How to Craft Your Story Part 1

Building trust is about putting the other person at ease, finding common ground, with laughter and camaraderie thrown in. Most of us are trained opposite of that, being told to ask people about themselves first.

However, that may be putting your client on the defensive. Think about this…when you first meet someone, do you launch into 20 questions with them? No, of course not….it’s a naturally flowing conversation. Your clients are often searching for service providers for the first time ever in your category. You may be in a virtual meeting (which they may or may not be used to) or you may be in a coffee shop that is new to them or at your office (way more comfortable to you but not them). Flip the script and share your story first.  

Now that I’ve shared with you the “what” (share your story first), let’s look at HOW to craft your story to build trust. Think about where you’re from. Think about the experiences you’ve had. Think about ways you can relate that to your couple so that they connect with you on a deeper level.  When you connect with your couples on a deeper level, it’s going to endear themselves to you more. For myself, for example, I share the I’m from a town of 450 people, not 45,000 or 450,000 but 450 PEOPLE. 🙂 I start with that because people from small towns are generally trustworthy. Why? People in small towns leave their doors unlocked, everyone knows everyone. Maybe you’re not from a small town? That’s OK.

Be genuine and connect with people. Share about your family.

Share about your experience of growing up in a big city and how you apply some of those life lessons to your own business. Think about what you can share from where you grew up (key – not where you’re from). Where you grew up is more personal. Where you’re from could be where you have lived for the last X amount of years. Sharing this bit of information gives them an inside glimpse as to who you are as a person, a peek behind the curtain if you will, and lets them connect with you like the person. People connect with people, except for rare instances of making it HUGE in branding (i.e. Apple). My guess is you’re not a brand yet so you have to focus on the marketing side first. More on how to craft your story in part 2 next post. 🙂