Attract Your Potential Clients With Your Compelling Story!

We’re talking about how telling your story can reach your potential client. I want to you imagine that a sales representative for a soft drink company – let’s say, Pepsi – walked up to you and said, “I’d like to sell you one of my beverages.”

“All right,” you say. “What’ve you got?”

He pulls out a solid grey, 12 ounce can and presents it to you. “This is Pepsi. It has 100 calories per 8 ounce serving. The ingredients are carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sugar, phosphoric acid, caffeine, citric acid and natural flavors.”

“Well . . .” you say, but he holds up his index finger to stop you.

“The taste has been described as bold, robust and effervescent. There’s a long-standing debate whether this cola or the competition, Coke, has the better taste, but many people find Pepsi to be quite delicious. If you care for a can, that will be one dollar.”

You fish a crumpled bill out of your pocket, more out of sympathy for the guy than anything else, and take the can. “You’re in sales?” you say. “Really?”

Consumers always have a decision to make: Keep the crumpled bill in their pocket, or hand it over. Hire the healer, coach or heart-based entrepreneur, or limp along without guidance. How do your prospective clients make their decisions, and how can understanding that process move you toward your small business success?

If logic were the main component in decision-making, why aren’t commercials just a series of emotionless facts and an invitation to compare? Instead, we see this:

People respond to their emotions:

• Humor – “Where’s the beef?!” “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”

• Poignancy – “If they could just stay little ‘til their Carters wear out!”

• Fear — “This is your brain on drugs.”

• Nostalgia – “Reach out! Reach out and touch someone.”

• Sentimental – “These are the moments of your life.”

Why is important for you to understand that? Unlike most of the professional advertising execs, your intent isn’t to artificially manipulate emotions. But if you want to see small business success, you do need to understand that emotion will play a part in your client’s decision making. As you tell your story, you need to be aware of the emotional impact you’re making – or your failure to make an impact. If you are disconnected with the core truth and emotion of your story, your client will be as well.

Take the time to meditate on your story. Look for the patterns and coincidences that, in retrospect, give it meaning. You’ve been given gifts and your story in order to share them with the universe, one deserving client at a time. Tell your story with the truth of your experience and emotion, and you’ll connect with the emotional, decision-making core of your client.