Andy Neary argues your personal story is uncopyable in sales because people buy from people they know, like, and trust. Spend 5 to 15 minutes listing your hobbies, passions, and pivotal moments. Most people find 15 to 20 shareable stories they can use to teach lessons and win business.
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Hey, thank you for tuning into the Complete Game community today. I want to share with you the most powerful competitive advantage you will ever have. It's something your competition can never take from you. It's something they can never replicate or copy from you. What is it? It's your personal story.
Okay, so let's talk about why your personal story is so important. You see, here in 2021, we have entered what I like to call the human economy. Humans are buying from humans more today than they ever have been. People do not buy from logos on business cards. So you have got to let the human in you come out, and you have got to let your prospects get to know you. Whether it's standing on stage, talking to an audience full of your prospects in a proposal with one of your largest prospects, or when you're just going to put yourself out there on social media to let your target prospects get to know you. Remember, the sales formula is very simple. You have got to get people to know you. You've got to get people to like you, and you've got to get people to trust you. And your story is the most effective and the fastest way to get people to do that. So how do you develop your story? This is where so many insurance advisors get stuck. They say, andy, I know I got to share my story, but I don't have one. And this is where I push back. You see, everybody's got a story, including you. So how do you develop it? Very easy. I want you to take 5, 10, maybe 15 minutes this week and sit down, and I want you to think about the stories, things that have happened in your life that you could use to share and teach lessons with? So, number one, what are some hobbies, some sports, some passions you have that you would love to talk about and why you love them and what they mean to you and your life? Because sharing those is the best way to get your target prospects to connect with you. Because if you want to let people know that you love cycling like I do, and you put it out there, you share that story of what cycling means to you or why you partake in that hobby. You never know what cfo, what HR director is listening, who also loves cycling. You see, when you share stories around your passions, your hobbies, and your target prospects have very similar interests, it allows you two to get that much closer. Now, what about events, good or bad? What events have happened in your life that you could use that have altered who you are, that have shaped who you are today that you could use to talk about that have taught you a lesson that have changed you, that have created the individual we know today. Share those stories. You see, when you take the time to sit down and craft a story, your story, you are giving yourself the chance to connect with your prospects like you have never done before. Here's the problem. Most of our peers, whether they go on social media, they stand on stage, they're in a proposal, they feel like all they need to talk about or all they have to talk about is being that subject matter expert, why that individual is knowledgeable enough to earn the business, why the prospect should trust that individual, because they are so knowledgeable. You see, if you make the mistake and you don't let your prospects get to know you like I did for so long in my career, you're not giving yourself a chance to connect with the prospects. And at the end of the day, you're going to get that call saying, hey, thank you for your time, but we decided to go with the other broker. They may not be better than you, but we actually feel like we know him or her. You see, that's the power of the personal story. You have to figure out what your story is and you have to start sharing it. So my urge to you this week is I want you to sit down, I want you to take 5, 10, 15 minutes and I want you to write out what or make a list of those stories, those passions, those hobbies, those events, those people who have impacted your life. Because I promise, if you take that time, I guarantee you can come up with about 15 or 20 good stories that you can start sharing. But here's the key. Here's the key to sharing your story and the power of storytelling. If you're able to take your story, whether it's that hobby, that event that happened to that person who has impacted your life, and you can use that story to teach a lesson, to share a message that, that you know can impact every single one of your prospects. That is where the competitive advantage comes in. Why? Because now your prospect is seeing you right. They're getting to know you based on what you're sharing, that story you're sharing. They might even start liking you. And if you do it enough and share it consistently enough, they start trusting you. And in some cases, these are prospects that have never met you before. So that's my advice this week. This is this week's coaching video, is share the power of your story. Yes, you have one. It is the ultimate competitive advantage. Whether you are on stage, getting the chance to speak to an audience full of your prospects. You're in that proposal with your largest prospect. Or you're just trying to put yourself out there on social media, on platforms like LinkedIn, to connect with your target prospects. I promise your story is going to be the most effective way to get people to know you, like you and trust you. And you and I both know that is the best way to grow your business. So go make it happen. And if you need any help developing that story, you know where to find me. Take care.
