Businesses Should Tell Their Stories, Speaker Says

During B.O.S.S. Academy’s Phoenix Fridays Leadership Power Hour, Chip Brewer gave a presentation on storytelling as part of your marketing plan. Often, small business owners use features and stats over stories, which do not necessarily lead to sales. Here are some reasons why storytelling is an effective marketing tool.

1. Memory – People remember stories more often than statistics and features. This world overloads potential buyers with information. Thus, remembering one brand over another usually comes down to the stories they tell, he said. When potential clients remember you and your brand, you are more likely to land the sale.
2. Entertainment Value – Rarely do people turn on their computer to watch a show about numbers and boring features. They want to be entertained. In the 1980s, a Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef ad campaign was successful because it was funny and entertained people. Think about the most memorable commercials. You will notice an entertainment value in what is said. Small business owners have many more opportunities today to give entertainment than they did in the past. They need to utilize entertainment value in their marketing. Storytelling is a great way to add entertainment to a boring presentation.
3. Authenticity – When people tell stories, they are telling people what actually happened with a product or service. Potential clients know they are authentic and trustworthy. They are more likely to buy from people they trust. Even if a company tells stories about what went wrong, the potential client sees the company as authentic and true. That goes a long way. There are so many fake companies, fake products and scams that people are cautious.

Brewer also discussed how to tell a good story. Telling a story incorrectly could also be problematic for entrepreneurs. Once they master the art of storytelling, though, they are more likely to increase their sales.