Your Origin Story: The Foundation of Your Business
Your business’ success will depend on the communication you have with your customers. They should be able to relate to you and feel that you share their values. One way to accomplish this is through your origin story. If you do nothing else, this is the one key story that you should have.
Your origin story is the story of how you came to be. It describes the events that led to you establishing your business. It conveys your values and the challenges you faced to get where you are. It makes your business memorable and personal.
An important element of your origin story is your core values. These are the reasons why your business exists. It shows the deeper purpose behind all you do, which is usually a purpose your audience shares. Think about your why. Ask “Why am I doing this?” This is an essential ingredient to your origin story.
Every great story has a conflict, and every business has faced a challenge they have had to overcome. The story of how you dealt with this problem and came upon a solution can deeply affect your audience. This creates the classic story arc where the hero (you) goes from peace to conflict and then back to peace when the conflict is resolved.
A great business story is specific. It doesn’t use vague fillers. It tells the audience exactly how you grew your business and overcame your obstacles. If there are facts or figures that are relevant, add them. Name products or services you have developed that helped you grow. More than anything, avoid the sales pitches and being generic.
Origin stories only work when they’re authentic. Show your personality through your writing and don’t be afraid of being vulnerable. The whole point is to build a genuine connection with your audiences, so don’t shy away from revealing your weak points and failures. You become more relatable.
Your origin story gives you a great opportunity to demonstrate your expertise. What do you do uniquely well compared to your competitors or industry peers? Showcase your natural strengths in a positive light through your story, and this will help to build a relationship with your customers.
How do you know if your story will work or not? Success with telling your story is achieved through trial and error. Start working on ideas and writing stories that you can use wherever you engage your audience. You’ll quickly learn what works and what doesn’t.
Before long, you’ll be a master of your story.
Do you have an origin story?
Check out my free course, "Let's Talk About Telling Stories!" to help you start crafting stories about your business.
Let's Talk About Telling Stories in Business
Discover the Fastest Way to Consistent Business Growth by Using Stories in Your Business.
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Steve Black
My passion is to help small businesses get access to the systems, tools and resources to help them get better referrals, better customers and have better businesses.
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