Anyone walking by the conference room at BizRev yesterday would have wondered what sort of meeting would be discussing cannabis muffins, crucifixes, and Roman businessmen’s correspondence about chickpeas.
We were actually in there for the opening session of a new series of networking and training events, which I had the thrill to lead.
Jim and James are calling it BizRev 2020, and I get to say I was there at the start: 20 minutes of training, 20 minutes of application, and finishing up by networking over coffee or even lunch. A kind of Brain Food with Friends, if you like.
We were a small but meaningful group. And I use the word ‘meaningful’ on purpose, because in this session we were looking at how entrepreneurs just like us each has our own story to tell. It’s this story that distinguishes our individual businesses from the competition, so it’s really important to identify it, and spread it.
And it’s good fun too – it’s a hugely validating process to discover that your own experience matters so much to your peers and your colleagues, your customers – and even your competition. It’s a story worth being on top of.
Because stories are being told about you and your organisation, whether you know it or not. Best to get in control of them. You can do this:
1. Tell yourself, and then practice with a trusted friend, the story of how you got into your industry. The story you tell, and the way you tell it, will reveal a great deal about you, your values, and what people can expect from you.
2. Tell that story to your people – and yourself – again and again. Tell it until they’re sick of it. That way they will be absolutely clear about what motivates you, where the business is going, and what decisions to make in your absence. By telling this story repeatedly, people build trust in you – and that’s the basis for a great reputation and a growing business.
Now I think about it, we made a sort of a new story, ourselves, in the conference room. We had
- character: a group of great people, all entrepreneurs
- conflict: common problem of marketing and managing our reputation
- resolution: looking at it together through our shared experiences and expertise
We decided that we liked this BizRev 2020 story. We’re going to do it again. Hope to see you there!
Tracy Kenny works with people and businesses to help them find better words to connect people and businessees. Copywriting, branding, training and storytelling – she loves to meet new people and talk about how a set of good words can change everything. www.whitedot.co