In a business world filled with noise and competition for attention, not to mention business competitors, entrepreneurs need to focus on differentiation and connection with your audience. One of the best success strategies is to embrace storytelling for business growth. 

People will remember stories long after they have forgotten everything else. Stories stay lodged in your brain. Apparently, it’s in our DNA as humans. In “The Art of Storytelling: How Humans Are Wired for Story” the author says:

According to Professor Read Montague, author of the book “Your Brain Is Almost Perfect,” neuroscientific research reveals that this activity leads to a rise of dopamine in the brain, causing a feeling of satisfaction.

Scientifically speaking, human brains have been hardwired to pay attention to stories since the beginning of humanity because it meant survival. In her book “Wired for Story,” story coach Lisa Cron says that the very earliest writing was used to convey information that would keep people out of harm’s way (e.g., “avoid this creature” or this “food source”). Because of this, when one saw writing, one paid attention, and soon after received a biochemical reward.

As humans evolved, the brain’s hypersensitivity to stories remained. Lucky for marketers, this means that when presented with brand stories, modern audiences are compelled to pay attention.

What kinds of stories should entrepreneurs use in your business? Here are a few examples. 

Your personal origin story

If you are a founder or co-founder, what is your professional background and what led you to starting your business. Was there an inciting incident that sparked your idea? You should work on that story and be able to tell it well.

Your company’s origin story

If your company has multiple co-founders or was launched to address a certain need or problem, you want to tell that story everywhere. It should be on your website, your LinkedIn page, sales pages, etc. It should catch the attention of your ideal buyers and let them know what you offer is specifically for them. 

Your clients’ success stories

How does your product or service help or support or transform your client or customer. Case studies can be very compelling and trigger someone to buy your product or service. Ideally, your prospects should see themselves and their situation in that story, and translate that to how they will feel once they buy your product or service. 

Your team’s stories

Depending on the type of company, your prospective buyers might like to learn about your team. What was their career journey and why are they excited to work for your company. On top of the potential sales impact, these types of stories can help you with recruiting and retention of top talent. 

In “The Importance of Storytelling in Business, with Examples” the author says, “Storytelling conveys purpose and businesses with purpose are noticed and win the loyalty of consumers. So it’s not enough to have a product or service that solves a problem – your company needs to stand out.” 

This is exactly why entrepreneurs need to identify their key stories and embrace storytelling to boost business growth. 

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