By Jonathan Moerbe, CEO and Master Coach, Rialto Academy
Everyone has a story to tell—what makes yours more compelling than theirs?
When planning this blog, I tried to think of an organization that doesn’t need to tell its story over and over—that doesn’t need to share its messaging with anyone. I ruled out all businesses: They have to reach their customers, after all. Places of worship need to be able to speak to their congregations and reach out to new people. Nonprofits have to share their message, raise funds, and find new volunteers and supporters. As much as I brainstormed, I couldn’t think of an organization that doesn’t need to communicate and re-communicate value to their consumers, followers, or sphere of influence.
Your sphere is the group of people you know—made up of individuals you know, or someone they know—who can help you with the mission of your business, whatever your business is. Your sphere can include friends, family members, neighbors, sports teammates, your kids’ teachers, former co-workers, high school classmates, and of course, your current and past clients.
Everyone has a story to tell—what makes yours more compelling than theirs?
If you want to grow your business, reaching out to your sphere is the single most important activity you can do. In fact, it’s the only way to dramatically grow your business. To do this, you must connect with your sphere and earn their mindshare on a consistent basis.
You have a story to tell. Everyone does. Yet it’s getting more difficult to stand out among all the people who are sharing messages. So where do we begin?
Be different, not just better.
When you’re reaching out to your sphere, it’s not enough to be better than those you’re competing with. It’s difficult to convey via email what makes your company better than the next company—especially in a manner that matters to people. If you’re 10% faster, or 5% cheaper, or 25% more creative, what are potential customers or clients supposed to do with that information? Is that enough to get someone to make a decision—to commit to you, or to abandon another relationship?
You have a limited amount of time to get someone’s attention—don’t spend it making people do math. Instead of making a case about why you’re better, focus on what makes you different. What’s your story? What do you do that no one else does? If others are zigging, how can you zag to get additional attention?
To really resonate with people, connect with their Head, Heart, and Hands better than anyone else.
HEAD: Help your sphere think differently about what you have to offer.
How are you helping people think differently? If you stay in your lane and do what’s expected, it’s hard to pass your competitors. Humans are built to make connections. “If I do this, that happens.” If you’re offering a new this, or a new that, let people know!
HEART: Share something that truly matters to your sphere—and to you.
The history of storytelling can be traced back to cave paintings—and the best stories are rooted firmly in emotions. There’s a reason why my wife cries during every Subaru commercial—the story makes her feel something that matters to her.
It can be tricky—faux emotion is easily sniffed out. Real emotion means you need to be vulnerable. Get on video and share what matters to you. Connect your company’s mission to something important. What mission do you have in common with your sphere that can start a conversation?
HANDS: Help your sphere play an active role in your story.
Are you leaving your connections with something to do? What’s the call to action that will matter to them? No matter how powerful or compelling your message, it may fade away without participation from your audience: Whether that’s something of value they can walk away with, or an action that leads them further down your sales pipeline, help your audience play an active role in your story.
Is it a number game, or a value game?
Sometimes nurturing and growing a sphere feels like a numbers game. In my experience, it’s far better to look at it as a value game. What can you do to improve people’s lives—even if they don’t become clients? How can you make the world a better place, one message at a time? It’s simple, really: The more people you help, the more successful your business will be.
How We Can Help
At Rialto Academy, we’re passionate about helping professionals in the home sales industry grow their businesses with both technology and good old-fashioned human connection. To that end, our new online course, “Grow Your Sphere,” offers solid techniques and strategies to power a referral database that gives off more business every year. Check it out here.