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When You Can't Push 'Hold': 5 Tips for Getting New Business with Success Stories
 Someone on an online business networking site I belong to posted a question several months back. She asked, "Anyone have business successes to share? Tell me your story."
Of course, when you are on a forum, you have all the time in the world to read other people's responses, ponder, pull out a memory, and take your time to get the story just right.
But what if a prospective customer-someone who calls you or has just met you at a networking event-asks you out of the blue? Would you have an answer?
This happened to a marketing specialist friend of mine recently. Someone called her to find out more about her services and asked her for a couple of success stories, things she had done to make a client's life easier or better.
She was caught off guard.
After a mental stumble, she recovered and offered a couple of examples. But they could have been better.
She said that one client, a small business coach, got several new customers and a psychotherapist she worked with improved the message in her website video. She knew, though, that her stories could have been much stronger.
So, what is a success story, anyway?
A success story is simply a brief anecdote that shows your prospective client or customer some of the tangible results of working with you.
5 Ways to Make Your Success Stories Memorable
1. Focus on the facts. It's more believable and you won't feel like you're like a shameless bragger.
2. Use numbers if you can. Percentages of sales increases, number of new clients, percent of clients that come from word-of-mouth referrals-all of these make you more credible. Track them and keep those numbers handy.
3. Include details. Even if you don't have statistics, you can show results in terms of the impact on your clients and their businesses or lives. (A florist might say, "One of my wedding clients said that my flowers lasted long enough to use for the party they hosted after their honeymoon.")
4. Talk about a core benefit. Reach for the deepest benefit you can and show how your product or service delivered it.
5. Lead your prospect to more stories. If your website has testimonials from satisfied clients (and I hope it does), give your prospects your web address so they can read more success stories.
Some Examples of Success Stories
- A business copywriter might say, "I wrote a direct mail sales letter for a vitamin company that got orders from 21% of the recipients."
- A graphic designer might say, "A website I designed was awarded second place in the National City-County Association's 2006 marketing competition."
- A home stager might say, "With just a few small changes, I helped a seller who had had their home on the market for eight months sell it just three weeks after she hired me."
Don't be caught short next time. Write out a few success stories and keep them by the phone.
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