Importance of Storytelling in Marketing.

Do you understanding that there is a need to tell great stories about your business? The reality is that your audience is bombarded everyday with irrelevant information that they don’t want or won’t use.
Most businesses struggle because their audience can’t hear them through all the noise. Have you ever tried having a serious conversation in a loud nightclub or concert? Did you get your message across?
First thing you must do is stop talking to your audience and start having a conversation. In other words TELL don’t SELL.
The best way to do this is to bring your business alive through storytelling. Stories work because they engage, whether it’s the Aboriginal Dreamtime, the Ancient Greeks which their myths and fables or the complex story lines of Shakespeare, we remember and believe stories. Great stories connect the fabric of our society through generations. Stories, told well and to the right people can do wonders for your business.
Our brains are hot wired to assemble bits and pieces of experience and mould them into stories. Telling stories has been and will remain a fundamental communication method, why aren’t you using them in your business?
Stories;

• change the way we think, feel and act.
• create awareness and inspire everything from understanding to action
• establish legend and break down barriers
• capture our imagination and make things real in a way that cold hard facts simply won’t.
• start an experience and allow the audience to relate in a  personal way.

An engaging story will take potential clients through a 5 step process.

1. start a conversation
2. create a personal emotional experience
3. influence and motivate
4. stimulate Action
5. encourage the audience to share

Have you been told to humanise your brand? Well, telling stories are a great way to do is. Why bother? Simply to become more likeable and more appealing to your audience.
Stories will define your business or brand in a way that supplying facts and figures and lists of features will never do. You’ll know your on the right track when your audience starts sharing their stories with you. Now you’re communicating on a whole new level.
Next time, we’ll talk about how to write a good business story. In the meantime, have a look at your communication over the past 6 months. How many good stories have you told?
Remember, get active, get clients!
As always comments are welcome and encouraged.
Roy West  
http://socialmediabusinessclub.com.au/why-you-must-bring-your-business-alive-through-storytelling/?goback=.gde_54772_member_231169476

Building vs Growing a Business

Building vs. Growing a Business – There is a difference and it matters

Submitted by kym on Wed, 20/03/2013 - 10:40

In reflecting over the time I have spent consulting to large and small organisations, I have always been intrigued by the stark differences I have seen between those that are focussing on growing their business, practice or team rather than focussing on building a sustainable and successful long term business. It might sound as you read this that it is only a slight language difference, they mean the same, right?
Wrong. There is a major difference between growing vs. building a business. Not only in terms of language but also in terms of intent and the way this is adopted and heard from the team, stakeholders and other personnel. The focus on growth very much drives growth at all costs which may benefit you in the short term whereas the building is around focussing on key areas, markets and clients that align to your vision, plan or strategies.
To illustrate, the following table outlines the differences in the approaches:

Too many focus on growing their business and forget to build a business, practice or team. It’s far easier to grow, work hard, put in more hours and more money. What we should be doing is intending to build a business that makes money even when we are not there so that we can focus on the areas of our life that are important to us. I have had the benefit of seeing consultants and owners that actually do build great practices and businesses so I know it can be done. Given this, why do people find it so hard to move from being busy to truly being productive around the hard things it takes to build a business?
A question to ponder is have you started your practice or business with the intention of working hard and making money but not having a life and planning to do this indefinitely? The reality is that we get what we intend and not what we hope for. The definition of insanity is to do the same things and expect a different result. Analyse where you are putting your effort and make the changes you need to make to really build something you not only will benefit from financially but you will bring to life the others reasons you built your business for.

http://www.easyconsult.com.au/blog/building-vs-growing-a-business-there-is-a-difference-and-it-matters/