Stories are how we learn about history, people, and even businesses. Poorly told stories are forgettable and hard to connect with, but we rarely think about investing in the stories we tell as entrepreneurs. When we don’t clearly communicate our company’s brand and message, we miss huge opportunities. Even a simple networking introduction can turn into thousands of dollars of business and long-lasting business relationships.

In TREPX Podcast Episode 66, host Micky Deming talks to The Campfire Effect Founder Chris Smith. “We teach entrepreneurs and their teams how to tell their story in a really powerful way so they can do three things,” says Chris. According to Chris, those three things are:

• Get More Clients

• Build a Stronger Culture

• Make More of an Impact

Could something as simple as a story really bring in more clients, help internally with culture, and assist the business in making a bigger impact? Absolutely, but it doesn’t come to each of us naturally. “Very rarely do entrepreneurs invest in knowing how to tell their story more powerfully, and it’s the one thing they have to do every single day for the rest of their life,” says Chris. We have many opportunities to explain what we do for a living, but it’s rare for us entrepreneurs to work to perfect our response to this question.

When looking at perfecting something, like our story, we need a goal first. “The goal of storytelling is to be able to tell your story in a way that is so clear and so powerful that the person you told your story to can immediately go and re-share and re-tell it to someone else,” says Chris. Making a story easy to connect with and easy to share increases the impact of the story, making it a force that can drive growth for your business.

As we all know, stories are powerful…when they are used appropriately and given the proper time and care when crafted. Smith believes that there are five forces of entrepreneurial storytelling.

• Who You Are: “First, you have to tell people a little about who you are. You don’t have to give them your life’s narrative or your life history, but like for me, for example, I tell people ‘Hey, I’m a fifth generation native of Arizona. My family came to Arizona in 1877. I grew up in a ranching/rodeo family. I have a really deep connection to my roots. I was fascinated with storytelling as a small child, growing up around cowboy storytellers. You know, my wife is my hero; she’s always believed in me and my four kids are my best friends. Right? That’s a little bit about who I am.’”

• What You Do: “You’ve got to tell people what you do,” says Chris, who also says that this is where most people go wrong and that your explanation has to pass four filters. “It should be clear. It should be succinct. It should be thought-provoking and most importantly it should deliver a benefit.”

• Why You Do It: Why we do what we do can differentiate us from the competition. “If I’m talking to a prospective client and another consultant that’s talking to a prospective client that does something similar to me, all things being equal, it’s whoever that person has the strongest connection to their “why” is who they’re going to do business with,” says Chris. Were you put on this earth to do what you do? Or, maybe you struggled with the pain that you are now solving with your business. This is important information that will help you build a relationship and trust with clients. “That’s why I do this. It’s because I’m tired of seeing entrepreneurs who are so much more powerful than their story that they tell people,” says Chris.

• How You Do It: Chris Smith says the fourth force of storytelling for entrepreneurs is the most misunderstood of all. “How we actually get the result for most of us is pretty unique, but because we don’t brand it, we don’t know how to articulate the ‘how,’” says Chris. He recommends branding your process and finding simple ways to explain it to prospective customers.

• Social Proof: Testimonials are powerful, which is why we see them on nearly every website trying to sell a product or service.

Do you have a success story you could share in person? If possible, use examples of how your product or service helped someone similar to the person or company you’re marketing or speaking to. By showing them the success of others, they can clearly see how you can help them similarly.

Looking to harness the power of your story? Listen to the full episode and visit CampfireEffect.com/success. For more great TREPX Podcast episodes, visit TREPXGroup.com/podcasts.

Our Favorite Quotes from Chris Smith in TREPX Podcast Episode 66

• “A lack of clarity promotes a lack of accountability”

• “The word “brand” in branding has been so ubiquitously used and it means so many different things to so many different people that the term brand has really lost a lot of its meaning and it’s watered down.”

• “Growth is found in your roots.”

• “I believe that so many entrepreneurs are more powerful than the story they are telling.”

• “When we talk about “brand”, your brand is what you stand for. It’s the soul of who you are.”

• “So our brand drives culture. Our brand drives sales.  Our brand drives the customer experience.”

About Chris Smith: What do you want to be known for? This question is one of great importance to Chris Smith. Each day, he asks entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes this question to help them rethink their approach to cultivating life-changing stories within their businesses.

Chris describes himself as a “cowboy, entrepreneur, speaker, brand expert, story strategist, husband and most importantly, a dad.” To discover more of what Chris has to say and how to refine your messaging and story, visit TheCampireEffect.com.