Telling Your Story Effectively

Whether talking with news reporters or neighbors, any conversation about your business is an opportunity. That said, just having the conversation isn’t enough; what you say and how you say it are important and worth some advanced thought and planning.

Consider that when you talk about your business, you’re telling a story with a beginning, middle and end. The story may follow this pattern: owner identifies community need, owner takes calculated risk, community/owner realizes reward. This is no place for modesty. You took a chance in establishing a business because you believe in it, so tell your story with that sense of confidence. It’s not just good business practice. It’s crucial to communicating your message.

When crafting your story, think in terms of broad strokes and save the fine details for later. You want your listener to walk away from the conversation understanding exactly what you do and why you’re passionate about it. This story is like the classic elevator pitch: make sure you can tell it in about 20 to 25 seconds, while your listener is most attentive. Think of some examples of how you have been successful in case your listener asks follow-up questions.

Your story is more than just a conversation tool. It is the main message about your business and should be woven into all your communications, including your website, press releases, newsletters, etc. It’s fine to repeat yourself across communications. In fact, repetition helps build recognition.