Every day we engage in one form of work for the benefit of the world, and a crucial part of our work is telling the story of our work. Today, many stories abound, leading to so much noise. One problem we usually encounter is cutting through the noise to make our voices heard by our audience. There are two steps to telling your story effectively. Firstly, your story should convey in the minds of your audience the following assertions
- This storyteller understands my problem and can help me out.
- I trust this storyteller to care enough about solving my problem.
- This storyteller has developed a proven method for solving my problem.
- This storyteller can be regarded as a thought leader in the field of solving my problem.
- I can feel comfortable and proud, telling others about the work of this storyteller.
When your story meets these criteria, the next step is to tell it. Tell it those who are genuinely INTERESTED in listening (your story is not for everyone), and as Seth Godin says, they will spread it to others (Word of mouth rocks!). Go to their communities (online and offline), seminars, volunteer in causes that serve the need of your audience, go to their organizations. Wherever you go, tell a true, consistent story, for trust and integrity are crucial in this storytelling business. And quite important, don’t be a pest or a spammer, for you’ll not easily be forgiven.
T. C.
(Just being different…)
http://www.christeckwrites.com/randomthoughts_15lines-telling-our-work/