POWER OF STORY

What is the shortest distance between two people?

That’s right . . . a story.

Before you say, “Okay got it, moving on to the good stuff . . .” I want to warn you. This is where most people trip up.

They think they know how to tell a good story. But they don’t.

Let me rephrase . . .

You think you know how to tell a good story . . . but you probably don’t.

How could I possibly say such a demeaning thing?

Here is how:

  1. My undergrad is in English Literature. That is right. I read stories for four years straight. I know a good story.
  2. Even though I knew a good story—I didn’t know how to write a good story. I was writing narratives.
  3. I’ve read a TON of marketing email in my day . . . ZZzzzZZZzzZZZz

I have been in the exact position that you are. Let me tell you a story . . .

Years ago I was a marketing convention in Denver, Colorado.

I passed by dozens of vendors all with their marketing material out of their tables. Dozens.

  • They all looked the same.
  • They all had the same format.
  • They were all boring.

Want to know the worst part of all their material?

They all looked like mine.

Sheer terror struck me.

My fingertips turned numb. My skin—clammy. I fought through the nausea and tried not to blackout.

After I gained my composure I came to the conclusion that if I was going to standout—not even stand out from the 62 other competitors, but standout enough for someone to care enough to pick up and actually read my material I had to do something different.

I started searching. Researching. Reading. Studying. Talking to people. After months of searching I made a discovery. I was doing it all wrong.

I realized I had to become vulnerable. I had to show my weakness.

But what if people read it and decided to stop doing business with us because they saw that we weren’t the super-hero-entrepreneurs that I thought they wanted us to be?

What if people would judge us for not being perfect?

Should I just stay safe and do what everyone else is doing? If it ain’t broke why fix it? Right?

Coming to my senses, I said to myself, “But the system is broken. Marketing is broken. I need to fix it.”

I took the plunge. And we shared a story . . . a real story with real struggles, but with real results.

We sent an email to our current client . . . and went to sleep with nervous 100% sure we’d lose customers.

Over the next few days, email came flooding in . . .

  • People thanked us for sharing. Others opened up and shared their own struggles.
  • Some said they had no idea and apologized for not being better clients.
  • Many thanked us and said they couldn’t wait to get our next email . . . that they felt so encouraged by our story.

We began to understand the power of story, the power of a real story, not a narrative.

We began to understand how to communicate to those around us listening in a way that would draw them in with intrigue leaving them encouraged to face another day in the world.

I bet you are wondering if you too can learn to tell a real story, a story that resonates with others.

You can. In fact the blueprint for telling a good story is quiet simple and easy to learn.

If you remember from 10th Grade English, good stories follow specific story plots. The greatest story plot, pervading society since the beginning of time, is known as the Hero’s Journey.

The Hero’s Journey had been talked about since the time of Plato and Aristotle. You can buy thick 600 pages books diving into the different nuances of the Hero’s Journey and plots and subplot. But unless you are planning on writing the next great American Novel or become a screenwriter the following synopsis will due.

  • There is a hero (a character—likely to be you or a client you helped). They live in an ordinary world.
  • The Hero has a problem, and receives a call to adventure.
  • The Hero resists the call, due to fear, danger, or uncertainty.
  • The Hero meets a Guide (A wise sage, or yourself if you aren’t the hero).
  • This Guide helps to push them past the point of no return.
  • The Hero struggles and goes through trials, challenges, and on the brink of death.
  • Overcomes, resurrects, and returns back to the “Normal World” forever changed with the “elixir of life”.

 


Note. Without a conflict there is no story. To dive a little deeper visit: http://www.thewritersjourney.com/hero’s_journey.htm to grasp a better understand of the Hero’s Journey.