“Very few people like the truth and no one likes the naked truth” – Anonymous

Have you ever wondered why your presentations fall short of moving people to action?  Have you ever done a business or sales presentation — a pitch for your new product/service or to get investors for your new start-up — and few, if anyone, rushed up to you afterwards and asked “How do I sign up for that?”

You gave them all the information they would need to make a decision. You presented graphs and charts that showed significant benefits. You showed how much money and time they would save. You even outlined how much money they would make, and how. So what made your presentation fall short of the impact you wanted to make? What was missing?

Could it be that you failed to capture their imagination and their hearts?  Is it possible that they could not see themselves using your products or services or joining your business because you didn’t make it relevant to them by telling them a story? Perhaps this old fairytale can help.

Once Upon A Time…

There were two beautiful women, sisters named Truth & Story, who lived in a house at the end of a small village. One day, an argument arose between them.  After hours of debating which one of them was considered the most beautiful by the villagers, they decided on a contest. 

They would each take their turn walking from one end of the village to the other and back, and see who would attract the most attention and have the most of the villagers walk with them. Truth went first.

As Truth walked through the village, people who were on their lawns gardening, or having tea, went inside their homes and closed their doors.  Those who were looking out their windows, closed their shutters and retreated inside.  By the time she got to the end of the village there were only a few people left outside. What could she do?

Truth wanted to win the contest so she did the only thing she could think of.  She took off all her clothes and walked, completely naked, back through the village towards home. Instead of people coming out to see her, the remaining villagers who were outside, quickly went into their houses and closed their doors and shutters.

Truth walked back home, alone.  When she got home, her sister, Story asked her, “How did it go?”

“I can’t believe it,” said Truth, “no one wanted to walk with me.”

Now it was Story’s turn.  As she walked from home through the main street, all the villagers opened their windows and their doors. They streamed out to greet her. They walked with her from one end of the village to the other and accompanied her back to her door.

Truth was humbled.  She said to Story, “I am sorry. I have lost the contest. You were right all along. You are more beautiful.”

Story answered, “It’s not that I am more beautiful but very few people like the Truth. They definitely don’t like the Naked Truth.”

With that Story threw her beautiful multicolored cloak over the shoulders of Truth.  This time, when Truth walked through the village, all the people came out to walk with her and hear what she had to say.

Facts Tell & Stories Sell

We have heard this over and over again but we often revert to presenting facts, figures, graphs, and generally overloading people with naked information,  when with a beautiful mantle of a story, told with enthusiasm, we would create much more of an impact.

Build Trust

Stories speak, not just to our head, but to our hearts. They build trust and cement relationships. When we first start to present to an audience, the questions that are on their minds are, “Do I trust this person?” and “Can she help me?” Their hearts and minds are closed.

When you open up your presentation with a story, you immediately disarm your audience, allowing them to hear what you have to say with open minds and hearts.

Drayson Hendricks, changed his way of presenting by telling stories, instead of just providing the cold, hard facts, about the importance of having a strong, sound, financial investment portfolio. Because of this, his audience is more engaged, they ask more meaningful questions, he books more follow-up meetings, on the spot, and he closes more business.

Drayson says, “I use stories in every aspect of my sales process. Telling stories fires up the mind’s eye in a way that charts, graphs, and PowerPoint slides simply do not. It gets a client emotionally involved in the discussion.”

He recalls this quote by Benjamin Franklin, before he goes out to do his presentations, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.” 

Drayson has discovered that clients who learn, through a story, understand. “When they understand, then they make the best long-term clients and referrers,” he says.

A Challenge

For your next presentation, whether one to one or in front of a group of people, start with a story that is relevant to your audience. Notice what happens.

Want to follow my process as I work my way towards publishing my first book?  Please, like my posts and subscribe to my blog here. 

Faith Evan West will show you through the transformative power of coaching exactly how to build your unique unshakeable confidence, be the leader of choice to your ideal people & create the work and lifestyle you want.