Are You Telling a Story?

[somarco]

How are you connecting with your prospects? Are they engaged in what you are saying or is it more like the teacher in a Charlie Brown cartoon.

Consider this.

We all enjoy a good story, whether it's a novel, a movie or simply the description of an experience shared by a friend. Stories put our whole brain to work, not just parts of it. We feel more engaged when hearing narratives and we remember them more. What gets remembered becomes top of mind.

Is there someone you know that everyone refers to as "the computer guy"? Or maybe you've heard something like "I need to see that car-repair guy" or "You know that woman--the birthday-cake lady?" These labels stuck because these people did more than just start their job or career and get to work. They gained icon status (even locally) by creating what's known in marketing circles as top-of-mind awareness.

How do you create top of mind awareness? Are you that insurance guy or gal?

If not, then why?

 

[goillini52]

How are you connecting with your prospects? Are they engaged in what you are saying or is it more like the teacher in a Charlie Brown cartoon.

Consider this.

We all enjoy a good story, whether it's a novel, a movie or simply the description of an experience shared by a friend. Stories put our whole brain to work, not just parts of it. We feel more engaged when hearing narratives and we remember them more. What gets remembered becomes top of mind.

Is there someone you know that everyone refers to as "the computer guy"? Or maybe you've heard something like "I need to see that car-repair guy" or "You know that woman--the birthday-cake lady?" These labels stuck because these people did more than just start their job or career and get to work. They gained icon status (even locally) by creating what's known in marketing circles as top-of-mind awareness.

How do you create top of mind awareness? Are you that insurance guy or gal?

If not, then why?

Good stuff Bob. We can be the "insurance guy", or we can be...........

 

[somarco]

Something about the story resonated with me as I was looking for ways to connect and reconnect with my audience for 2017. Every year about this time I look back at what worked, what didn't and consider changes.

Actually they are probably tweaks, not changes.

Story telling has been around for literally hundreds of years. Much of our history started out as story telling before it was committed to paper. Most of the Bible consisted of stories passed from one generation to another before someone finally wrote it down in scrolls.

I can repeat stories I have heard or read but will be hard pressed to cite facts and numbers.

Just now while responding I remember hearing an agent that was very well known in Atlanta. First an agent with Home Life then General Agent before retiring. Unfortunately his name escapes me but he was honored at a luncheon years ago. Very dry wit.

He told a little bit about his history as an agent with Home. As I recall he said his first year in the business (pick a year, something like 1943) he made $547.

When a young agent remarked that in 1943 $547 was a lot of money, his response was, "$547 was NEVER a lot of money".

He was one of the few insurance agents I have ever heard speak that I actually enjoyed listening to and took his message to heart.

 

[rousemark]

The most interesting preachers are those that lace their sermons with stories to illustrate their message.

 

[goillini52]

Something about the story resonated with me as I was looking for ways to connect and reconnect with my audience for 2017. Every year about this time I look back at what worked, what didn't and consider changes.

Actually they are probably tweaks, not changes.

Story telling has been around for literally hundreds of years. Much of our history started out as story telling before it was committed to paper. Most of the Bible consisted of stories passed from one generation to another before someone finally wrote it down in scrolls.

I can repeat stories I have heard or read but will be hard pressed to cite facts and numbers.

Just now while responding I remember hearing an agent that was very well known in Atlanta. First an agent with Home Life then General Agent before retiring. Unfortunately his name escapes me but he was honored at a luncheon years ago. Very dry wit.

He told a little bit about his history as an agent with Home. As I recall he said his first year in the business (pick a year, something like 1943) he made $547.

When a young agent remarked that in 1943 $547 was a lot of money, his response was, "$547 was NEVER a lot of money".

He was one of the few insurance agents I have ever heard speak that I actually enjoyed listening to and took his message to heart.

Hahaha, when I 1st got in the business I was told that if you didn't have a story(like for a nursing home or hospital stay)....borrow one, or make one up. I come from a long line of "story tellers" on my dad's side, so that was never a problem.

I'm sure that by now, you only require a mild tweaking each year Bob. You don't want to change what works.

 

[WillC]

The Computer Guy or the Car Repair Guy or the Insurance Guy have earned Trusted Advisor Status. Stories may be part of the interaction with prospects and clients, but they make their own stories by excellent handling of the entire client experience from first encounter through presentation through welcome/onboard and throughout the client relationship. There was a car sales guy in my town, years ago, who made 5 times more than the next nearest sales person. Why? He was the go-to-guy for finding the right car; and he received a constant flow of well-deserved referrals.

 

[LostDollar]

The most interesting preachers are those that lace their sermons with stories to illustrate their message.

The salacious details of the church split over carpet colour.

 

[rousemark]

The salacious details of the church split over carpet colour.

Those are not interesting or entertaining stories. Those are sadly shameful accounts of Christians falling far short of the goal.

 

[kgmom219]

Something about the story resonated with me as I was looking for ways to connect and reconnect with my audience for 2017. Every year about this time I look back at what worked, what didn't and consider changes.

Actually they are probably tweaks, not changes.

Story telling has been around for literally hundreds of years. Much of our history started out as story telling before it was committed to paper. Most of the Bible consisted of stories passed from one generation to another before someone finally wrote it down in scrolls.

I can repeat stories I have heard or read but will be hard pressed to cite facts and numbers.

Just now while responding I remember hearing an agent that was very well known in Atlanta. First an agent with Home Life then General Agent before retiring. Unfortunately his name escapes me but he was honored at a luncheon years ago. Very dry wit.

He told a little bit about his history as an agent with Home. As I recall he said his first year in the business (pick a year, something like 1943) he made $547.

When a young agent remarked that in 1943 $547 was a lot of money, his response was, "$547 was NEVER a lot of money".

He was one of the few insurance agents I have ever heard speak that I actually enjoyed listening to and took his message to heart.

I love this.

But I am also willing to put good money on that you are closing 95% or better of everyone you get in front of.

 

[somarco]

you are closing 95% or better of everyone you get in front of.

Can't say, since I am never in front of them . . .