JEREMYCWILSON.COM

What story are you telling?

That’s what really matters. Not the facts and logic that you keep giving to people all day.

The last job you applied to. Your pitch for you new startup. Your application to graduate school. It usually comes down to story.

Think about it.  More often than not, you can’t make people do things. But you can tell them a story. One that gets under their skin. And one that makes them remember that you are the obvious choice.

In the job application you recently submitted.  Does your life story fit with who the company needs to hire? The schools, past jobs, and recommendations? What they need RIGHT NOW.

The homeless person asking for money at Starbucks. Does the way they ask tell you something about their life story that makes you feel compelled that they can turn things around?

Your business school friend who just asked you to invest in her new venture. Does the mission reach you at your core?

Unfortunately, the answer to these questions is usually no. Because we usually focus on facts and tactics. That’s why consultants refine slides and lawyers draft memos and marketers estimate market size over and over.  These things often don’t work because they fail to reallly convey the story that needs to be told.

I propose the idea that rather than spend so much time thinking about those things, instead we focus more on the story.  One that’’s not only compelling but one that also resonates with things your audience already believe in.

So. What story are you telling today?