As storytellers, it is not our role to lecture our customers or cajole them into buying from us simply by telling them how great we are. Instead, we need to show them that we understand them, that we can indeed solve their problem and what life will look like for them when we do. 

Showing, not telling, is really about five key principles, so why not try and re-write your piece of content with the following in mind, share it and see what response you get? 

1. Talk about real problems - either your own or, ideally your customers

2. Use emotion to help others feel the impact of this problem - dig deeper than using words like scared, nervous or happy and describe how this looked and felt like for the lead character in your story. 

3. Show how you / your customer overcame the problem and what this felt like again. Analogies and metaphors are a great way to help people understand feelings - for example, Following the steps that Vanessa’s coach had taught her, she sailed through the presentation, leaving the stage to rapturous applause, feeling light as balloon, floating up into the sky. 

4. Provide a step-by-step process. Rather than say, ‘I help you feel confident in yourself’, show exactly how you do that every step of the way to make it more believable and allow others to imagine themselves going through the same experience. 

5. Avoid sharing general opinions or facts. It’s boring, doesn’t add value and takes up valuable space/time when you could be talking about far more interesting things that will drive your customer to act. 

Want to continue the conversation or get some extra support with telling your story? 

Find me:

On Instagram: @22storiesandme

On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hilarysalzman

Online: www.22-stories.com

This podcast is edited by the brilliant Suzi @story_publishing