gaming field and voiceover in general.
Cheers…
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