Everyone loves a good story. Lately, I find myself drawn to books about the importance of stories and elevating moments when trying to sell a product or service. Finding those moments of connection, helps business owners — especially small business owners, like me! — relate to customers in authentic ways. Discovering the right way to forge authentic connections takes a little trial and error, but reading about other people’s journeys highlights the right and wrong ways to accomplish it.
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip and Dan Heath
From the authors of Made to Stick, The Power of Moments brings light to companies that use impactful moments to bring their customers an unforgettable experience. Made to Stick explored how certain ideas have lasting impact on consumers, while others fade into oblivion. Chip Heath and Dan Heath use that same combination of observation and analysis to look at companies that elevate small moments into opportunities to set themselves apart from their competitors.
"If you want to be part of a group that bonds like cement, take on a really demanding task that’s deeply meaningful. And you will remember it for the rest of your lives."
The Heaths examine everything from hotels to schools to hospitals. Each entity took meaningful ideas that truly responded to the needs of their customers and turned those ideas into magical and unforgettable moments. Those moments created true destination brands that set them apart from their rivals.
This is an impactful book for anyone, not just marketers trying to create special moments, as well as sell a product or service.
Stories That Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Your Business by Kindra Hall
What is your story?
Five years ago, I started managing the social media for the yoga studio I attended, followed by my hair salon. Then I connected with a subscription box company that actually paid me — instead of dyeing my hair for free or correcting my camel pose. That first freelance project gave Take Flight its wings and made me believe I could do this on a full-time basis.
Having this business, something that is all mine and assisting others with their social media reach, provided me with and continues to bring me great joy. That sense of joy informs the decisions I make and the message I hope Take Flight expresses on a regular basis.
How are you conveying your story?
A dear friend recommended Kindra Hall’s Stories That Stick because of my love for sharing and hearing compelling stories.
Hall reminds entrepreneurs that stories should be an integral part of promoting a business, but they have be told in an engaging and captivating way. Business owners need to share stories that appeal to a potential client’s pain points and offer identifiable solutions.
A story isn’t your mission statement, it’s much, MUCH deeper.
Whether you are a solopreneur just starting out, an established business owner, or a CEO with hundreds of employees, I encourage you to pick up or download a copy of this book today and learn about the magic and art of storytelling and how to use it to your businesses advantage.
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
Although it may seem odd to include a memoir written by a Hollywood heartthrob on a list of recommendations for entrepreneurs, Matthew McConaughey’s Greenlights has become one of my favorite books to recommend to people looking to discover clarity on their path — whatever that path may be.
Matthew McConaughey looks back over his first 50 years of life and illustrates how some of his red lights turned green and how he has always kept his eyes open for the next green light. Greenlights includes journal entries, poems written in junior high, and bumper sticker slogans, but this is primarily a memoir full of engaging stories.
“Catching greenlights is about skill, intent, context, consideration, endurance, anticipation, resilience, speed and discipline. We can catch more greenlights by simply identifying where the red lights are in our life, and then change course to hit fewer of them. We can also earn greenlights, engineer and design for them. We can create more and schedule them in our future–a path of least resistance–through force of will, hard work, and the choices we make. We can be responsible for greenlights.”
The memoir focuses on the formation of McConaughey’s character and personal value set, one that I respect and admire. We should all look for and celebrate the green lights in our lives. Those celebrations can be crucial when starting or growing a business, just like they are in our daily lives, because the path of business ownership rarely unfolds smoothly or linearly.
Why I’m drawn to stories
In the earliest days of building Take Flight, I don’t know if I truly understood the ways my business life and personal life would weave in and out of each other on a regular basis. Listening to the stories of other business owners in my community and online offers me perspective — and teaches me how to better meet the needs of each individual client. Those connections help me grow as a social media professional, a small business owner, and a person, adding intangible value to what I do each day.