| How to avoid a common mistake in storytelling | | | | me?" Drown your listener with your "process" and |
| Are you a specialist in your field? Do you have a way | | | | they won't see the payoff quickly enough, and they |
| of working, coaching, developing a product or creating | | | | zone out. Eyes glaze over and a polite exit from the |
| art that is so unique that you can't wait to talk about it? | | | | conversation will most likely me next. |
| That's fantastic! There are people eagerly awaiting | | | | To prevent that disconnect, learn to be aware of |
| your story, and hungry for what you have to offer. | | | | when you go into "process." |
| The trick is not to bore them before they get to the | | | | An example: |
| good stuff about you! | | | | A woman named Liza runs an alcohol recovery |
| We all have experienced the situation that I am talking | | | | program. She proudly tells: " A 21 year old man was |
| about; You simple ask, " what is it you do?" to a new | | | | brought to me; he was living on the streets, hungry and |
| acquaintance and what seems like an eternity later, the | | | | very thin and truly didn't know how he would survive |
| flood of information is still rising and you are searching | | | | the next night, I introduced him to our unique program |
| the room for a rescue. | | | | and within months he learned that he could contribute |
| Well-intentioned as this person may be, they suffer | | | | greatly to society, and now owns a business, and a |
| from what my husband has termed "lack of situational | | | | home and is living a life he could not imagine just two |
| awareness". | | | | years ago!" |
| We certainly don't want to think that we could ever be | | | | Curious about that program, huh? Notice, nothing is said |
| that person (heaven forbid!) but there is an awareness | | | | about the process of what she does... the experience |
| that we need to have when we develop our stories; I | | | | of the young man's recovery is engaging, and we are |
| am speaking specifically of stories that we tell about | | | | left to ask the question, " wow, what is this program?" |
| ourselves, what we do, and how we help others. | | | | If you get the listener to want to know more, then you |
| These stories are crucial to the success of | | | | have permission to go into what your process actually |
| entrepreneurs, authors, coaches... really anyone that | | | | is. |
| wants to be successful and influence others. | | | | Had Liza gone into detail right in the beginning, " we |
| The key is to keep your story succinct. Follow this | | | | placed in him a room in our facility where there was |
| easy template: | | | | 24 hour watch, and provided him with nutritional testing, |
| » Who are you? Or Who is the person/ client | | | | and a need-specific diet. We engaged him in group |
| that you helped? | | | | session and single therapy sessions on a daily basis |
| » What happened to you or them? What was | | | | until.... ( blah blah...uh huh), how many people would be |
| the problem? | | | | ready to ask for more information? There would be |
| » What did you do? | | | | no need, and the experience of the man's story would |
| » What is the result of your actions/ program | | | | have been diluted by excess of words. |
| teaching, etc? | | | | It takes some practice to understand what "process" |
| The most difficult of these steps for most enthusiastic | | | | talk sounds like... I had a coach that would call me on it! |
| professionals is the third one, "what did you do?" (This | | | | Every time I would start to describe the "How I do It" |
| is where "succinct" gets forgotten) This step is the | | | | she would shout, "process!" (And I would hate her |
| most difficult because a specialist loves what they do, | | | | momentarily... but, it helped!) |
| and wants to proudly say "how" they do it. Problem is, | | | | Focus on the experience of what you do. Let them |
| the listener, at least initially, is more attracted to "what | | | | see how you can help them, their company, their loved |
| was the result?" Don't forget, it is human nature to | | | | one. Then, let them ask for more. |
| constantly use the filtering question, "what's in it for | | | | |