How to Tell Your Company’s Story
We live in a culture that values each other’s stories, as they allow us to understand each other on a deeper level. For example, we are all able to empathize with the plight of a homeless person because we have willingly shared our own stories with someone else. And what is the most effective way to connect with a potential client? By sharing our own story, of course.
Why Should We Share Our Company’s Story?
It isn’t easy to understand who you are as an organization without a clear idea of where you are headed. There are a variety of methods of communicating your vision, but none are better than a story.
A story is a logical, linear explanation of how your product or service works and why it is important. Stories are also a means of explaining how you will make a positive difference in your customers’ lives. A story tells your customers what they will gain by buying from you, not what they will gain by not buying from you.
Your company’s story is your legacy. It is the great untold story of how you came to be and the incredible achievements you’ve made. It’s the story of your business, and it’s the story of your life.
How Should You Tell and Share Your Company’s Story?
You already have your message and your values. Now you need to create a story that will help you connect with your customers and potential investors. The key to a successful story is authenticity. You could share your company’s history, or maybe tell them how you came up with your idea. However, it’s also important to share WHY you do what you do and what makes your product unique.
If you’re building a company, telling your story is crucial to establishing a meaningful connection with your audience. How do you go about telling your story?
Here are the following tips on how you can best deliver your company’s story:
- It’s all about authenticity. You already have your message and your values. Now you need to create a story that will help you connect with your customers and potential investors. The key to a successful story is authenticity. You could share your company’s history, or maybe tell them how you came up with your idea. However, it’s also important to share WHY you do what you do and what makes your product unique.
- Be on the same page. While companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook have a unique value proposition, many companies struggle to define that value and build a compelling value story that people can relate to. And, while we encourage you to share your unique story, it’s still important that everyone at your company be on the same page. A company’s vision is a core element of its identity. If you want to communicate your vision effectively to employees, prospects, and investors, you can’t just talk about it. You have to demonstrate — by setting, communicating, and living it — that your company is on the same page as you. You have to make sure that everyone at your company understands and is committed to what you’re doing and why.
- Give your company a voice. A brand’s voice is not the voice of the CEO. It’s the voice of the employees who actually deliver your products and services to your customers. This requires a level of trust and collaboration that doesn’t come easy, and that’s why so many companies struggle to effectively communicate their values and mission to their employees and customers.
In a nutshell, the core value of any company is what it stands for. Having a statement of purpose for the company helps people understand what the company is all about, and it also helps people feel more connected to the company. Being authentic and personable are good ways to express your core value in a compelling way, but your core value is more than a catchphrase or a catchy tagline.
Storytelling Tidbits
When you tell your company’s story, you’re not just telling it to the customers and prospects but to the other stakeholders in your organization. These are your employees, the people who make your company run. To make sure they’re listening, it’s important to make the story once but tell it differently to each type of stakeholder.
For a company, telling its story is a way to define its value and communicate it to a potential customer. It is also often the beginning of the end for a business. The benefits of telling a compelling story are many, including strengthening your brand, gaining a competitive advantage, increasing sales, and building loyal customers.