Good Morning Team – When sharing what we DO the most important part of the presentation is your story in 1 minute or less. It is way more important than any facts you can spew regarding your favorite product or service. Example of a good story;
I had a dream about shoes last night. Shoes have always been sort of an issue for me because I have large feet and it hasn’t always been easy to find ones that fit me (especially before the internet existed and before I had the means to have custom made shoes). This dream was about a quest for the perfect pair and it began with the frustration of never being comfortable, having blisters, feeling exhausted at the end of the day, having to loosen the laces after a few hours, really being miserable on a daily basis because my feet hurt like the dickens.
And then finally I experienced the excitement of finding a pair that fit perfectly and comfortably. Like Cinderella and the glass slipper. My dream was very detailed. The shoes I eventually found molded perfectly to my feet and it felt like I was walking on air after I put them on my feet. There was no tightness or pressure. — Kenrick Cleveland
Notice how it starts by telling you how much pain and frustration was involved and moved into the pleasure and satisfaction of finally finding a good fit. The story guided you on a journey from point A to point B. Pain to pleasure. A beginning and to an end.
With your story, your journey from darkness to light, from poverty to affluence, from sorrow to happiness, from instability to security, from pain to pleasure; you can give your prospects glimpses into where you’ve come from – to the person you are now. A very useful side effect of this is that these glimpses into your inner workings create deeper rapport and an almost instant trust. Again your story is way more important than any facts you can spew regarding your favorite product or service.
Example: Did you start your business because you were downsized or passed over for promotion one too many times? Did you start it because you had a health situation that was corrected by certain products? Why you? Why Now? Fill your stories with emotion and personal revelations and all those things which did not kill you, but made you stronger and more powerful and I can guarantee you that not only will they connect you more deeply with your prospects, but they will also connect you more deeply with yourSelf. And lastly – your story is very likely what the prospect will remember most.
Be able to tell your story in less than 1 minute. It can be touching or humorous. Make your story timely, appropriate to the situation and make certain that you link the prospect back to you, your product, and/or your service. It boils down to inspiration and relevance for the listener.
Tomorrow: Just got started? – How to use your coach’s story.
Live with Intention,
Dr Bill