Want to connect with your clients? Tell a story.

T.J. Walker, a public speaking consultant to the rich and famous, wrote about the power of telling stories. Quoting the book “Made to Stick” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, he notes that 63% of people will remember a story from a talk or presentation, versus only 5% who remembered statistics.

He also said this: “Stories are not a luxury; they are the single most effective way to get your audience to remember your messages.”

OK, he was talking about public speaking. But, that same principle applies to marketing your business, too — because marketing is partially about getting your message across.

If you want your business to be memorable, and for your message to reach as many people as possible and persuade them to buy, learn to tell stories around your business. Learn to tell stories that prospects and the public can relate to and will remember.

Long famous in the world of weight loss, (Valerie Bertinelli’s bikini “after” commercial) it’s now recognized as a powerful tool to attract buyers and employees. Direct sellers, such as Mary Kay and Avon, offer a glimpse into the lives of their sales reps to inspire potential candidates.

 Why use a product or service? A classic superbowl advertisement by Google perhaps does it best. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnsSUqgkDwU&feature=player_embedded

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How to ensure success. Goals.

Mark McCormack, in his book ‘What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School’, tells of a Harvard study conducted between 1979 and 1989.
In 1979, the graduates of the MBA program were asked, “Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?” It turned out that only 3 percent of the graduates had written goals and plans. Thirteen percent had goals, but not in writing. Fully 84 percent had no specific goals at all.
Ten years later, in 1989, the researchers found that:
• 13 percent who had goals that were not in writing were earning twice as much as the 84 percent of students who had no goals at all.
• 3 percent of graduates who had clear, written goals when they left Harvard were earning, on average, 10 times as much as the other 97 percent of graduates all together.
• The only difference between the groups was the clarity of the goals they had for themselves when they graduated.

This works not just for your business, but anything you want to attain. Lose a few pounds, save for a specific purchase, etc. When my husband and I wanted to buy our first home, I drew a house on graph paper and whenever we saved a $1,000., I filled in another horizontal line in the structure. I posted it on the wall in front of my desk. The simple act of coloring in that line gave me such satisfaction. (Let’s face it; saving money is pretty boring…) Best of all, we were able to purchase that home 6 months before the date we set as out goal.

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Goals. Dreams with deadlines.

How do we make that goal a reality? Make them SMART

  • Specific
  • Measureable
  • Achievable
  • Realistic
  • Timely

Attainable doesn’t mean easy! When we are setting goals with clients, we always develop a “stretch” goal. What’s amazing is how many of our clients surpass their annual goal and meet that stretch goal. 

How do they do it? Focus, communications with regular updates thoughout the company, encouragement and incentives when the goal is reached.

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