Facts tell…stories sell!

Telling a compelling story is an important part to growing your network marketing business. As you interact with prospects you must be able to tell a story in a way that compels people to want to join your opportunity.

Most rookie network marketers focus on telling facts about their network marketing company, compensation plan, or statistical facts and figures about their industry. Experienced network marketers understand that you must sell yourself first and foremost, which has very little to do with mundane facts.

Extensive consumer buying behavior research has indicated that people buy based on emotional responses. That’s why it’s imperative to craft a honest, compelling story that engages your prospect’s interest.

There’s a “Long and Short” way to tell your story depending on the context of the interaction with your prospect. The length of time to tell your long story would be between 3 and 10 minutes. The short story or “elevator pitch” should be in 60 seconds or less. Keep in mind that no matter how long it takes to tell your story, it must compel the prospect to take action.

Tips on creating a great story:

• It’s easy to fall in love with your story because, hey it’s your story! However, you should put yourself in the shoes of the person hearing your story, try to feel how your story would be heard from an outside perspective.
• Cleary define what your purpose or overall objective is in telling your story. For example, create a story to gain interest in your business/product with a call to action to your prospect.
• Within your story, identify what are the dis-sastifations/problems of your target prospects that you can solve.
• Keep in mind that not everyone will act/react with your story.

Use the marketing acronym AIDA when creating your story:

• Attention: boost prospects awareness and attract their attention
• Interest: boost level of interest in your product/business and most importantly YOU!
• Desire: convince prospect WHY they should join your opportunity
• Actions: give instructions that lead prospects toward taking a specific action

The essence of your story must connect with your prospects. This means that you want your prospects to be totally engaged with your story, virtually hanging on your every word.

This might initially seem like a daunting task, but just imagine when you were just a kid sitting at the feet of a great story teller. Remember how exciting it can be to listen to a great story? Picture adults as grown up children! People are people, and are drawn to good stories.

Take some time this week to develop or update your story and practice delivering it so that it comes very natural when you meet prospects.