The Dos and Don'ts of Storytelling

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It’s a lovely Friday again! A day to take stock of the week and to start preparation for the next. I am grateful for you, what are you thankful for?

In my last post, we talked about using stories to sell out. As you know already, we are learning together, so tell me, I would love to know how much my blog post helped you. For me, I got two new clients, isn’t that awesome?

Do you know that storytelling is like your cloth? Each style, each colour, each combination is for different occasions. Just as the black colour is used to mourn in Africa, the white colour is used in eastern Asia. You wouldn’t wear a flowing dress to do farm or factory work, neither will you wear a wedding dress if you are not the bride. Each cloth has its own relevance. And you have to follow the silent rules guiding the use of each. Likewise, your story, you have to follow its guiding rules. So, let’s jump right into it.

The first do is that your story have got to matter.

It shouldn’t happen that after your audience finished reading that story you have written, then they are more confused than they were before reading. They try to think back about the story but still can’t get a connect of what you are trying to say or calling their attention to. Your story needs to have a point, a clear point at that. With that, even if you are trying to sell a product or service which I believe most of us are, your audience will be able to relate your story with your product or service.

Let your story be in the right detail!

If my post is getting unnecessarily long, I bet you will get tired of it and move on without completing it, that’s just what a reader will do to a story that is too long. What if your story is too short, just straight to the point, it really wouldn’t be interesting enough to catch your reader’s attention you know? Therefore, there is a need to have your story in the right proportion, with just enough details to catch and keep a reader’s attention.

You can weave your stories into the beginning and end of your presentation

Be it a written or spoken presentation, you can catch your audience’s attention with this. Starting with your story, linking it with your product in the middle, and finishing with the story.

Avoid losing focus!

As much as you are trying to tell a story, to catch your audience’s attention, you shouldn’t lose yourself in the story, thereby overlooking or totally forgetting the main reason for that presentation. It must not happen. No matter how much you enjoy relieving that moment, no matter how much you enjoy talking about that experience, you have to time yourself, so you don’t shoot yourself in the leg.

With these dos and don’ts, I know storytelling will become a lot easier for you to do to make your sales. Don’t forget that storytelling in making sales is as important as your salt when cooking.

See ya!


 

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