There are 8 billion people in our world and this number is growing every second. Not to mention that our world is becoming increasingly complex – problems are harder to solve and require more time. Technology has provided lucrative business opportunities and newer pain points to address. More noise exists than ever before.
Breaking through the clutter requires rethinking how you communicate with others. If successful, you can stand out from the rest and achieve success. This is where storytelling comes into play.
But how do you know if you should work with a storytelling coach? Here are the top 3 signs based on feedback from past clients.
1. You’re having trouble standing out on job applications and interviews.
You want to make a strong impression. At the same time, it is getting harder these days to stand out from the pack. The best way for you to distance yourself is to convey a memorable story about your past experiences and how that will translate to a specific role. Interviewers typically ask candidates questions such as, “Tell me about yourself?”. Many candidates will walk through their resumes and describe their experiences – because most candidates respond this way, it will be harder for you to stand out. Your interviewer wants to hear your story, who you are, and how you communicate your value-add. 2. You’re looking for more career advancement opportunities
After you serve in a role for some time, it is natural to get complacent. You may be unsure what skills you need to develop and how to master them. According to a McKinsey & Company study of 18,000 businesses across 150 countries, storytelling is a ‘foundational’ skill for executives and leaders in the next decade.
Storytelling is a powerful vehicle to unite people, inspire and motivate through adversity, and build a strong community of customers, suppliers, and partners. As you advance in your career from individual contributor to middle management to senior management, leadership skills such as storytelling will become more of a requirement. It can touch many types of professional skills:
Leadership
Critical thinking
Planning
Communication
Mental aptitude
Relationship building and teamwork
Self-awareness
Entrepreneurship
Drive
3. You want to become a more effective communicator
There could be a handful of reasons why you want to improve your communication skills. It could be that you are afraid of public speaking. It could be that you don’t know what words to communicate. It could be that your audiences are responding how you want.
Storytelling will naturally improve your communication skills. In the process, you will gain more confidence in yourself and the message you’re trying to convey. You will focus more on the clarity of the messaging and delivering that message to your audience. Like any skill, the more you practice, the more comfortable it will become. At first, it may seem like you’re living outside your comfort zone, which is a good sign. The best and fastest way to grow is to do things that fall outside your comfort zone.
To summarize, all three signs share one relevant similarity. They are all tied directly to your BRAND. Your brand is yours. You have direct control over it. It is your investment. The actions you take today will have an impact on your future brand value. It takes time to build brand equity as well as consistency. The sooner you start developing your brand, the quicker you will see a return on that investment.
Are you ready to invest in your success?
David Ghodsizadeh is the founder and storytelling coach at Storytelling 4 Success.
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