The Power of Your Core Story

How To Win by Creating the Competitive Advantage and the Competitive Differentiator

The situation today for most individuals/entrepreneurs and business owners is how do they separate themselves from the pack. How do I gain the continuous edge in everything I do?

Most business owners will race out to buy the newest piece of technology, fancy process or system. Some will invest thousands of dollars in the shiny new thing, believing it will give them the edge. They keep missing the most powerful tool and concept they have at their fingertips.

I have seen large corporations send their sales people through fancy training courses to learn new strategies of gaining customers. Most employees look at it as the ‘flavor of the month’. They never embrace the training. It eventually falls to the wayside. They go back to doing exactly what they have always done. The end result is getting the same thing they have always GOT!!! Sales people have a natural way of doing their selling. We never teach them how to tap into it. We force them into processes and systems that don’t allow their authenticity to come forward! We don’t teach them how to leverage their most powerful tool in every interaction and selling situation. This is a global condition. This is not a local problem!

The complication is that entrepreneurs, business owners and VP’s of sales organizations are missing the mark with their customers. Cost of sales keeps going higher, customer loyalty becomes an abstract idea, customer service becomes a process, not a reach-out personal relationship.

The question then becomes: How do I separate myself from the pack of the masses? How do I win the race in business not once, not twice, but every time? How do I create the experience where people seek me out? How do I become the magnet people want to do business with? How do I crate the relationship with people that exceeds loyalty?

How Do I Become the Guru of My Topic, Area, Business and Niche?

I believe your core story is your competitive differentiator. Your core story creates uniqueness that only you have. Your core story gives you the competitive advantage that no one else has…IT SETS YOU APART FROM EVERYONE ELSE! Your core story allows for authenticity. Your core story is your secret weapon!!!

Through this chapter I want you to do two things as you read: (1) become aware of the benefits of a core story, and (2) begin to visualize using your core story in every aspect of your business!

Here is what I know you will find: You will find you can approach your business from a totally different perspective – “a purpose-driven” perspective. You will find you have uncovered an untapped natural market that demands only you. You become the magnet. You will find people seek you out – referrals become a marketing machine on steroids! Most importantly, your uniqueness and authenticity is your competitive differentiator! GURU STATUS IS ACHIEVED!!!

In this chapter, I will cover the concept of people buy from people, the mindset shift of empowering others, not impressing others, and the three levels of selling.

Here is what I have found in my twenty-three years of helping communicate their messages. Three principles drive my discussions on your core story. This is the foundation information to build your core story.

1. Understand This Concept — People Buy from People They Like!

In your business strive for three major goals:

A. Build trust
B. Build relationship
C. Build engagement

Everything you do should drive to one of these goals. In the book, GOD IS A SALESMAN, the author, Mark Stevens, makes the comment “…people buy trust before they buy a solution, tool or product!” Think about people you do business with. You have a mechanic, a barber, a hairdresser, a dry cleaner, a plumber, a doctor, a realtor or a car dealership that you only do business with! You trust them.

I raise Clydesdale horses as a hobby. I wanted to buy a wagon for the horses to pull. I found one on the internet in Canada. I spoke with the gentleman for 45 minutes. We had a tremendous conversation. I bought the wagon. I sent the man a check. I trusted him. The day my wagon arrived from Canada to my home in North Carolina he called me. He built both trust and relationship!

Our number one goal every day should be to build trust with our family, friends and customers!

Build relationships – people do business with people they like! Your question is how do I build the LIKEABILITY FACTOR? Your cores story builds the likeability factor! This links to the second level of my selling model, ME TOO! Think about those times when you met someone, had a brief conversation, walked away and said, “WOW! I am just like them,”…or “We have so much in common.” Certain fraternities create this, the Marines, attending the same school, having a similar experience such as cancer, or families with special needs, etc. These things create automatic relationship and ME TOO factors!

Remember “people want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.” We all have a natural place, fit, or connection to give back. One of my favorite old pieces of wisdom is… “Comfort those with the comfort that you have been comforted with!” Much like today, businesses want to do business with companies that have a green initiative. This is the same principle. People want to do business with people with whom they share a common experience, concern or philosophy. One of my clients does a huge amount of work in education. My commitment to reaching youth, to giving them the belief of following their vocation, makes for a solid partnership. At one of my consultations last year, the gentleman in question was involved in the Big Brother – Big Sister program. This again made a perfect link to my youth program. Today we are doing business together! The result – high likeability factors on both sides, being a part of something bigger than ourselves, high engagement factors, and a lot of “ME TOO.”

Build engagement – here is my definition of engagement! “Engagement is the ability to get the listener, customer, guest, client, student, and prospect to listen, respond and interact!” This should be done through our face-to-face meeting, over the phone and web presence.

If our customers are engaged they should be saying, “TELL ME MORE!,” NOT “IS IT OVER YET???”

2. Work from an Approach of Empowering Others!

People do not care what you know. This is working from a mindset of IMPRESSING. They care about how much you care and what you have learned. No one can argue with what you have learned through your experience. Develop the philosophy of “share and service” not “sell!” This creates an experience of trust and relationship! The end result is – becoming a Trusted Resource!!

3. Become Aware of the Three Levels of Communicating and Selling Your Business

A. “SO WHAT”
B. “ME TOO”
C. “I NEED YOU!”

Understanding these three levels will revolutionize your approach to examining and doing your business. Let’s take a look at each one.

SO WHAT

This is the hardest level to sell at. This is where 90% of most people work their business. Selling at this level creates two major hurdles to get over. One, the conversation isn’t even in their head. Your basic rule is to always “continue the conversation in their head.” Two, we’re selling the wrong direction. Most people try to sell in this order – first the company, second the solution, tool, product and third themselves. If you believe in anything I have said so far, if you grasp the concept of people-by-from-people, then you realize this order will not work! The correct order is: one – yourself, two – your solution, tool or product and third – your company.

Think about the average conversation you might have standing in line at Starbucks while you’re getting your coffee in the morning. Some small talk begins between you and another individual. You ask, “What do you do?” The person responds with, “I work for IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, or Yahoo.” Your next question tends to be, “What do you do for them?” You get, “I am an accountant, engineer or analyst.” Your response is typically, “Great, have a good day!” This is the standard approach. You hear this every day!

This is selling at the “so what” level.

Now notice the difference if I sell myself first. This would be how I would answer the question. Same conversation, same place:

“Morning!”
“What do you do?”
“I am a Remarkability Expert!”
“What is that?”
“I help people create and live lives of intentional legacy!”

Now the individual is saying, “Interesting, tell me more!” …engagement is achieved!!! From here in the conversation, I get to share more. The concept is called verbal ping pong – back-and-forth, back-and-forth, etc.

This is selling yourself first!

ME TOO

The second is “me too”. There are thousands of ways to create the “me too” factor. One important way is to share some type of vulnerability or painful experience. I do not mean share your therapy. I mean share what you have learned!!! This allows you to be real. The result is a higher trust a stronger likeability factor and people saying “me too!”

I recently worked with a young man to identify his core story. As we worked through the process, he said the main thing he has learned is… “no excuses, no regrets.” It was fantastic!!! Now everything he talks about in his company is to help others to have no excuses, no regrets. He signs his email with his name and his concept… Bill, “NO REGRETS” Jones.

There is not a person alive who wants to live their life with regrets. Right now you’re thinking, you’re right! Right now you’re thinking… what can I learn about having no excuses and no regrets? Right now you’re thinking, … who is this guy? Right now you have no concept of what type of business he is in! What you are saying is…“tell me more,” and “me too.” You can do the same! You have not even begun to realize how much value you bring to the table of business, how powerful you are, or how your uniqueness is being untapped!

I NEED YOU

Now for the final level… “I need you!” This is what we all strive for! This is where all our concepts and ideas come together as one!

• Trust is high
• Relationship is high
• Engagement is high
• Likeability factor is high
• Empowerment is high
• “Me too” factor is high

The result is “I want what you have!” … “I need you.”

The strongest results of developing and sharing your core story are three-fold! You reach a market that you didn’t even know existed. Your core story does not have a shelf life and your uniqueness is your key differentiator! People buy from people. People buy from people they like. People buy from you!

We have taken a look at the key concepts of understanding the power of your core story. We highlighted the concept of people buy from people. We changed your focus to empower others, not impress others, and we shared the three levels of communicating about your business.

Your core story is your unique differentiator! Everything that has happened to you so far, both the good and the difficult, allows you to connect in a unique way. I see the power every day with folks I work with. They discover a purpose-driven approach. They realize a laser focus. They become the magnet!!! People search them out! I believe you can have this too!!! I believe your core story will make the biggest difference in your business.

My challenge to you is two-fold! First, look at any successful business or successful business person today and find the elements I have described in some way. Look at the people you do business with every day, and identify the concepts that make up a core story. Whether it is in politics, religion, corporate America, small to medium business or the individual owner, you will find the core story.

Challenge number two… if any of these ideas are important to you, email me at bart@bartqueen.com and put in the subject line WIN – CORE STORY. I will be happy to send you details about developing your core story!

I had an opportunity to hear Rolf Meyer speak on a trip to South Africa. He was a key individual in rewriting the constitution of South Africa. He shared how there was a point of transition and the process of transformation. The point of transition was when he emotionally and intellectually decided things needed to change. The process of transformation is the ongoing experience since that point. The story continues! People want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.