Speaking Online: Why Your Story Is Just As Important As Your Content

Some years back when I started out online I learned how to grow my business by listening to complimentary interviews, webinars and teleseminars.

It was all-new to me and I had no idea there was a certain rhythm and flow to creating a compelling online presentation.

But just like human-interest stories, your story is what hooks your listener and helps them connect with you at a deeper and more personal level.

Why is your story so important? Because your listener needs to know that you’ve been through something similar, have overcome it and can show them how they can overcome it too.

Let me take you through a quick story to show you how this works.

Take for example Karen.

Karen and her husband waited three years before trying to get pregnant.

After another two years of trying they started IVF treatment.

Another two years and four IVF attempts went by and they finally got pregnant only to lose the baby and miscarry four months later.

Karen was devastated and she sunk into a deep depression where she shut herself off from friends and gained 40 lbs.

Realizing there had to be another way. Karen decided to work on some ways to treat herself better while she and her husband continued IVF treatments. So she developed a personal mind, body and spirit process to help her overcome her loss and create a “healthy body environment” for her baby.

Karen developed a 9-step process that ultimately helped her lose weight, better care for herself and gain the mindset she needed to move on from her deep sorrow.

Within just a few months she was pregnant again and nine months later she gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

Karen knew there were other women that were going through some similar challenge so she decided that she could share her process with more women.

So she created a program to teach and ultimately sell her 9-step system.

When she started to sell it online it was a total flop.

That is until she realized that more people connected with her story than her process and once she began sharing her story she converted more sales.

What I’d like you to do is to find your story in your business.

1. Identify your before: Where were you before? What were your greatest challenges? What kept you up at night with worry or fear?
2. Identify your process: What were the steps you took to overcome them?
3. Identify your after: Once you took specific steps to overcome them, how did your life change? What happened as a result?

Once you know your story you will want to use it when you speak online. Make sure to include it in your presentations, interviews and website.

Remember, stories connect you to your listeners. Become a master storyteller and your business will thank you for it.

Comments? Tell me, which do you think makes up a better presentation, the story or the content? I’d love to hear it in the comments below.

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