The Power of Story

“Story is the promotional currency of the new millennium and millennial thinkers.”

That’s a phrase our team is probably starting to tire of hearing me say. But I keep saying it because it’s true.

We are all aware that technology is pushing our society to change, to adapt at an ever-quickening pace. We are connecting with more and more people through ever-expanding social networks, and yet our relationships seem to be getting shallower and more superficial.

As more media and more images bombard our senses, it becomes harder and harder for any one message or any one voice to stand out or get noticed. This is the world in which we live.

So how do you publish, promote, and market in this environment?

I contend that story is the answer.

Think about it. Whether you’re at a cocktail party or listening to a sermon in church, you tend to “zone out” and not retain but a fraction of what you hear . . . that is, until someone begins to tell you a story.

People love stories. They gravitate to them. Why is that?

In part, it’s because stories create emotion.

Whether you are a left-brain analytical thinker or a right-brain creative thinker, you are still an emotional creature and you respond to emotion.

Any good salesperson will tell you that most all sales are made on emotion or at least emotion is involved. So when you can take your central message and present it in a story, well, you’ve got a MUCH greater chance that your message will be heard.

Of course, your story needs to be authentic. It has to be told in a way that resonates with your audience.

As publishers, that’s a large part of what we do. We help people tell their stories. But as marketing experts, we also help people sell their stories. In fact, we are in the process of launching an entire new division of our company to work with organizations and individuals to help them compellingly define, align, tell, and sell their story.

Maybe you don’t think you have a story. But you do.

And with some creative coaching, you’ll be amazed (and maybe even impressed) with just how cool, how unique, and how moving your story can be to the audience you want to reach and serve.

Image credit: umjanedoan