by Motivational Speaker and Strategic Storytelling Expert, Kelly Swanson
A Funny Motivational Speaker Walks Into A Gym...
I belong to a gym down the street, which if you know me, might be a little hard to believe. But yes, I have a membership. I don’t always go in. Sometimes I sit in the parking lot, listening to music, eating a donut, and watching people come out sweaty. I’m not proud. Just honest. It’s not my favorite place to visit. In fact, sometimes I’m pretty sure I would rather be getting a colonoscopy. But I digress.
When I do go into the gym, my favorite machine (and I use that term loosely) is the stairmaster. Not the really hard one that about sent me into cardiac arrest after two climbs and was the reason I finally had that will drawn up - but the easier version. I could ride that thing all day. If you’re new to the machine, here’s a piece of advice - make sure it’s turned on. I’m just saying.
I’m riding the stairmaster one day, thinking of all the places that I would rather be, when I felt it. Something was different that day. I couldn’t put my finger on it. It was more of a feeling than new paint or a missing employee. Something was off. Or actually, something was on. There was something in the air - something that smelled a little like happiness. Wait? What is going on here? I’m supposed to be miserable. It’s the gym for gosh sakes. Is that laughing I hear?
Sure enough, there was a group of people laughing just a few feet over. It made me smile. I can’t help but laugh when I watch other people laugh. It’s my thing. Then one employee started cutting up with another and acting goofy. Well there I go again - laughing and smiling. Two employees started to race down the center aisle directly in front of the machines. We (the ones on bikes and stairmasters) cheered like any good audience would. Next thing I know, forty-five minutes is up, I’m sweating and laughing and (pause for effect) - I don’t want to leave.
You may be saying, “Big deal?” But for me this is a very big deal. For me to go from “I hate this place and I would rather have a colonoscopy” to laughing and not wanting to leave, is nothing short of a water-walking miracle. In that moment the story of my gym changed from one I hated to one I loved. How? The emotional footprint.
The Brand Story Is The One You Write - The Emotional Footprint Is The One Your Customer Writes
What is an emotional footprint? It’s the impression you make on your customer, or rather the impression they take away. What is an impression? It’s the way you process your experience with something. “What was your impression of the movie you just saw?” My answer will tell you how I felt about it. My impression has nothing to do with the facts of the movie, but rather how I define the experience of having watched it. How I FEEL about it.
The story you write about your brand means nothing. It holds no power compared to the story I write about it. The story I wrote about my gym that day wasn’t about slick machines, clean towels, or how long I had to wait to get checked in. This story I wrote was just that - a story - and what are the elements that define a story? A character, a struggle, an emotion, and a resolution. Stories are not facts, they are human experiences.
The story is my impression of your brand based on the experience I had with it.
What emotional footprint are you leaving on those you wish to influence?
Are you focusing so much on “customer service tips” that you are missing the big picture?
Is there a disconnect between the brand story you are writing and the one they are writing?
Controlling The Emotional Footprint Through Strategic Storytelling
While we think we have no control over the story our customer writes, we actually do have power in creating that emotional footprint. It’s about connection between two people. Connection is about emotion. Data and information can’t trigger emotion. Story can.
Strategic storytelling is our greatest tool to turn a brand into an experience.
Add storytelling to your skill set and help your customer write a story that keeps them coming back.
So what do I mean by strategic storytelling?
Too many people are throwing around the word “storytelling” without really understanding how it works and when to use it. Strategic storytelling means that you understand the psychology behind story, and how to use it to get a desired result. Stories are tools of persuasion. The key to using this tool in a strategic way is to understand:
- who you want to influence
- the message you want to convey
- what you want your listener to do as a result of this story
- what you want your listener to think
- how you want your listener to feel - about you, about the brand, and about themselves
For every different way in which you want to influence someone else to do something, embrace a new way of thinking, follow your lead, get excited about your concept - there’s a way to use story as the tool to do it.
When it comes to persuading others in business, the key is not in the facts you give, but in the way you wrap those facts so that they connect and leave an emotional footprint. Story is your secret weapon.
Three Critical Stories of Impact
There are three stories you should have in your tool box. I can help you craft them and give you the tools to write hundreds more. I have spent my life studying the art and business of story, and I can help turn you into a pro.
Need my help? Just go to www.StoryImpactAcademy.com and raise your level of influence today!
Motivational Speaker and Storytelling Expert Kelly Swanson teaches people across all industries how to use strategic storytelling to stand up and stick out in a crowded market.