Here at Tell Me A Good Story we know that many of  the readers of our newsletter are involved in the business world, either as employees or business owners. Does storytelling have a useful function in business? Absolutely. Picture the following.

There you are at another networking event. It is supposedly a 'new' group (at which you unfortunately realize you already know a lot of the people.) The event follows the usual format -- a few minutes of casual conversation followed by breakfast/lunch/dinner/appetizers. Then, the real action begins. Everyone gets 30 seconds to stand up and give their elevator speech. With 30 people in the room, it takes 20 minutes to hear everyone's speech (some always take more than the allotted 30 seconds.) With 100 people in the room, it takes almost a full hour to plow through everyone's spiel.

Here is the question? One hour after the meeting, of the people you didn't already know, for how many of the rest can you remember the person's name, company name and the business they are in? Truthful answer - not many. And, for the ones you can remember, there is a high likelihood that you talked with them face-to-face for 3-10 minutes before or after the meeting.

Our brains love and remember stories. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to tell a memorable story in 30 seconds. Who you are and what business you are in can be a story. But, rarely is it a story you can communicate effectively in 30 seconds.

What is the story you tell about your business when you have more than 30 seconds to share that story with someone? Is your story a 'data-dump' of all the products or services you offer? It is likely to be a 'data-dump' if your sentences start off  with:  "I offer ..," "We provide...," "We have been in business for..."

It is more likely to be a story if your sentences start off with: "The other day we helped...";  "I have this one customer who was having trouble with...";  One of my customers called me up to say ...".

Can you feel the difference in those last three sentences versus the first three? The first three sentences are advertisements. The last three sentences are preliminary to telling the story of how a customer - a real, live person -- was helped.

" I think we don't get to where we are in life without help from our mentors.  I have had a few really good ones in my life, but my first one was my teacher, my friend, and my pastor.  He was the first to speak to me as an adult and he taught me a good first life lesson.  It was - if you ever want to get someone's attention, remember 6 little words: "There-Once-Was-A-Man-Who . . . "  He knew when giving a sermon, lecture, or presentation, most people were probably thinking about what time the '49ers play or what to have for brunch - Belgian waffles or eggs Benedict.  But, when he said those 6 magic words, people paid attention.  Never underestimate the power of telling people a story to capture their attention and their imagination." http://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2011/10/27/social-storytelling-for-business-3-easy-steps-to-better-convey-your-message/

Which sentences do you use to tell the story of your business?  What stories do you have to share about how you helped a customer?

Following are some links to articles about using storytelling in business. Perhaps they will help you to more effectively tell your story.

But, first, a couple of additional thoughts. If you use stories to try to manipulate people into doing business with you, you won't be very happy with the results. True, authentic stories are remembered. Memorable stories are felt in the heart, not the mind.

 In addition, remember that storytelling is about connecting with people. That is why face-to-face storytelling is so much more powerful. That is why emails and cellphone-to-smartphone communications will never be as effective as face-to-face conversations.  

"Never underestimate the power of telling people a story to capture their attention and their imagination."

http://www.fastcompany.com/1822792/using-great-storytelling-grow-your-business

http://www.creatingthe21stcentury.org/

http://www.fastcocreate.com/1680581/why-storytelling-is-the-ultimate-weapon

http://www.amazon.com/Tell-Win-Connect-Persuade-Triumph/dp/0307587959/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351619086&sr=1-1&keywords=tell+to+win+by+peter+guber

To learn more, go to our website at www.TellMeAGoodStory.org.