Good stories open doors

Storytelling is huge for business

What if you could increase your sales $80 million over last year’s numbers simply by adding more personal information about you, your company, and your products? “Hogwash!” you say? Not according to the January issue of Entrepreneur® magazine.

In her article titled “What’s Your Story?” author Jennifer Wang explains that consistently articulating a personal or company history through products, services, and branding generates customer loyalty and can make a company stand out in relation to its competitors.

However, a quick scan of corporate websites reveals that a large number are still not effectively using their web presence to tell their story. Many companies don’t use their “About Us” page to make an emotional connection to their customers, partners, and investors, instead listing products or services or simply describing the “cold, hard facts” of the company’s history. The problem with this approach is that cold, hard facts mean little to consumers who want to identify with a company’s brand and feel good about their purchases.

“These days, corporate-weary customers…want to know the story of what they’re buying, who is selling it and what causes it may support. In a business landscape where success hinges on establishing a personal connection with customers and investors, the “About Us” page has become prime real estate,” Wang writes.

But companies shouldn’t stop there. Telling a product’s story can be just as important as telling the company’s story. Just ask Stauer, the Minnesota-based jewelry and watch retailer that saw the $80 million increase in sales from 2010 to 2011. Check out Stauer’s website for product descriptions that relay the history of the product’s design.

Owner Mike Bisceglia reminds us that although companies may know and love their own products, customers still need to be “romanced” into purchasing. How? By telling the story of the product’s design, history, or origin or of its eco-friendly and sustainable materials.

Having been “romanced” into buying the Pet Rock, we can relate to that.

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