How to Tell Your Story

Last week I had the pleasure of hearing Mike Wittenstein, CEO of Storyminers give a presentation on How to Tell Your Story. He specializes in helping businesses define and amplify how their customers see them but this can apply to individuals as well. Here are my notes from the program:

Expressing Yourself:
-identify, control, amplify. What is your vibe you put out?
-You can’t tell others your story; they will create from their perspective
-It is important that you be different. Different means preferred, better for your audience. Your story starts with how you’re different
3 steps:
1. Ask for testimonials - in an email, on LinkedIn, recommendations, etc.
-People will tell us who we are in their eyes. What themes continually pop up? Capture “turns of phrase” and understand the words they use. Learn to see yourself as others do
-use that to say “some of my clients say that I am ___." Or “one of my past colleagues said that I am __.”
-get 2 dozen testimonials
2. Create a Reason for Being
-this is your North Star, why you wake up. Where is your focus, passion?
a)WHO do you serve? Characterization of target audience. Who is your customer? State in their words
b) what OUTCOME do you deliver? What does someone value? Ex, what activity
c) HOW do you do it?
Mike's example: I help people in business. I help them tell their most important story. I capture patterns/experiences that connect them to their audience.
3. Record a friendly interview (not a Matt Lauer interview)
Ask amazing questions. Ex. Who is your hero? What are your ideas, values? What’s your reason for being? What motivates you, makes you tick? When to follow vs when to lead? Lead up to focus, help them focus their strengths. Take the tape recorder and turn it around. See what/how they tell their story. How do they interpret your story? Practice over and over. Fresh feedback.

Final Notes:
-think about "What does the work I do look like?" Create an experience that other person discovers is uniquely you. Read between the lines; what do you remember most? Plant nuances. What would you tell another person about me/him/her?
-Control: Is not possible. Own your presence, profile. Be consistent everywhere. Check yourself out.
-Amplify: share your story. Be consistent and be everywhere (Bio, Resume, twitter, blog, website, mktg plan, etc). Work your passions and discipline. Find yourself and share info properly. Create your own sales team. 10 tell 10. Loose connections and connectors (Malcolm Gladwell)
-Don’t stick your head in the sand. What floats your boat, makes you DIFFERENT and BETTER.

Go through these exercises, discover this, and you are on your way.