Why Storytelling is Key to Attracting Clients3 min read

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This article is the seventh in an eight-article series on the Seven Laws of attracting Clients.

My sixth law of attracting clients states that “you must be able to tell a story.”

On Sunday, my wife and I attended a party with about 30 family members and close friends.

We ate and mixed and mingled… and told stories. Nobody struggled to tell stories; they came naturally to all of us.

And not because any of us were expert storytellers, it’s because, when people gather, that’s the communication style they feel most comfortable with.

My niece’s husband told a dramatic “true crime story” about his sister, a policewoman, who witnessed a shooting where a suspect was killed. We were all riveted.

A friend told me a story about how he had almost 300 digital books he’d downloaded and cued to read on his Kindle.

My granddaughter told me a funny story about playing with one of her new classmates in kindergarten.

And I told a few retirees that I didn’t plan on retiring anytime soon because when I’m not working I find myself bored to tears, listening to jazz or watching Netflix for hours on end!

We’re telling stories all the time.

Why? Because, to most people, storytelling is a whole lot more interesting than talking about concepts.

And this is true in business as well. But for some reason, we think that if we’re explaining our business to someone, we should use concepts instead of stories.

Perhaps it’s because we think talking about concepts makes us look smarter. But does it really?

One of the smartest consultants I know, Alan Weiss (the Million Dollar Consultant), understands the power of stories.

I recently listened to the recording of a keynote speech he gave and was really impressed, so impressed that I listened a second time.

Here was his format: He told a story from his life that was both interesting and funny, often poking fun at himself. Then he wrapped it up with an important business lesson.

That’s all he did, with several stories, for 45 minutes straight. It was fun, involving, and instructive.

It was also pretty obvious that he was brilliant at choosing and telling these stories, and had the timing of a seasoned stand-up comedian.

But this is why people love Alan’s programs and part of the reason why he’s a multi-millionaire.

What ideas do you need to get across to your audience?

Find a story (ideally from your own experience) that makes a powerful point, yet is entertaining at the same time.

Over time, develop a repertoire of good stories and practice them until they come across spontaneously.

When someone asks what you do, tell a story.

When you need to write an article, start with a story.

When you want to improve your website, add client stories.

When you’re tired of people not getting what you do, start telling stories and they’ll get it in a way they never have before.

Cheers, Robert

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