Crafting Stories that Stick: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling for Business Success
Hello, everyone! Recently I was a returning guest on The Builder Nuggets Podcast where we disscussed the power of storytelling. As an industry-leading professional designer for over thirty years, I have been passionate about using my experiences and insights to help other industry professionals unlock the potential of their businesses in unique ways. One of the most significant aspects we often overlook is the power of storytelling. It’s the remarkable secret weapon I’ve discovered on the journey of business transformation and the subject I shared recently on “Builder Nuggets,” a podcast hosted by Dwayne Johns and Dave Young.
Embrace Your Story as Your Magnet
In this increasingly competitive world of business, your story becomes your magnet. This is particularly true in our construction and design industries where human experiences are at the heart of every project. Businesses should understand the value inherent in sharing their customer experiences, project challenges, and project success stories. These narratives giftedly lure customers, setting the tone for the uniqueness and credibility of the business.
However, storytelling goes beyond giving great pitches about your business. It involves experiences based on both the clients’ — and most especially — your perspective. During the podcast, we discussed relaying stories about clients, customer relationships, project experiences, and how they allow potential clients to visualize a working relationship with you.
Significant Moments in Storytelling
It’s essential to highlight the important moments in your business journey when sharing your stories. Moments like a customer’s pleased response to a beautifully completed project or the choices that led to improved project execution can be engaging story points. Describing these moments in detail puts potential clients into the scene. It provides them with a glimpse of what they can expect when they do business with you.
In the book “Stories That Stick” written by Kendra Hall, she talks in detail about the elements of telling a fantastic, captivating story. She advises that every great story must include identifiable characters, real emotions, a significant transformative moment, and vivid, descriptive details that paint a full picture.
Drawn from this, it is clear that our businesses must adjust to seeing past just project completions. We need to dive more profound, capture those on-site experiences, the client-serving moments, the behind-the-scenes activities, and share them as they are. These stories should effectively communicate the ‘why’ behind our businesses, thereby creating an emotional connection with potential clients.
Your Story, Your Power
Team play is an important element in the world of storytelling. You don’t have to take the storytelling journey alone, especially if you believe it is not one of your strong suits. Some of your team members might have that natural spark for storytelling. Leverage these skillsets to showcase your company’s uniqueness and standards. Remember, the goal is to constantly project stories about your business out there, highlighting your human experiences, expertise, and the value you bring.
Encompassing story-telling into your marketing strategy positions you to not just attract more clients, but the right ones. The storytelling journey, though it might seem daunting at first, is a journey of unending possibilities to project the invaluable experiences and human interactions that define our businesses. It is your story; it is your power. Being on The Builder Nuggets Podcast was an enriching experience, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to discuss these key points. Listen to the full episode on iTunes here. Tune into my podcast on iTunes here or on my website and keep up with my other blog posts.