Why Entrepreneurs Use Storytelling to Help Them Win in Business
Back in 2011, I sold my first company to Procter & Gamble (P&G).
It was a brick & mortar business called ‘The Perfect Shave’ which I started in 2005.
It was a high-end gents grooming business selling luxury shaving products I imported from the USA, England and Germany.
Along the way I set up an e-commerce side to the business and shipped products all over the world which helped it to grow & scale fast. And in 2007 I found myself nominated as a finalist at the ‘UK Entrepreneur of the Year’ awards.
But when I look back at The Perfect Shave, what really helped to grow & scale the business was my personal story.
I shared my story everywhere. I shared it with my customers, on my website and with the press.
Your story starts with a character and a problem that needs solved…
You see, I started the business as I had a huge problem with shaving.
Every time I shaved — and I had to working in Financial Services at the time — I would end up with cuts, rashes and a shavers worst nightmare, ingrown hairs. Not a good look.
One day however whilst on holiday in New York, I came across a business called The Art of Shaving. And cutting a long story short, I purchased a bunch of products from a lovely lady who educated me on shaving for the very first time.
The products worked wonders and I never had a problem with shaving again.
Stories are your best friend…
When I opened The Perfect Shave’s doors for the first time, I simply shared my story. I talked about my own shaving problems. The pain it caused, and how I discovered specific products that solved my pain.
Thankfully that story resonated with a lot of people who had the same problem as me and were looking for someone to help them.
And that simple but powerful story is what helped me to build a huge database of buyers who P&G in the end valued so highly.
Want to tell a better story? Here’s a simple framework you can use:
• The story always starts with a character…
• Who has a problem…
• Who goes in search of solutions and meets a guide…
• The guide then gives them a plan to solve the problem
• The guide then asks them to take action on the plan
• It ends with a happy customer who takes up the call to action…or continued paid if they don’t take up your plan
The above is a popular story formula from a book called “Building a Storybrand” by Donald Miller if you want to go deeper.
Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog
