Storytelling for Business: Stand out from the Crowd

Have you ever wondered why we buy from some companies and ignore the other ones?

Take some time and think about it.

The reason why is because we see a friend in the company.

‘What??’

Yes, we see a friend.

A brand is a business that has taken the time to build rapport with us.

They built trust.

Therefore, we trust them back.

And let’s say they do make a mistake…

If the connection is strong enough, we will be quick to forgive.

And oftentimes, we will come to their rescue when others are badmouthing them!

Why?

The reason why is because we RESONATE with the story of the business.

The word “resonate” is extremely powerful & we will be discussing it shortly.

Where you have business loyalty, you have a brand.

And where you have a brand, you have a STORY.

We do not buy the products or services.

That’s just the cherry on top (oftentimes).

We BUY the story.

One of the highest ROI moves you can make for your business is to level up your storytelling.

It’s all a game of psychology & emotional intelligence my friend…

Let’s understand the basics.

Deconstructing a Brand

As I said earlier, a brand is an entity that has built a rapport with us.

And the beauty of a brand is that it helps us cut thru the noise.

Us humans…we are lazy creatures.

We don’t like to spend so much time making decisions.

As a matter of fact, when presented with the path of least resistance, we will gleefully walk it!

A great example is the Apple brand.

During my undergrad in the College of Engineering, there were a lot of engineers who knew the nitty-gritty details of a smartphone.

They knew the hardware, software, operating system, and all of that.

And their conclusion?

The Apple iPhone was okay.

But there were much better smartphones out there.

As a matter of fact, they could logically prove it!

But there was a problem.

‘What?’

Apple iPhone users did not give a shit.

They still loved their phone.

They viewed these engineers as a nuisance.

And they clung even DEEPER to their precious smartphones.

This goes on to show that most Apple iPhone users are not buying the product for the specifications.

But rather the feeling that is embodying the product.

These users are attracted to the brand.

And due to this, no matter how many smartphones pop up, an Apple user’s decision has been made.

They are taking the path of least resistance.

They are going with their BRAND of choice.

The Missing Puzzlepiece of a Brand Story

The missing puzzle piece of a brand is RESONATION.

Resonation is a profound concept in the world of storytelling.

Resonation is when the story directly registers with a consumer’s personalized experiences.

And when you can make someone resonate with your story, you have them hooked.

One recent example was regarding my Laptop purchase.

A little back story…

I have been highly fascinated with the Yoga psychology of the Eastern world.

And to take it a level further, I have been practicing the Yoga practice in-depth as of late.

Well recently, I went to Best Buy & was presented with a WHOLE bunch of laptop options.

My decisions were feeling fuzzy.

I didn’t know which one to pick.

I looked around one laptop to the next.

And there it was…

A Lenovo laptop with a BIG…”YOGA” stamped on it.

Lenovo released a new laptop called the YOGA series.

I didn’t even budge. Pulled out my credit card & bought it.

It felt like a sign.

For the most part, I am a logical fellow.

So why did I make this quick decision devoid of logic?

It’s because the laptop RESONATED with me.

I am practicing Yoga..And here is this laptop with Yoga on the cover.

The product and I met in similar frequencies.

And a purchase was made.

This isn’t just me, of course.

A rare few buy with logic first.

They often buy with emotion first & justify with logic second.

And the more familiar something is to a human, the more a RESONATION occurs.

A phenomenal psychological understanding that gives you unique leverage in your market.

How do you Incorporate Storytelling into your Business?

The main way to incorporate storytelling into your business is by humanizing yourself.

We often do the exact opposite.

We wear our overly logical hat & try to build a story.

From the lens of perfection, we end up getting lost in logic.

“Well…our product is only priced at this XX amount.”

“Our processing speed is 10x faster than this other brand..”

“Look at the titanium this product is made of…”

Blah blah blah…

The features are not a bad part, of course.

But that is NOT the hat we wear when creating our story.

We need to humanize ourselves & uncover why we do what we do.

For my ArmaniTalks brand…

I am a foreign kid, who used to be shy.

English was not my first language.

After years of being shy & mocked for my accent, I decided to do something about it.

Decided to go on a journey to become a great communicator.

From there, I joined Toastmasters and worked my way up the club.

Wrote books.

Created 100s of podcasts & videos sharing my journey.

Anyone who follows my brand resonates with my work because they are at a point where they are looking to improve their communication skills.

And they follow my story to see how someone else similar to them is getting from point A to B.

You can read my full story here.

With Apple, a lot of entrepreneurs love Steve Jobs’s story.

How he got fired from his own company.

Left in disgrace.

And came back 10x stronger.

Their Apple iPhone is more than just a phone.

It’s a living embodiment of an entrepreneur’s spirit.

How do you humanize yourself?

A cheat code is to look to your PAIN.

Your pain is what allows others to love you.

That’s what allows you to stick out from the marketplace.

Others now realize you do what you do because of love first & profit second.

When you want to humanize yourself, find your pain & put it into words.

Your story will fall out of that.

Incorporating Storytelling into your Business

A story is a living thing.

You add more layers to it as your business grows.

That’s what keeps a story fun & unpredictable.

Now you understand how humans work on a deeper level.

We are not just buying a product for shits and giggles.

We are buying the story of the product.

The story that we are sold on the fastest is the one that RESONATES with us.

Which means that the story relates directly with our personalized human experiences.

When you understand this simple logical sequence of psychology, incorporating storytelling into your business is a no brainer!

To incorporate that story, look behind your pain.

That’s where the highest potential energy of a story that resonates with your market lies.

You have all the tools.

Now it’s a game of looking within.

Let’s get it!

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– ArmaniTalks