Is Your Company Story Working For You Or Against You?

by Motivational Speaker and Strategic Storytelling Expert, Kelly Swanson

People Don’t Buy The Product They Buy The Story

It’s no secret that storytelling is a hot topic in the business world today. Most of us get it. People buy the story. We need to tell our story in a way that gets their attention and makes them want to buy from us.

Easier said than done.

Why? Because most of us still believe 3 myths about our company story.

3 Myths About Your Company Story

As a motivational speaker and strategic storytelling expert, I meet hundreds of people from across all industries, who know about the power of story, but aren't sure HOW to use it. As with many things in business, the answer isn't as much in the solution as in the perspective. Shift the perspective and the solution becomes much easier.

When it comes to telling our company story, many of us start out believing these three myths.

• People Need To Know Our Story
• Our Story Is About How We Started
• Our Story Is About What We Do Better Than Anyone Else

If you believe these myths, your company story will not be as powerful and effective as it could be. Let’s unpack these myths to see why they don’t serve you well.

Myth 1: People Need To Know Our Story

Nope. They don’t need to know your story. They don’t care about your story. They’re not out to buy from you because they care about you. I don’t wake up in the morning saying, “You know my life would be complete if I just knew the story of my gym.”

What people NEED is someone who tells their story.

When people walk through your doors they care about one thing - themselves. They are buying something for themselves - to make their lives better - to solve a problem or help them reach a desire. Period. This is all about them.

So how do we tell a story about us if it’s supposed to be about them?

Simple. (Not always easy. But simple.)

Make your company story about what you do for people like them.

People Care About Their Story Not Yours - Make Your Story Reflect Theirs

Myth 2: Our Story Is About How We Started

Nope. A company story is not the list of facts that brought you into existence or make you number one in your industry. That’s not a story. Those are facts. A story is about a HUMAN experience. That’s what makes it a story, not a list of facts.

I could spend all day telling you what a story is and how it is put together, but we don’t have time. For now, let me just cut to the root. Story is about someone with a problem that is solved. Your story is about the customer’s problem and you’re the solution.

A story has a heartbeat. A company story is the heartbeat of the organization - the people. The people who serve and are served, and the difference it makes.

Myth 3: Our Story Is About What We Do Better Than Anyone Else

Nope. Those are your features and benefits. That’s not a story.

I have worked with many business people who are convinced that what the potential client needs to know is how good they are - how they beat their competition. I say yes it is important, but it doesn’t come first.

First comes the stage where you build rapport and create an emotional connection. This is what the story is brilliant at doing. Let the facts drive it home after you have connected through story.

Your company story is not what you do better than anyone else. It isn’t the how. It’s the WHY. The story doesn’t tell what we do, it tells why we do it.

These three small shifts in perspective can make a big difference in whether your client chooses you. Once you bust those myths, telling that story is not nearly as hard.

Need help? Check out Story Impact Academy which teaches business people how to craft a story in just 18 easy steps.

Where the art of story meets the business of persuasion.