Facts and Stories.
Last time I talked about Elevator pitches and the need to think about the first 10 seconds as it will capture interest; this time I'm discussing the power of stories!
You may have heard the adage, "Facts tell whilst stories sell", well it is right, in any networking conversation, unless asked for, facts will simply bore and maybe will not even be heard! The beauty of stories is they can include facts, make a point and be interesting!
There's a story about a student who had this recipe for peach wine that he really loved. One day he decided he wanted to make some of this peach wine. So he bought some peaches, went to his parents' and got the equipment to make it.
He mixed up the yeast, peaches, and the rest of ingredients, and put it in his basement to ferment.
He checked it regularly for days to see how it was doing, but it was going too slowly for him! He got impatient and wanted to speed it along. So he put some more yeast in to help it along. Then he went back the next day to see if it had made a difference; he tasted it and found it was not the wine he expected but instead it was the best peach vinegar!
Sometimes there are things in life that you can't push. You can't make some things go faster. Instead they go bad and this is true in building trust!
A woman I know was invited to attend a 50th birthday party of an associate who used to belong to a networking group of which she also was a member. They'd had a long-term working relationship, and, therefore she decided to attend. However, when she arrived at the house and looked through the window, she noticed people were arranged in a semicircle, obviously listening to a presentation, and when she went in, it was very obvious the party-goers were being recruited for a business opportunity.
Although, she felt annoyed and resentful, she and the other friends found it difficult to remove themselves from the "birthday party," especially, as the only refreshment being served was the company's diet product!
Be honest, is it a party or a sales pitch? I'm sure the woman in question will find future parties less well attended!! If you falsify the reason for a gathering you will find that rather than increasing your circle of influence that your circle has reduced to one!
In conversations, I often use the counter to objections that Dani Johnson recommends, "I don't know about that all I know is..." and tell a story.
For example:
"It'll never work for me!"
"I don't know about that all I know is that I have been working with ABC Company for two years now and I'm making £2,000 each month."
Try it, what have you got to lose and, after all, it is a lot easier than trying to overcome objections with facts and it makes you feel better too!
I hope it helps.
Last time I talked about Elevator pitches and the need to think about the first 10 seconds as it will capture interest; this time I'm discussing the power of stories!
You may have heard the adage, "Facts tell whilst stories sell", well it is right, in any networking conversation, unless asked for, facts will simply bore and maybe will not even be heard! The beauty of stories is they can include facts, make a point and be interesting!
There's a story about a student who had this recipe for peach wine that he really loved. One day he decided he wanted to make some of this peach wine. So he bought some peaches, went to his parents' and got the equipment to make it.
He mixed up the yeast, peaches, and the rest of ingredients, and put it in his basement to ferment.
He checked it regularly for days to see how it was doing, but it was going too slowly for him! He got impatient and wanted to speed it along. So he put some more yeast in to help it along. Then he went back the next day to see if it had made a difference; he tasted it and found it was not the wine he expected but instead it was the best peach vinegar!
Sometimes there are things in life that you can't push. You can't make some things go faster. Instead they go bad and this is true in building trust!
A woman I know was invited to attend a 50th birthday party of an associate who used to belong to a networking group of which she also was a member. They'd had a long-term working relationship, and, therefore she decided to attend. However, when she arrived at the house and looked through the window, she noticed people were arranged in a semicircle, obviously listening to a presentation, and when she went in, it was very obvious the party-goers were being recruited for a business opportunity.
Although, she felt annoyed and resentful, she and the other friends found it difficult to remove themselves from the "birthday party," especially, as the only refreshment being served was the company's diet product!
Be honest, is it a party or a sales pitch? I'm sure the woman in question will find future parties less well attended!! If you falsify the reason for a gathering you will find that rather than increasing your circle of influence that your circle has reduced to one!
In conversations, I often use the counter to objections that Dani Johnson recommends, "I don't know about that all I know is..." and tell a story.
For example:
"It'll never work for me!"
"I don't know about that all I know is that I have been working with ABC Company for two years now and I'm making £2,000 each month."
Try it, what have you got to lose and, after all, it is a lot easier than trying to overcome objections with facts and it makes you feel better too!
I hope it helps.
Malcolm
