Best Stories Are Not a Necessarily a Good Tactic
Do you work from the best stories? Do you ask someone how they attained a promotion, got the job, or closed the sale?
When you ask someone about their success, they’ll often have a story.
Many stories get embellished over time. The fish gets bigger and the near loss of it because the line nearly broke, twice.
It is a part of human nature.
On the other side, sometimes people are more modest or humble. They may claim they got lucky, had an easier time of it, or knew someone who knew someone.
On the luck side, there may be some truth. However, when luck isn’t managed properly can still result in a bad situation.
Best Stories
When you go to the conference, you’ll likely hear a few stories.
Stories of success, stories of failure that led to success, and stories of how easy it is if just follow this method.
People have been embellishing stories for many centuries.
What is the worst thing you can do?
Likely it may be chasing the shiny object or trying to emulate the story you’ve just been told. Is the story replicable? Has the person who delivered the story embellished the ease, the cost, or the commitment requirements?
Get rich quickly. Sell this product to a bunch of people and then they’ll sell it to a bunch of people and you’ll collect a little bit from each sale. Does that work?
It often sounds attractive on the surface, but underneath, somewhere in that chain, you’re not only a vendor but you’re also the customer. You’re often in the middle of nothing. When your efforts no longer provide value (since a commodity product has widespread availability) you’re not needed anymore.
Listen carefully to the best stories. Ask yourself if it is replicable, can it be done over and over again, or was it a rare circumstance with very unique properties? Will it work for your market? Do you completely understand your market?
When someone tells their best story, don’t miss the question-and-answer segment.
-DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
