174: Why people buy your story before they buy your offer

Hmm.

I think, I think it's really interesting with storytelling, especially in business as well, because it's, it's one of the most powerful ways, I think, to get across your message.

Um, and I think all entrepreneurs or business owners that start a business have a story to tell.

Um, but it might just be that they don't know how to tell it, but I, I often think that's the thing that pulls people in.

It's, it's not a fancy strap line.

It's not a, you know, a highly creative logo or anything like that.

It literally comes down to the stories that they tell because that, of course, builds the know, like, and trust with their audience.

That's absolu- absolutely right.

So, um, talking about audience, because I was working for TV and your, you know, your measure is the rating, so do you reach your audience or not? And I'm so trained to, to see the audience first, and that's also what, what my story, uh, coaching is about.

So to, to, to whom do I want to tell the story, and why would they listen? Yeah, why?

Yeah.

And, uh, and, uh, so I always say in a bit, you know, before you improve your story, uh, improve your ability to see the person listening, yeah? So I would encourage everybody to spend, uh, for example, as an exercise, if I might my say so-

Yeah

... have an ex- exercise to sit an hour in a coffee shop and just simply, uh, observe people.

And then look at the person next on the table and become curious about them.

Curiosity is really, really important.

So what might their day look like? What could, uh, they worry about? What are they happy about? What are they hoping for, yeah? And what m- would make them, um, stop and listen and feel understood? So, so if you would do that exercise and then you go back to your clients, uh, and, and do the same, yeah? Choose one client or make a persona, uh, in your audience, and, uh, and ask yourself, so what's happening in their world? Or, uh, what, what do they need, what do they, what do they need from you? And why you, yeah? And how can I speak in a way that meets, uh, them where they are? And yeah, and, and then you connect with your inner story truth, and the moment you connect with your inner st- story truth and know the words they would use, and the, uh, the, the, the, um, environment, and, uh, they are in, then you can connect.

It's like, you know, you know the bridge which, you know, from both shores, one shore and the other shore, in the middle they meet.

Mm.

And you have to make sure the bridge is not, you know, not, not, not meeting [laughs].

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I, I think that, I think that's great advice.

'Cause I think that's something that, um, a lot of, uh, business owners probably struggle with, is how to really define their audience, um, and even to really kind of get clear on their niche as well.

Hmm.

I think, I think it's really interesting with storytelling, especially in business as well, because it's, it's one of the most powerful ways, I think, to get across your message.

Um, and I think all entrepreneurs or business owners that start a business have a story to tell.

Um, but it might just be that they don't know how to tell it, but I, I often think that's the thing that pulls people in.

It's, it's not a fancy strap line.

It's not a, you know, a highly creative logo or anything like that.

It literally comes down to the stories that they tell because that, of course, builds the know, like, and trust with their audience.

That's absolu- absolutely right.

So, um, talking about audience, because I was working for TV and your, you know, your measure is the rating, so do you reach your audience or not? And I'm so trained to, to see the audience first, and that's also what, what my story, uh, coaching is about.

So to, to, to whom do I want to tell the story, and why would they listen? Yeah, why?

Yeah.

And, uh, and, uh, so I always say in a bit, you know, before you improve your story, uh, improve your ability to see the person listening, yeah? So I would encourage everybody to spend, uh, for example, as an exercise, if I might my say so-

Yeah

... have an ex- exercise to sit an hour in a coffee shop and just simply, uh, observe people.

And then look at the person next on the table and become curious about them.

Curiosity is really, really important.

So what might their day look like? What could, uh, they worry about? What are they happy about? What are they hoping for, yeah? And what m- would make them, um, stop and listen and feel understood? So, so if you would do that exercise and then you go back to your clients, uh, and, and do the same, yeah? Choose one client or make a persona, uh, in your audience, and, uh, and ask yourself, so what's happening in their world? Or, uh, what, what do they need, what do they, what do they need from you? And why you, yeah? And how can I speak in a way that meets, uh, them where they are? And yeah, and, and then you connect with your inner story truth, and the moment you connect with your inner st- story truth and know the words they would use, and the, uh, the, the, the, um, environment, and, uh, they are in, then you can connect.

It's like, you know, you know the bridge which, you know, from both shores, one shore and the other shore, in the middle they meet.

Mm.

And you have to make sure the bridge is not, you know, not, not, not meeting [laughs].

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I, I think that, I think that's great advice.

'Cause I think that's something that, um, a lot of, uh, business owners probably struggle with, is how to really define their audience, um, and even to really kind of get clear on their niche as well.