We’ve all been there. You’re at a networking event and someone asks you what you “do”. Wanting to be informative, you deliver a few lines about your product or service, perhaps some stats around your client base, by which time your listener – while polite – is most likely slowly zoning out.

In such settings, we know our spiel is often too general, dry or forgettable, yet we fall back on delivering it over and over again.

There is a solution.

At a time where we are over-connected and bombarded by marketing messages in all areas of our lives, becoming a pro at telling a good story is what will elevate your business above the noise and truly connect with people (who ideally end up being your customers).

Having a memorable business story is increasingly becoming key to sales, building loyalty and effective marketing. As humans we naturally steer toward the relatable. And we remember the amazing, shocking, heart-warming or funny. Confronted with a choice between businesses offering essentially the same service or product, we’re increasingly deciding whether to buy from Tony over Harry based on what we felt when we spoke to them.

Our attitude, perception, social pressures and assumptions we make about a business before we commit to a purchase all play a major role in the decision making process. As a result, telling your story in a way that hits home to the reader or listener is a powerful path to interest, sales and referrals.

What if we told you that you’ve already got the raw material to do this – right now? Most often, as business owners, we tend to overlook the engaging stories that are right in front of us. Or we know what we’d like to say, but don’t know the best way to say it.