Okay, so let’s get the premise down first.
(If you know me, you’ll have heard me say this before.)
And here it is! We are all storytellers.
Think about it; we are constantly telling the stories of our lives. How you met your partner, where you ate dinner last night, what vacation you’ve just been on or the next one you are planning. Every day in every way, we tell stories! But here’s the thing, the stories are completely subjective. We choose everything about them; the characters, where they take place, the plot, the journey. And then we call it reality and assume it kind of fell upon us, we had nothing to do with it!
Well, the truth is, our stories define our reality. And that’s incredibly exciting. Why? Because, we can tell our stories in many ways, so yes, we can recreate our reality. And make it bigger and better than we ever imagined.
How cool is that!
And that leads me to Story Coaching; it’s the most exciting, innovative way to coach, and it’s so instinctive, you’ll realize you’ve been doing it forever!
(To learn how to do it professionally and get ICF accredited, scroll down for more details!).
So, here are the 4 Storytelling Secrets that Every Coach Should Know –
1. We get seriously committed to our stories, even the bad ones. Next time you find yourself talking in terms of limitations, self-doubt, uncertainty or fear, you can bet there’s an old outdated story you’re still telling yourself.
2. Contrary to popular belief (and the teachings of certain Coaching schools), our clients stories are NOT a distraction, a way of avoiding getting down to the serious business of coaching. They are the key to who they are and what is preventing them from reaching their full potential.
3. Telling a Story is the absolute BEST WAY to create trust. Of course, I’m talking about the real thing, our authentic story (I call it ‘the story of you’). People can smell authenticity a mile away, they’ll know when you’re telling the real thing!
4. Your Story is Your Success. When you can articulate who you are and what you do (that means, tell your story) in an interesting, compelling way, you attract ideal clients. Your business is transformed and marketing becomes fun (really!!).
So, next time you’re wondering, what can I do to grow my business and really make a transformational change in how you show up, find out more about storytelling. There are a ton of free resources out there, and I’d love to help you learn more!
What’s the one thing you’d love to know RIGHT NOW?
Ask the question or leave a comment HERE.
Best wishes and best stories
Lisa
Hello, I would be very interested to know how do you go about telling the story? How do you create the story for someone to be interested enough to listen. Thank you, I look forward to your comment.
That’s a great question Bronwyn and one that I think I try to answer alot in this space. In (very!) short, I think authenticity is a crucial ingredient, and telling about something you care about yourself. This two elements are really important when you start to tell a story. If you believe it and find it interesting, your audience will too! Best wishes, Lisa
I’ve been asked several times to tell my weight loss story. How do I change things up so that it’s not the same on every site it’s shared?
Hi Cassi, focus in on a particular moment – they are always the strongest stories …and usually we have many of these ‘pivotal moments’ so the story always stays fresh. Good luck and best wishes, Lisa