I attended a very interesting lecture about using stories to brand yourself in the business world.  You’d be surprised what kind of things you can make happen with a well-told story. This lecture was in connection with job searching, but I’m thinking this is a good tactic in all dealings. 

You start with the action.  In fiction, we are told to jump in where things are happening. Movies often use this technique. Somebody always wants something. Right off the bat, we want to know what’s at stake. Next give some background.  How did we get to that point of action?  The climax tells us what’s happening now or at the point of the greatest conflict.  After that you recount the result.  What happened at the end?  You use rich details and add some drama.  Tell a good story!

People will listen more intently if you talk like this and you will be remembered.  Be sure to tell stories of success, where things worked out well. We all love a happy ending.

My coach, Paulette Terrels, asked me to list my successes each day.  But maybe I can embellish them a bit. Rather than list, “#1 Completed all the forms I was asked to,” maybe I can spruce that up:  “There I was, facing a mountain of forms.  I didn’t know if I could get it all done.  But it had to be completed by 3:00.  I only had one hour left.  I decided to take one at a time and work my way through them.  I completed all of them, with 15 minutes to spare!  My boss was so pleased she commended me for finishing the task so well.”  Now that’s something with more impact, something I won’t soon forget or dismiss. 

 A story with impact will give a feeling tone which will stick longer.  It generates more of the feeling buzz which is the fuel of the Law of Attraction.  It is what we always look for to attract more of the same.

When you’re talking to others you can use stories to not only entertain your audience, but also to speak positively.  This can be catching. Why would you want to say you slipped and broke something, when you can tell the tale of how you fixed it and left the owner feeling very pleased?

Wouldn’t it be great if we could banish all the failure stories and replace them with success stories?  Who cares how you fumbled the ball?  It’s far more exciting to hear a story about the winning goal!

You can use the elements of fiction to enliven and infuse your stories. Whether you’re negotiating a deal, looking for a job or just hanging out with friends, you can add more detail and drama to your positive stories.  I bet you’ll soon be the life of the party!

If you’re interested in finding out more about Stories that Work in business, click here.