Rev Up Your Speaking with Your Million-Dollar Signature Story

One of the best things to draw in new clients, quickly establish credibility, and create massive momentum and exposure in your business is speaking. Whether you organize your own workshops on a regular basis or get booked to speak in front of groups or associations, it works well to consistently fill your prospect pipeline (and it’s a strategy I’ve used with great success for many years.)

One of the key strategies in any good speaking engagement is to connect with your audience. A good way to develop that connection is to share a core story or message that is a perfect expression of you. Finding that signature story is the secret that all good speakers share.

Over time, you become known for this story and even famous for it. You become so good at telling your story that people will request it over and over again. My tire iron story, for example, is one that ties into many lessons, one that I’ve used for years and have become known for. I’ve had audience members who have seen me speak on many occasions and have said how that story gives them chills, but also inspires them each time they hear it.

Your signature story can describe great loss or even hardship and how you overcame it. This puts you in a vulnerable position so you have to be emotionally ready to share it. Stories that demonstrate hardship help you to connect with your audience on an emotional level. When presented with authenticity and grace, you create a circle of comfort that envelops audience members and helps them, heal especially when they share a similar experience.

Your signature story might even come from an embarrassing situation or misunderstanding that snowballed out of control. Some of the funniest signature stories are born from the most humiliating moments and offer important learning lessons.

When choosing a story to rev up your speaking, remember to stick with personal stories. Because you’ve lived them, you can recall details and provide insights that make your story come alive. When it is the reason you got into business, it helps develop your credibility. Your story is what makes you unique and your ideal clients will be drawn to you and want to work with you.

Your story becomes a million-dollar signature story through development and performance. What can be seen as an ordinary experience becomes an amazing story especially if you tie it into learning a life lesson, a turning point, and even overcoming adversity. When you weave your story with key points, you leave your audience connecting with you and wanting more.