For business owners or Sales reps this little phrase has been passed down for many generations; Stories sell, Facts only tell. The most important part of any presentation is you telling your story of why you started your business – in 2 minutes or less – because that’s what people will remember.
Another comment/observation from molecular biologist John Medina from his book Brain Rules; “One important area of research, is the effect of emotion on learning. Emotionally arousing events tend to be better remembered than neutral events. They persist much longer in our memories and are recalled with greater accuracy than neutral events.”
Don Norman in his book, Things That Make Us Smart, says, “Stories are important cognitive events, for they encapsulate, into one compact package, information, knowledge, context, and emotion.” Stories capture the big picture.
Example; remember the last really GREAT movie you watched. Now, what specifically do you remember?
It is extremely likely that you remember a particular scene…vs what you were wearing or what you ate during the movie or what theater you were in. And if I were to ask you to describe the scene you could do so with accuracy and with the same or similar emotional intensity you experienced at the theater.
Example; most baby boomer men will remember Clint Eastwood’s line; “Go ahead – Make my Day!” not because of the cleverly written dialogue, rather because of the intense emotion(s) attached to it….and from that one line we defined a whole character, and now an era. Can you remember the rest of the dialogue form that movie or most others? Most likely NOT.
This is because neuroscientists discovered several years ago that our brains remember pictures first. THEN it remembers the emotional context, and lastly, it remembers language. (In fact in any human interaction, only 7% of the communication is the words we use, 35% is the tonal quality, and 58% is our body language.)
In other words, we don’t just listen to stories; we see images and feel emotions. We actually experience the story as if it’s happening to us. And because a person can remember your story, they can remember your key point which then can be transformed into an actionable event called making a “sale”.
Live with Intention,
Dr Bill
About Dr Bill Toth
Bill’s Background
I’m just an average guy who’s learned a few things about Life, Success and Personal Development – thanks to some incredibly good and bad experiences during the past 25+ years. I’ve made many mistakes and have learned to combine down to earth values with a unique ability to distill complex concepts into simple powerful strategies which can be immediately applied to produce measurable results. In short;
“I’ve traveled the territory, drawn a few maps and I’m happy to share them”
I do not consider myself to be an “expert” and my work is never presented as the definitive doctrine on how you should live your life or what it takes to be successful in your business. I am a work in progress and if you were to you join me on life’s journey by hiring me as your coach or partnering with us in business – our learning will very likely be a two way street. In fact, I expect it to be.
“What you know dies with you – what you DO leaves a legacy”
I was raised in upstate New York and eastern Pennsylvania. This rural upbringing is strongly reflected in my personal value hierarchy: Faith > Family > Friends > Fitness and Finance.
Education and a commitment to continuous improvement are next on the list. All these and more are strongly reflected in my coaching, teaching, writing and speaking.
While growing my private practice I also taught Orthopedics and Neurology at both the undergraduate and graduate level, produced a TV show on fitness, appeared on numerous radio and TV programs, authored numerous journal articles, chapters for medical texts, served as vice-president of my state medical association, and started a family. I have had the honor and privilege of consulting with and coaching a diverse population of people from royalty to prisoners, from children to CEO’s, from amateur to professional athletes from 41 countries and people of almost every race, creed, religious belief and nationality.
I am passionately committed to contribution and Living With Intention. Part of my philosophy is to think globally while acting locally. I am a very active member of my church, as well as several community organizations. After church, my favorite philanthropy is the Nourish the Children. I have also performed extensive volunteer work for both the Anthony Robbins Foundation, and the Make a Wish Foundation.
Why become an Entrepreneur?
I became an entrepreneur because after 5 years of Health Care Reform I found I was merely an employee of the various insurance company’s I was interacting with. I became painfully aware I was working more hours for less money and that what I was doing wasn’t working!
At the same time my beautiful daughter, Casey, was born. This was the first time in my life I started to think about my future, and of course hers. When children come into your life, your perspective changes from Firebirds and Ferrari’s to Gymnastics, music lessons, horseback riding and so forth. Suddenly, I had to think longterm – was what I was doing going to provide all the things that a father wants for his children?
In October of 1998 I started my entrepreneurial endeavors on a very part time basis. Less than 3 months later my New Year’s Resolution was to put my practices up for sale. In May of 1999 I sold them and began to work on my dreams and my fortune on a full time basis. From there, it took me a full five years to get to the point where I could do whatever I wanted to do. Along the way I wrote my first book: “Morning Moments”…as well as learning a few things about money, transitioning careers and happiness. I am happy to share what I know, in short again;
“I’ve traveled the territory, drawn a few maps and I’m happy to share them”
In summary; Transitioning careers was the hardest challenge I’ve ever taken up and it’s been the most rewarding! In so many ways, this is the very best personal development seminar I’ve ever taken because I met mySelf and my wife in the process…and every perceived adversity was worth it.
Today, with my wife Julie, we “get to” pay the gift forward by coaching, mentoring others through the same process. There is no greater pleasure than showing others how to earn their freedom and then observing what good they do with it.
Life Will Never Be The Same
