We've all heard of the elevator pitch: Explain your business in 30 seconds or less. But what if your pitch is, shall we say, a little dull?
Having an interesting and catchy one sentence phrase to capture the attention of potential clients or investors is very important. The below storytelling tips can help small-business owners engage with prospective clients and secure the sale.
2. Use bullet points. You never want to be fully scripted. "If you sound rehearsed, it turns people off and they tune out," Crews explains [a renowned storyteller, and the owner of Ballyhoo Promotions]. "You want a spontaneous moment [that]
you're experiencing with the audience. You won't get the same response [if you memorize everything] as if you're going off-book (not following a script),” she says. Speak naturally, try to be relaxed, and maintain eye contact with the people you're speaking with. In your preparation, the act of writing down what you want to say may help you remember it better, Crews notes.
3. Have a solid beginning, middle and end. The beginning should hook your audience, while the end, the call to action, must be clear, Crews says. The Moth, a storytelling institution founded in New York City and performed worldwide, has featured thousands of spellbinding tales since 1997. Moth producers suggest that each story performed on its stage have stakes such as: What is there to gain or lose? Why should the audience care?
4. Make the story personal. Crews recommends getting prospects to connect on a human level with whatever product or service you're selling. For example, if you're selling cochlear implants, you could cite research, case studies, and list pros and cons, but if you show a video of a child getting their cochlear implant turned on and their reaction to hearing their mother's voice for the first time, customers will remember that. "A personal anecdote sells a little better," Crews advises.
