Telling Her

Telling Her

Proof Positive: A Good Story Can Be Telling

In today's business world, boring facts and empty stats simply won't make the impression on customers that a story about someone "just like them" will. True stories are much more compelling and better-remembered than other information. So to get coveted word-of-mouth advertising, start by telling your company or product story. When you do, you'll find that story-telling is a powerful tool that differentiates you from your competition.

Story-telling your way to greater profit is based on the idea of "social proof." When people are unsure what to do, they look at others' behavior and ask what others have done previously in the same situation. A behavior seems more correct to the degree that we see others doing it, and the more people doing it the better. Social proof comes into play in all buying decisions, from the most basic to the most expensive. This includes everything from what movie to see or restaurant to eat at, to what car to buy or contractor to hire.

Whatever your industry, you can essentially get your customers to write your best stories for you by documenting your successes through testimonials and pictures. Do what your competition fails to do effectively. To develop powerful stories that sell your customers, follow these ten simple steps:

1.Identify your positioning. If you don't position yourself advantageously, your competition will position you and your product in a way you do not want. What is your unique selling proposition (USP)? What added value do you deliver that your competition won't? Get your customers say "wow!" Maybe it's your unique expertise, free installation, or free delivery. Whatever you offer, it should be low-cost but have high perceived added value.

2.Define your ideal customer. Contrary to popular belief, your customer base isn't "everybody." While you may have customers across all spectrums, who's going to be the most profitable customer for you, and how can you attract more of those? You don't want to be always selling to everybody. Be proactive, and let your competition suffer the consequences of giving their sales force too broad of a brush.

3.Identify what's different about you. Different is good. Create a point of differentiation between you and your competition with a story. You may have noticed this recent trend at retail when you're looking for a BBQ sauce or a bottle of wine. To get customers to pick their product off the shelf, companies use their product packaging and web sites to tell an intriguing story.

4.Draw them to you. If you've done the first three steps well, the customers you want will be attracted to you. Rather than pursuing customers, learn their key issues/pains/problems and how you can solve them. For example, top mortgage brokers work to build a good reputation and thereby attract a lot of the business. They don't have to go out and pursue clients; people come to them. Do the little things that make for a great story so your customers will sing your praises and bring the business to you. Ideally, you'll be able to choose your customers, instead of begging them to choose you over your competition.

5.Show, don't tell. One of the main principles of story-telling is to show the details of the story, and let those details speak for themselves. Effective story-telling is in the details, and the more the better. Leaving out a minute detail, which you feel may not be important, could turn out to be the deciding factor from the customer's point of view. Paint a picture with your words to bring your story to life for the reader or listener. You don't have to be a master fiction writer to tell a powerful story. Set up a problem, then work through and resolve it by offering specific benefits to the customer. Create powerful case studies of the specific problem you and the client were facing, why they hired you, what your strategy to solve it was, the terrific result and what the thrilled client had to say.

6.Feel their pain. You can use your stories to help overcome common objections you receive, such as cost. You don't want to compete on price but on customer experience and your unique ability to solve customers' problems. In life insurance and financial services, for example, many people haven't done what they should do in terms of planning. In this case, smart advisors tell their customer's, "Don't feel bad. Last week I met with someone just like you who had that same problem. Here's how we worked together to solve it."

7.Keep 'em coming. Dog-eared, over-copied success stories from seven years ago won't do the trick. Document everything and keep it current! Develop a system to follow up with satisfied clients because you can't have too many stories at your disposal. Utilize the Web, phone calls, letters, and e-mail to generate new stories, and then put them on your website in the form of written, audio, and video testimonials. Have them organized and ready to send out with e-mails to prospects.

8.Use pictures. A picture is worth a thousand more words. A testimonial with a photo shows that there is a real person behind the name, enhancing your credibility. Build your testimonials one at a time, asking clients, "If I can exceed your expectations, get the work done in time and at the budget we set, would you give me a testimonial so I can share your success with other customers?" The majority of your customers will happily say "Yes!" Then you can create a Raving Fan book that will let you select the jobs you want to do. Home improvement contractors, for example, can fill it with before-and-after pictures plus testimonials saying that they showed up on time, stayed within budget, etc. On future jobs, other bidders will show up with no social proof, just a napkin with an estimate on it, but the smart contractors will have ten success stories, impressive photos, and raves from past customers. Even if their price comes in 10 – 20% higher, if they've proven that they can meet the customer's needs, the customer is likely to pick the professional who provided social proof! You can easily add streaming video to document your success too.

9.Utilize product reviews. Vendor ratings and product reviews such as you find on eBay, Overstock.com, and Amazon.com can tell your story and offer social proof even without personal contact. The combination of customer rants and raves is highly believable.

10.Create a personal marketing sheet. Tell a good story about who you are, especially if you're self-employed. It should feature a picture of you and your product and tell who you are and what your USP is. On it, list some of your customers and include the right quotes as well as detailing your number of years' experience, special training or certifications you and your team have, and any community involvement.

Tell Yourself a New Story About Stories
Many people are hesitant to sell themselves and their product or service with stories because they don't want to feel "pushy," as if they're forcing their clients to do their marketing for them. A simple paradigm shift is all you need to see the benefits of this practice, for you and for your customers. Consider this: you're cheating people if you don't share what a great experience you offer customers. They'll go somewhere else and get an inferior product and experience.

In the end, it's simply a matter of utilizing the power of social proof: Tell your story, attract customers to you, deliver what you do best, and you won't be able to stop them from talking about their "lucky find," sending others to you and coming back again and again. Remember: A good story can change the way people think. A great story can change the way people behave.

About the Author

As a speaker, Chip has a magical ability to generate enthusiasm, contagious energy and results. Former Tony Robbins international point-man. Clients include IBM, ADP, Century 21 and Bank of America. 866-224-1393, Chip@GetSwitchedOn.com. Sign up for his monthly ezine at http://www.GetSwitchedOn.com

The Telling $10.06 Once a culturally rich world, the planet Aka has been utterly transformed by technology. Records of the past have been destroyed, and citizens are strictly monitored. But an official observer from Earth will discover a group of outcasts who still practice its lost religion-the Telling. Intrigued by their beliefs, she joins them on a sacred pilgrimage into the mountains...and into the dangerous terrain of her own heart, mind, and soul.

The Telling - $14.99 Three sorority pledges attempt to win membership in the most exclusive Greek society on campus by telling the most terrifying stories they can possible dream up. In the first tale, entitled "Dollface," a woman becomes convinced that an antique doll given to her by her boyfriend is out for blood. The shocks continue in "Crimson Echo," which follows a fallen Hollywood starlet on her trip to make a low-budget horror film in Central Europe. Once there, the former A-lister realizes that she is about to take part in a horrifying initiation rite. Later, after three mischievous girls incur the wrath of serial killer in "Prank Call," it begins to appear as if someone in the sorority house has taken all of these tales of murder and mayhem to heart. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Telling $11.99 Combining the insight of Anna Quindlen and the comic storytelling of Garrison Keillor with her own singularly outrageous humor, Marion Winik has captivated thousands of listeners on NPR's All Things Considered . Now, in Telling , she takes us on a journey both personal and universal, a tour of the minefield of chance and circumstance that make up a life. Along the way, she offers razor-sharp takes on everything from adolescence in suburban New Jersey ("Yes, I wanted to be a wild teenage rebel, but I wanted to do it with my parents' blessing") to hellish houseguests and bad-news boyfriends; from the joys of breastfeeding in public to the sometimes-salvation of motherhood. Candid, passionate, and breathtakingly funny, Marion Winik maintains an unshaken belief that following one's heart is more important than following the rules -- and a conviction that the secrets we try to hide often contain the deepest truths. "A born iconoclast, an aspiring artiste, a feminist vegetarian prodigal daughter, from early youth I considered myself destined to lead a startling life far outside the bounds of convention. I would be famous, dangerous, brilliant and relentlessly cool: a sort of cross between Emma Goldman, Jack Kerouac, and Georgia O'Keeffe.... So where did this station wagon come from?" -- from Telling From the Trade Paperback edition.

Grandmother Telling a Story to Her Grandchildren $49.99 Gustave Doré Grandmother Telling a Story to Her Grandchildren - Giclee Print

Mother Telling Off Her Eldest Daughter $39.99 Mother Telling Off Her Eldest Daughter - Giclee Print

Old Woman Telling Stories to Her Many Grandchildren $49.99 Old Woman Telling Stories to Her Many Grandchildren - Giclee Print

Candle Telling a Female Moth that He'll Be Her Flame $19.99 Candle Telling a Female Moth that He'll Be Her Flame - Premium Poster

Wealtheow: Her Telling of Beowulf $14.78 In Ashley Crownover's debut, the classic tale of Beowulf is retold from the perspective of Wealtheow, Queen of the Danes. After a century of silence, Wealtheow provides a woman's perspective on the issues facing her people, raising intriguing literary questions in a readable, modern writing style.

Stori Telling $11.09 Stori Telling is a chance for Tori to set the record straight on her personal life and to let listeners experience the truly unique life she's led....

A Telling of Stars $11.61 At eighteen, Jaele's life is shattered when her family is murdered by a band of Raiders, members of a long-accursed race. Overwhelmed by rage and grief, alone for the first time in her life, and fuelled by childhood myths of a warrior queen, Jaele sets out on an epic quest for vengeance. Traveling through a kaleidoscope of cultures, some compassionate, some fierce, all remarkably fantastic yet potently real, she sheds her innocence, but none of her experiences prepare her for her ultimate confrontation with her enemy. "A Telling of Stars" was recommended by the jury panel of the 2004 Sunburst Award and included in "Locus Magazine"'s top 10 first novel recommended reading list in 2003.

I'm Telling $9.99 Faith Freeman has a secret: When she was eleven years old, she caught her stepfather molesting her twin sister, Hope. Years later, Faith is a successful literary agent. Her twin, addled by drugs and prostitution, struggles through life on the Harlem streets. When Hope seems to have set her sights on Faith's man, the tender bonds of sisterhood are cruelly tested. Will the truth about their darkest hour finally be revealed? I'm Telling "deftly shares the pain and desperation of a family shaken to the core" (Booklist). For anyone who has ever chosen between speaking up and backing down, this impassioned novel lights the way toward love and redemption.

sTORI Telling $12.99 She was television's most famous virgin -- and, as Aaron Spelling's daughter, arguably its most famous case of nepotism. Portraying Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210, Tori Spelling became one of the most recognizable young actresses of her generation, with a not-so-private personal life every bit as fascinating as her character's exploits. Yet years later the name Tori Spelling too often closed -- and sometimes slammed -- the same doors it had opened. sTORI telling is Tori's chance to finally tell her side of the tabloid-worthy life she's led, and she talks about it all: her decadent childhood birthday parties, her nose job, her fairy-tale wedding to the wrong man, her so-called feud with her mother. Tori has already revealed her flair for brilliant, self-effacing satire on her VH1 show So NoTORIous and Oxygen's Tori & Dean: Inn Love, but her memoir goes deeper, into the real life behind the rumors: her complicated relationship with her parents; her struggles as an actress after 90210; her accident-prone love life; and, ultimately, her quest to define herself on her own terms. From her over-the-top first wedding to finding new love to her much-publicized -- and misunderstood -- "disinheritance," sTORI telling is a juicy, eye-opening, enthralling look at what it really means to be Tori Spelling.

Telling Stories $58.94 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Telling Stories is the fifth album by American singer/songwriter Tracy Chapman, released in 2000 (see 2000 in music). A special 2CD tour edition of this album was also released in May 2000, supporting the tour going on at the time. Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is a singersongwriter, best known for her singles Fast Car, Talkin bout a Revolution, Baby Can I Hold You, Give Me One Reason, The Promise and Telling Stories. She is a multiplatinum and fourtime Grammy Awardwinning artist. Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland, Ohio, where she was raised by her mother. Despite not having much money, her mother recognized Tracys love of music and bought her a ukulele at the age of three. Tracy Chapman began playing guitar and writing songs at the age of eight. She says she may have been first inspired to play the guitar by the television show Hee Haw. Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 70 Publication Date: 2010/09/14 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.17 inches

Telling Lies $15.99 Set in 1942 in Occupied France, Telling Lies is the story of a 15-year-old girl, Simone, whose family are supporters of the Resistance. Simone finds herself taking an active part in helping a New Zealand airman who has parachuted out of his crippled RAF bomber near their farm. This tale of what it was like to live in Occupied France evokes the varying moods of the times superbly: paranoia, fear, defiance, betrayal, split loyalties, nostalgia for simpler times, hardship, quick thinking ... Against this beautifully evoked backdrop of time and place - and consideration of the issues that people of all ages had to face - is a thrilling adventure whose twists and turns hold you in thrall. Patricia was inspired to write the book by a trip to France in 2008, when she met Monique Fillerin, the last surviving member of the legendary Fillerin family, who sheltered her father in 1942 and helped him escape back to England. While Telling Lies is fictional, it draws on some of her father's experiences as he recorded them in his diary. Ages: 10+

Telling Tales $15.78 The first book by new Author, Beverley Raw. This book is a selection of 5 short stories, covering a range of genre, so there's likely to be something for most people Telling Tales In the middle of them was an enormous pot - a cauldron of some sort he supposed, maybe some poor clot was going to end up in it He was glad he'd come, this was certainly going to be worth seeing... Rendezvous Ralph and Pamela were petrified frozen to the spot, completely helpless, staring at the screen like a pair of rabbits caught in headlights. Daddy's Little Camper Sarah glanced across at Jake, now snoring, mouth wide open, lolling in the sun, his towel discarded on the floor: drunk, crude and irresponsible but hopelessly, impossibly, infuriatingly sexy and ... exciting Her throat was dry and a lump was stopping her from swallowing; her head was spinning: she was a mother with responsibilities, so why did she feel like an immature sixteen-year-old with a mammoth crush. Old Beaky When she looked up, she saw about to touch her shoulder, was the Plague Doctor; eyes red and menacing in the grotesque mask. The Looking Glass A huge red stain had now soaked into the pink and white rug; a few drips were still emanating from the frame, but the image or whatever it was he'd seen in the glass had gone.

Comic Cartoon - Cowboy Telling Cowgirl He'd Like to Rope Her $19.99 Comic Cartoon - Cowboy Telling Cowgirl He'd Like to Rope Her - Premium Poster

Grandmother Telling a Story to Her Grandchildren, Illustrated Title Page $34.99 Gustave Dore Grandmother Telling a Story to Her Grandchildren, Illustrated Title Page - Giclee Print

Telling Mom About Her Date, January 24, 1953 $44.99 George Hughes "Telling Mom About Her Date", January 24, 1953 - Giclee Print

The Telling (Paperback) $20.97 Grace Byler leaves Bird-in-Hand in a fancy car to search for her mother in Ohio. But what if Lettie Byler doesn`t wish to be found? Meanwhile, Lettie continues her private quest to find the missing piece of her life. As clues take her from state to state, she is increasingly torn between the family she has left behind and the yearning for her long-lost child. Struggling to come to terms with a grave medical diagnosis, Heather Nelson is determined to forgo traditional medicine--to her father`s chagrin--in hopes of finding answers and healing in Amish country. But first, she offers to drive her Amish friend, Grace Byler, to Ohio. Will mother and daughter, and one seriously ill graduate student, find the answers they long for? Or will "the telling" cause them all further pain?

Telling Secrets $4.5 As an experienced search-and-rescue tracker, Alex Gray had solved his share of mysteries. But beneath his cool Lakota demeanor, Alex was running from his own dark secrets...including a traumatic family history that connected him to a killer. Now someone from his past had returned to play a deadly game. And only one woman could help him... Sophie Brennan knew that Alex was the key to stopping the string of murders plaguing the Washington mountains. But as the authorities questioned her credibility, she had to resist the almost mystical connection she shared with Alex. For hiding in the shadows, someone was waiting to silence her whispered warnings...forever.