| |
If you want people to pay attention to what you say, you have to communicate with them at an unconscious level.
In order to do that successfully, it's useful to know that the unconscious mind loves symbols. One of the most powerful ways of using symbols is through metaphor or stories.
As the unconscious mind also takes everything it hears personally, people will automatically relate to the people they hear about in the metaphor.
So a great way of getting your message across is using stories in your marketing. Good communicators do this all the time without realizing it.
People love to hear a story. When you give them information in the context of "this is what happened with so and so," they will take the message on board much more convincingly.
While most people will resist an obvious sales pitch, they will respond much more happily to the same information presented in the form of a story. For example, try telling a story about how someone's life has changed as a result of using your product or about the success they have had after following your advice.
Compare the following sentences and consider which one is more likely to leave the biggest impact.
‘We provide great training to many leading companies'.
or
‘Bill White at Marriott was telling me how their sales people had seen appointments double as a result of attending our course.'
Turning the same information into a story about someone else not only makes it more interesting, it makes it much more likely that the listener will respond positively.
You can also learn a lesson from Hollywood and fill your stories with interesting characters and dialog plus a dramatic benefit. However take care to keep your stories factual and don't stray into the world of fiction.
Another benefit of stories or metaphors is that they can create feelings in the listener. If you tell a story about someone having a good time, being successful and enjoying things, it will make the listener feel good too.
If your story is full of negative information, it will make them feel bad and less likely to do business with you – unless you are offering a solution to that bad feeling!
To put stories to work in your business, you should build a fund of examples of people you have worked with in the past or people who have benefited from using your product.
Robert Greenshields is a marketing success coach who helps entrepreneurs and independent professionals develop the success mindset and marketing strategies for a better lifestyle. For more info visit MindPower Marketing
 EasyPublish™ this article - publishers click here
More articles by Robert Greenshields
- Leverage Upper Management Perspective To Survive Tough Times (John Reiling)
In times of crisis, such as the current worldwide recession , the role that project or program managers perform is critical. The dramatic changes in the economic situation has led to quite a few people losing jobs as companies cut costs or restructure their organization. Many projects and programs have been canceled due to severe crisis. How can project and program managers cope with this crisis? - How To Make Money From Creative Ideas When Working At Home? (Kaye Dennan)
Wanting to work at home and knowing wht to do are two different things. For ways to make money whilst working at home and looking after the kiddies, read this article to help you analyse what you could do. - Start a Pet Photography Business (Lisa Paredes)
Everyone seems to have a snapshot of his or her favorite pet. Take a look through the family photo album and you will likely find a pet in more than one shot. Face it, pets often become extended family members and are well loved and equally cherished. This is why many pet owners today are taking the initiative to get their pet professionally photographed. Why not become the premier pet photographer in your region?
|