Think back to the most important lessons you learned as a child, how were they taught? Was it a lecture? Trial and error? Completion of training? NO!
You were told stories to teach powerful and important lessons.
Hard work was taught by the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf. Finding balance was taught by Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Integrity was taught by the Boy Who Cried Wolf. Stories are the foundation of how we make decisions.
What’s stopping you from selling your story?
If you want people to attend your classes, they need more than just a bulleted list of benefits. Don’t get me wrong, this is useful. It will be enough to secure some business. But I don’t think you came to me because you do the bare minimum. YOU DO MORE!
Truth → Stories are how we make sense of things.
Let’s revisit the fairytales from childhood. Were they a list of the benefits of hard work, integrity, or balance? NO! That’s because if you give a kid a bulleted list their eyes will glaze over. They learn nothing. Children enjoy the personal element of a story. It sticks with them.
Truth → Not much has changed when it comes to how we absorb information.
Deep down we’re not much different than children. We all enjoy a good story. Stories liven up the dinner table, break room and everywhere in between. If you want to fill your studio, create a story around what you do.
I’m not talking about a lengthy post about your past, I’m talking about something targeted to your audience. Let your potential members know how their lives will be different with yoga by telling them how yours is. Get fired up about WHY you do yoga and share that message!
It’s time to discover YOUR story.
Don’t panic, you don’t have to live up to the Three Little Pigs or Goldilocks. But, we can still learn lessons from these famous tales… People will listen to your story if you put it out there. Make it valuable and align it with the purpose of your business.
Truth → Your story has value.
These stories have a shared purpose – teaching a valuable lesson to a child. The first step to finding your story is asking what is your studio’s purpose? It can be a multitude of things: stress relief, weight loss, increasing fitness and flexibility. Tell a story you want people to associate with your business. If it is meaningful, they’ll remember.
A good story will spark emotion in the reader. When we think of large communities they have some sort of story of how they came about. Think of a community you belong to. Is there a story that you and the other members emotionally connect to? How did it bring you together?
Truth → Communities have beliefs around their common story.
Bikram yoga is a large yoga community. The base concept of bikram is that heat and breathing techniques allow you to stretch deeper and become in tune with your body. That factual definition doesn’t really spark emotion, so why did so many people join? Because the members have shared experiences.
People share personal testimonies of healing. Others share stories about stress relief and the amazing feeling after a class. When people put their stories out there, others align with their experience. Have you created a story for your studio? What are members aligning their experience with? If not, people will create their own – outside of your control…
Stories Unify People.
If you don’t have a story yet, IT’S OK. In fact, it’s better this way. It’s important that you get this right. If you storytell correct the first time, you won’t have to change the way people already view your studio.
Did you already write your testimony? That’s OK too! Is it doing all that it can? You can reinvent it and generate more business for your studio. LET’S DO THIS!
Truth → You can control the narrative and align it with your beliefs.
I have a unique and effective way to curate your story. Even if you think it isn’t special enough to attract others, I bet it is! Join me and the YC as we use storytelling to change our business.
You need a story! For help creating a lasting and effective story your studio can sell, join a FREE Strategy Session with me.
