With Kim Houlahan

Nothing inspires like a story.

People have been captivated by stories since the beginning of time. It is the very reason that any one of us will get lost in a good book or binge on Netflix. 

Storytelling is essential to our human existence, it helps us draw a connection to the things around us while also appealing to our intrinsic emotions.

When it comes to business storytelling, it’s a highly effective strategy that is so often overlooked. Let’s take some familiar ones for example: like the rise of Apple’s enigmatic Steve Jobs or how The Kardashians got their start. By telling the ‘whole story’ you tap into your audience’s emotions and genuinely connect with them. Your story makes you memorable and can lead your potential customers into believing in your product and/or service and what it stands for, gently encouraging them to buy.

Every company has a story to tell, and if your business can’t properly convey its story, your products likely won’t have as much appeal to your audience.

To perfect your story, my friend, professional storyteller and business coach Kim Houlahan is here today with some tips to get your creative storytelling juices flowing. Kim talks about the easy strategies you can use to get started with your own business storytelling. She does a phenomenal job in her own business!

So if the word storytelling for your business makes you squirm a little, you’re in good hands today.

Without further ado, let’s dig in to how you can begin to tell those captivating stories for your business.

In this episode, Kim talks about:

• Kim's incredible and unique offer for her clients. 3:01
• Navigating insecurity and her formula for sharing personal stories with confidence. 5:09
• Kim’s own story! The career path that led her here. 7:23
• Tangible steps that you can take today to achieve success in setting goals and measuring the results. 11:12
• The art of focusing on fewer channels and being consistent. 16:07
• Her thoughts on changing marketing abilities on social platforms. 18:18
• The power of a response, what you should and shouldn't respond to. 20:02
• DIY marketing coaching resource. 21:00
• Results that clients can expect when following the process. 22:53

Marketing your business is like a marriage, you got to get your house in order. First you gotta get your strategy and your planning done, figure out who your ideal customer is, pricing, branding, all that stuff. That's the wedding. And then there's the marriage, and you have to keep that house in order. And this is where I think people struggle. It's not boring. But people might think of it as being boring. It's consistent. It's where you do your email marketing, your social media, your podcasts, your blogging, your phone calls, your sprinkling, whatever you're doing, to keep that steady rhythm going in your communications. That's the marriage.

Kim Houlahan

So what’s the moral of this story today? It’s this: Storytelling isn’t just for marketing. The benefits extend well beyond a simple ad. I hope after today’s episode you have begun to think about how you can weave YOUR story into your own business narrative to draw a connection with your fans, pepper it throughout your social posts and your website, arm your sales reps with the story of your brand’s founding, or let your customers use your unique story to attract new customers. After all, a good story is fun to tell. It makes us feel like we are part of something. And, it’s addicting. It’s why we binge netflix and leaves your fans wanting more. So please, never underestimate the power of a good business story.

To connect with Kim or to find any other resources mentioned in today’s episode, please visit the shownotes at kellylawson.ca/055.

And until next time workshop warrior, I can’t wait to hear  your business story so I can draw a deeper connection with you, too. So get out there and shout it from the hilltops.

Until next week, bye for now.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Just Get Out There - Blog

Connect with Kim

www.thehoulahangroup.com/

www.instagram.com/kimhoulahan/

www.facebook.com/thehoulahangroup/

www.linkedin.com/in/kimhoulahan/

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Click here for the transcribed version of this podcast.