The Power of a Story
The Power of a Story
-Janet Litherland
Author
Several months ago on the way home from the airport, I popped into a Waffle House, sat down, and ordered some lunch. As I turned to my right I noticed a homeless woman in tattered clothing sitting alone with her head down in a booth. Hoping to brighten her day I said hello. She quickly perked up, smiled and shot me a, “What choo do for work?” After telling her I teach people how to sell and how I travel a lot for work she said to me, “Name’s Wilma. And Wilma says you get your butt home. And don’t forget what’s most important. It’s your wife and kids. And on the way home, you get that wife some flowers at the Price Chopper. That’ll make her feel special” After chatting for a while with Wilma I jumped in the car and drove home. And as I pulled into the Price Chopper, I realized that while my aim was to help brighten Wilma’s day, it was Wilma who brightened mine by reminding me who my number one customers really are, my family.
The story above is a condensed version of a real story I use in one of my presentations to illustrate how there are learning lessons all around us. I also sometimes use that story when I want to make a point about understanding who our number one customers are; family and friends. At other times I use that story to discuss the importance of being a good listener.
Now let’s say I didn’t use a story to illustrate my point. Let’s say I just stood in front of an audience and said, ‘Okay everybody. You are all spending way too much time at work and not enough time with your loved ones. You need life balance!” do you think I would move my audience? (Probably, because they would be moving to the exits.) But instead, by telling a story, a point can be made that allows the audience to paint their own picture. And in that picture is the lesson. The story helps us understand.
So, have you had to stand up in front of a group of people recently to deliver a presentation? Or perhaps it was just one or two people that you had to teach, persuade, or influence. So how did you do? If you weren’t 100% confident in your performance, then perhaps it’s time to add a little power to that presentation. And the power will come from the stories that you will tell.
For example, if you are in medical sales and personally witnessed your product doing something great for a patient, tell the heartwarming story of how it saved a patient’s life. If you are sales manager who at one time blew a major sales call only to learn a lesson, open your next team meeting with a story that creates laughter. If you are a product manager who has to train your team on the use of your product, get rid of that bubble graph Power Point slide that can comatose a gallery and instead tell them a story about the first time that product truly excited you.
So this week, think of a presentation or meeting that you will soon participate in. Then take a few minutes to think of a story that you can add that will delight, enchant, touch, teach, recall, inspire, motivate and challenge. And when you’re done talking, be prepared for the story to spread about what a great job you did moving your audience.
The Power of a Story - To learn more about this author, visit Brian Sullivan's Website.
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Stories have power. They delight, enchant, touch, teach, recall, inspire, motivate, challenge. They help us understand. They imprint a picture on our minds. Want to make a point or raise an issue? Tell a story.
-Janet Litherland
Author
Several months ago on the way home from the airport, I popped into a Waffle House, sat down, and ordered some lunch. As I turned to my right I noticed a homeless woman in tattered clothing sitting alone with her head down in a booth. Hoping to brighten her day I said hello. She quickly perked up, smiled and shot me a, “What choo do for work?” After telling her I teach people how to sell and how I travel a lot for work she said to me, “Name’s Wilma. And Wilma says you get your butt home. And don’t forget what’s most important. It’s your wife and kids. And on the way home, you get that wife some flowers at the Price Chopper. That’ll make her feel special” After chatting for a while with Wilma I jumped in the car and drove home. And as I pulled into the Price Chopper, I realized that while my aim was to help brighten Wilma’s day, it was Wilma who brightened mine by reminding me who my number one customers really are, my family.
The story above is a condensed version of a real story I use in one of my presentations to illustrate how there are learning lessons all around us. I also sometimes use that story when I want to make a point about understanding who our number one customers are; family and friends. At other times I use that story to discuss the importance of being a good listener.
Now let’s say I didn’t use a story to illustrate my point. Let’s say I just stood in front of an audience and said, ‘Okay everybody. You are all spending way too much time at work and not enough time with your loved ones. You need life balance!” do you think I would move my audience? (Probably, because they would be moving to the exits.) But instead, by telling a story, a point can be made that allows the audience to paint their own picture. And in that picture is the lesson. The story helps us understand.
So, have you had to stand up in front of a group of people recently to deliver a presentation? Or perhaps it was just one or two people that you had to teach, persuade, or influence. So how did you do? If you weren’t 100% confident in your performance, then perhaps it’s time to add a little power to that presentation. And the power will come from the stories that you will tell.
For example, if you are in medical sales and personally witnessed your product doing something great for a patient, tell the heartwarming story of how it saved a patient’s life. If you are sales manager who at one time blew a major sales call only to learn a lesson, open your next team meeting with a story that creates laughter. If you are a product manager who has to train your team on the use of your product, get rid of that bubble graph Power Point slide that can comatose a gallery and instead tell them a story about the first time that product truly excited you.
So this week, think of a presentation or meeting that you will soon participate in. Then take a few minutes to think of a story that you can add that will delight, enchant, touch, teach, recall, inspire, motivate and challenge. And when you’re done talking, be prepared for the story to spread about what a great job you did moving your audience.
The Power of a Story - To learn more about this author, visit Brian Sullivan's Website.
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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