MODERN SELLING
7 ways to engage your
clients with storytelling
By Yamini Naidu
T
wo young goldfish were
swimming along when they met
an older fish, who said, ‘Morning,
boys. How’s the water?’ One of the
young goldfish looked over at the other
and said, ‘What the hell is water?’ The
late novelist David Foster Wallace,
shared this story to the 2005 graduating
class of Kenyon College, Ohio. It
illustrates how the most obvious,
important realities are often those that
are hardest to see. Wallace made an
effective and memorable point through
a simple but powerful story. There is
an important lesson here for finance
professionals who want to build loyal
relationships with their clients.
Storytelling is a tool for influence.
It creates connections between you
and your clients and inspires them to
action. We don’t use stories enough
in business. Because we are unsure
how to do this well. So here are seven
insights that will help you engage your
clients with storytelling.
What’s the point?
Business storytelling is defined as
storytelling with a purpose and for
results. Effective professionals are
always clear on the purpose, the
message of the story. That is because
humans are hard wired to tell stories.
We tell stories naturally. But the key
difference between storytelling in our
personal lives and in business, is the
8 ModernBusiness
September 2016
point you are making. To have impact in
business, you have to be crystal clear
about the message of your story. (It
could be even as short as the goldfish
story). Otherwise it’s like aiming an
arrow with no target: you are bound to
fall short of the mark.
Make data the hero
In business data is the hero and
story the supporting act. Yes, you
need to have the case study, the cost
benefit analysis, and the return on
investment figures. But most finance
professionals stop with the data. Data
on its own is not enough to persuade
your clients. Research tells us people
buy based on emotion and justify their
decision with the logic. In addition to
providing the data you have to have
compelling stories. Data appeals to the
head and stories appeal to the heart.
‘Stories are data with soul’ says Brené
Brown, American author and research
professor at the University of Houston.
Soulless data has few buyers.
Know your audience
At a recent networking event I was
introduced to an entrepreneur. When
asked who his target market was, he
replied ‘Anyone with a pulse!’. Not
identifying your audience is a guarantee
of failing in storytelling. A story has
to be right for your audience. For
example contrast what would appeal to
a young family buying their first home,
versus a recently retired baby boomer.
Darren Rowse, the founder of one of
the world’s most suc