One of the most important tools you have as a small business owner is the power of storytelling. Your story makes the difference between someone buying from you, and someone buying from someone else.
Not directly mind you, but indirectly. All of the marketing you do, all of the people you hire, and yes, all of the reasons you’ve started your business, they all matter to somebody, often to you.
What story gets passed down from generation to generation? That your company had another record year in 2008? Or that your company was founded in 1997 by a single dad looking for a better way for his son not to have to play baseball by himself because Dad came home after working a 16 hour day as a mid-level manager in a non-descript company, and he felt guilty about missing so many baseball games? Obvious, don’t you think?
Take the time to think about your stories including why you started your business, why you hired your first employee, what your promise is, who you are and what you stand for and how you knew you needed to do what you do every day.
Stories impact clients in many ways. They give them content to connect with. They give them context to see them in our business. And most importantly, stories humanize the business brand, helping move from a logo and a building, to a cause, a reason for being, and a greater good. A well told story allows customers to get lost in your story, to see where they fit in, and in how you can help them make new stories together.
Practice your stories. Write about your products, your services, your brand, yourself. Figure your stories out and then share them with your world.
Phil Gerbyshak is the chief connections officer of
Milwaukee-based PhilGerbyshak.com.
