I bet you believe the world is made up of atoms, right? Or particles. Or whatever. Sure it is. But more fundamentally, the world is made up of stories.
Stories are what ground us and connect us. Stories are what give us context, and meaning. We share stories, swap stories, remember stories. People are drawn to a good story. It bonds us. And business is all about stories. If we can learn to be better storytellers it is good for business. And it makes life more fun.
Think of a funny joke. We often remember something that made us laugh. A good story is the same. Inspiring people with stories is an important part of our working life and life in general. I am a dad now and have captured our little boy’s imagination a few times. It is not easy as he is only 3 but as he develops and starts to talk more, and learn, I can see how he listens to a good story. At that age, the story has to be short, and the climax has to be solid, but our little boy for sure enjoys a good story.
Selling and doing business has a lot to do with storytelling. Let’s ask everyone here a question: Which of you are in sales? I would argue that every one of us is selling all the time. Anyone trying to get laid is in sales.
Selling is not about getting paid for your goods or services. Selling, in my view, is about convincing, or, more gently, persuading someone of your point of view.
Is selling about being charming and a smooth talker? Of course, it helps to be able to chat with people, and having a sense of humor is also valuable. But, in truth, selling is more about listening than anything else. Sure, you need to be able to tell people what it is you have to offer, but after that, don’t go into hard-core sales mode. Rather, ask questions, engage, learn, and be sincere. Share a personal story. As my mentor friend always used to say, “It is better to be interested than interesting.”
Of course, you can’t be dead quiet. You have to say something. And to tell a story is a good start. A story that is relatable and moving. Something personal, sincere, honest. Of course, we make ourselves vulnerable in the process, but there are many stories we can share, about things we care about, that people may be drawn to. The war in Ukraine is a good example. Not everyone will care about Ukraine, but most people will spend time thinking about good and evil, and if evil is spreading in the world, that is a story that resonates with everyone.
In the world of business, there are two main selling scenarios: to consumers (B2C), and to corporates (B2B). Mass market selling is largely based on advertising, and of course, this is all about storytelling. But, unlike the corporate world, a company does not build a personal relationship with millions of consumers (ie, customers). There is no good or bad here, right or wrong. If you don’t like getting to know people and building relationships, then the B2B world of the corporate world is probably not your cup of tea.
Looking after people, after your customers, is about building trust. Be consistent. Be responsive. Be cool.
My old friend Tony Walt often shared this quote with me, “We don’t close a sale. We open a relationship.” In the mass consumer world, customers may be a number, but in the corporate world, they have names, and often they become our friends. People who depend on us, and vice versa. Yes, this is all about trust. Often we are selling peace of mind, above everything else.
To tell stories, to listen to stories, is about being relatable. Personal stories make people feel comfortable. We are all dealing with the same shit. Raising a family, paying bills, and trying to stay healthy, and sane. Trying to leave the world in a better state than when we entered. Everyone is fighting some kind of battle, so to find a person you can depend on is a big deal. Most people you meet in this world are not that reliable. That is my experience. Perhaps it is something I have learned as I get a bit older, and perhaps I am a bit more cynical since the start of the war, but for sure, finding a dependable person is not as common as it sounds.
Storytelling is what opens all of this up. Otherwise, we may as well deal with those touch-tone phone things where you have to keep pressing another button for more options. People are not robots. We think and feel. We have hearts. The story is all about the heart.
When you share a story that people can relate to it makes us all feel normal. I am not talking about manipulating people. I am talking about getting to know people. Building relationships, and trust, takes time. It is what we do in the corporate world. Not because we need or want more friends. And yes, sometimes our customers and partners become our friends. We do it because we commit to look after people. To look after customers.
If you simply keep your promises you will build trust. Storytelling allows this to happen. By being normal, by sharing experiences, by connecting with people, by feeling, by laughing, by reflecting.
This is what allows us to empathize and to help. We are trying to help our customers. When we do get it right that makes for a good story. And we sometimes fail in our efforts but we aim to help people. We are trying to help our customers to meet their goals. When they do that it makes for a good story. People like a good story. And of course, we also have the hard stories. Those are the ones that show character. How people respond is what life is about.
Share stories. Listen to stories. This is what makes the world go round, and it is good for building relationships, and that is good for business. That is what business is about. No one wants to be a data point. We are not numbers. We are people, and people feel. Stories can move us. And they can bring people closer together.
About the author:
Ronnie Apteker, Co-founder of PYGIO, Senior Advisor
Ronnie is a founder of one of SA’s first ISP’s, Internet Solutions, in 1993. This is the root of Ronnie’s strong corporate relationships with Dimension Data and the SA corporate ecosystem.
“My career journey has been about building corporate relationships. This new vision is all about relationship building, building trust, and going the extra mile.”
