#storytelling #BuildYourBrand #EverybodyHasAStory
So you are just a working stiff. You don’t need to worry about building a brand.
In fact, we probably all engage in some form of brand-building no matter where we are in life. We build ourselves into the person we want to be, which, in essence, is building your own brand.
Adrienne Weiss and Greg Weiss talk about three breakthrough secrets in their little book, “Brand Buzz.” Their secrets, the book says, are storytelling, club making and country building.
For those who are not professional marketers, we’ll focus on storytelling.
The art of telling one’s story has really come into vogue. We used to compile resumes with facts – what we did, when we did it, what titles we’d held etc. But lots of recruiting and human resources experts today encourage applicants to include stories (short ones, preferably) in their resumes.
A job title may have meant something to you, and those who worked with you, but it means very little to the prospective employer, whose organization probably has different titles for different positions.
So, the experts advise to tell a story about your experience at your past employer. For example, tell what action you may have taken to save the company money, or to boost productivity. Be as specific as you can, i.e. “Because I did this, our department was able to save the equivalent of 30 percent of its budget. “
OK, admittedly some working stiffs can’t say that. Sometimes, you have to tailor your story to what you did. Maybe you can highlight your attendance record. “I took only three sick days in my five years at the company,” would be an example.
Or, “On most days, I reported to work early and left after my shift was over. I never left a task undone for the next shift.”
Sometimes, we have to think about our story before we tell it. Anyone can make widgets, but could anyone do it with the speed and quality that you can?
These days, too, stories become more important. Employers don’t often take the time to call references. Or, if they do, the reference may be under orders to say only that you worked there, from date X to date Y, for fear of a lawsuit or some other type of retaliation.
In other words, you have to blow your own horn by telling your own story.
How one casts a story is as important as the facts in the story. You can spell out the results of your actions with dramatic flair, instead of listing a bunch of boring tasks that you had accomplished.
So, after reading this, do you still believe you don’t have a story to tell?
Are you still in search of that vehicle that will give you a great story? If you’d like to hear about one of the best vehicles to create a great, potentially very prosperous story, message me. Even the most ordinary of working stiffs can potentially not only create a great story, and the resulting potential prosperity, but help others do the same.
Remember, facts ARE important. You want your story to be TRUE. But how you incorporate the facts of your career into a great story can help you build that personal brand that is YOU. It’s not a matter of modesty. Though we love to have other people tell our story, no one can tell your story as well as you.
So, shout it from the rooftops. Tell your story with pride. Impress those prospective employers, customers etc. If you need help crafting your story, message me.
The worst stories are the ones that are never told.
Peter