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We don’t listen when we feel they’re trying to sell us something. However, we do want to know how it ends when we hear a good story. Sharing the 5 basic rules of storytelling, follow them to take your sales to the next level.
Scientists and marketing experts have found that information is best remembered in a story format. That’s why storytelling is a timeless tool for engaging audiences and increasing sales.
Identify emotions you want to evoke
A story is good when it triggers emotions. Joy, sympathy, anger, outrage – what exactly should your potential customers feel?
Often, stories that aren’t without hardship, injustice, and overcoming obstacles evoke trust. How did you get to the point you are at now? Chances are, you’ve been down some kind of path. Tell people about it! It’ll help you stand out and show that you are a real person, and that’s most often memorable and trustworthy.
What’s the main point?
Details and lots of facts are good, but a clear and understandable message throughout the story is even better. Describe the problem, how you dealt with it, and what you arrived at. You don’t need to get distracted by related topics and describe a lot of details, otherwise your listener will just get confused by the abundance of meaning and lose interest. Ideally, if you have, as in the good old days, a plot, a climax and a denouement.
Escalate the tension
You can say, “I lost everything, but I got over it and moved on.” Or you can describe what it meant to you, how you went through a difficult period, how you looked for a solution. Well remembered are those stories that are surprising. So be sure to leave room in your story for some unobvious twist or unexpected solution.
Make the characters in your story real
If your audience can relate to someone in your story, you’ve done half the job. The closer your characters are to real life, the better. Give them personality traits, describe the details (but don’t overdo it, remember the rule number 2). The more interesting the characters and the closer they are to reality, the more likely your story will be remembered.
Self-irony is your friend
In addition to describing your journey, try to include humor in your story. You could praise yourself and broadcast that you’re incredibly cool for going through such a thing. But the best way to be liked, and therefore remembered, is to make jokes about yourself and your shortcomings. This makes you a real person.
You want to inspire confidence in your audience – tell stories. You want to be remembered – tell stories. You want to strengthen your brand – tell stories. By learning just one tool, you’ll improve your connection with people, attract new audiences, and increase your sales.
