When I talk about telling stories in business, people get all awkward.<\/p>\n

We are inevitably talking about selling from the stage, but as a part of your story.<\/p>\n

Isn\u2019t that salesy?<\/em> they ask.<\/p>\n

The answer is no.<\/p>\n

Speaking from the soul is not just about selling products.<\/strong> Speaking through your story is about making a connection with your audience, and then taking\u00a0that connection and making an impact on their business, or on their life.<\/p>\n

You only want to work with the best clients, right?<\/p>\n

To do that you have to make that connection with them, and the move them into action to work with you.<\/p>\n

Selling has really gotten a bad rap.\u00a0Yet, we do it all day long.<\/p>\n

We sell the idea of having chicken rather than hamburgers to our kids.<\/p>\n

We sell the idea of going to the movies to our spouses.<\/p>\n

We sell a perception of ourselves by the way we dress.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t think so?<\/p>\n

Try going to a high-end restaurant in grubby sweats and a stained t-shirt and see what service you get.<\/p>\n

Selling is just promoting an idea. <\/strong><\/p>\n

But when we get to the point of exchanging a product or service for money we get all goofy and awkward.<\/p>\n

The thing is, if you are not totally convinced that your product or service will benefit your audience, nothing will help you past the goofy and awkward.<\/p>\n

I was goofy and awkward when I didn\u2019t feel like \u201cme\u201d in business. As soon as the inside matched the outside, it all came naturally.<\/p>\n

Speaking from the soul is speaking from the inside<\/strong>, not the outside and it should feel natural because it is not manufactured.<\/p>\n

But natural doesn\u2019t mean it doesn\u2019t need to be polished up a bit for natural enhancement.<\/p>\n

No one can hear your story if it is disjointed, stuttered over, or silent.<\/p>\n

The content needs to have a clear beginning, middle and an end<\/strong> or people get confused.<\/p>\n

When it has a great flow and you tie it up nicely at the end, people feel satisfied.<\/p>\n

Imagine going to watch a movie and the electricity cuts out fifteen minutes before the end. You will go nuts until you find out what happens!<\/p>\n

If you are not sure what a good story looks like, check out a fairy tale. Happy endings are my favourite \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

Your delivery is as important as the content. It is the delivery of the story that makes it compelling. <\/strong><\/p>\n

There are storytellers who can have you on the edge of your seat talking about a trip to the grocery store.<\/p>\n

Most of us are not like that. We need to mold it with the right words, flow, and cadence for people to let go and be taken on the journey.<\/p>\n

And that is what you need to do.<\/p>\n

Write down the times in your life that have been pivotal. <\/strong><\/p>\n

What made you the way you are?<\/p>\n

Why are you in the business you are in?<\/p>\n

What challenges have you overcome and how did you overcome them?<\/p>\n

When did you screw up? How did you come back?<\/p>\n

The stories that answer these questions are the ones you need to share.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And then, you have to own them.<\/p>\n

Craft them, mold them, and practice them until they are deep in your bones.<\/p>\n

You could tell them in an elevator or on a stage in front of 10,000 people.<\/p>\n

I think that is one of people\u2019s misconceptions that you have one story for the stage and another for the elevator.<\/p>\n

That is simply not true.<\/p>\n

A good story can be shared in conversation.<\/p>\n

A short version can be shared as part of your intro at networking events.<\/p>\n

It can be a blog or a social media post.<\/p>\n

Many events are looking for powerful five-minute micro talks. This is a perfect way to deliver your story.<\/p>\n

And the selling part, in the end, is simply a call to action.<\/p>\n

What do you want people to do? <\/em><\/p>\n

Do you want them to embrace their inner badass, buy face cream, donate to a cause, or commit to crafting their signature story so they can speak from the soul and sell in six minutes or less?<\/p>\n

You are selling your idea.<\/p>\n

Just tell them what you want them to do.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And that’s selling!<\/p>\n

Want to develop your powerful micro-talk? Let’s make it happen!<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I talk about telling stories in business, people get all awkward. We are inevitably talking about selling from the stage, but as a part of your story. Isn\u2019t that salesy? they ask. The answer is no. Speaking from the soul is not just about selling products. Speaking through your story is about making a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[199,198,185],"class_list":["post-5348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-call-to-action","tag-selling-from-the-stage","tag-your-story"],"yoast_head":"\n