Small Business Summit Center

Alan Siege - SBMC

[Alan is a marketing consultant for entrepreneurs, and also a professional storyteller. That second job caught my eye and I asked Alan how those two went together. - Andrew]

AB: How can a business story help sell a product or service? When are customers really interested in why someone started a business… don't they just want fair exchange of value for money?

AS: Let me clarify that what I mean by business story is the way a service or product is described. A good “business story” means that this item or program will thwart a pain, relieve an itch, or satisfy a want in a way that is easy to see and grasp. It’s a story because it has the elements of a story such as I described below. You’re right – most customers don’t care about why someone started a business, but they do want more than “just a fair exchange of value for [their] money.” To really move someone to act, you cannot give an order. They’ll act because they see themselves in your business’s product or service’s story. I’ve written an article that describes how storytelling can help a business grow - it's here.

AB:You've got a very diverse range of consulting clients. What's your most effective marketing tool?

AS: I’d say it’s my ability to convey compassion and to be unequivocal in my assertion that if you follow my counsel, I guarantee that you will either earn more or spend less. For me, getting known is where I put a lot of my energy. I give talks, teach, and am about to re-launch an e-newsletter.

AB: What would you do if you weren't in business for yourself?

AS: Find a consulting company who would give me a long leash and frequently let me off of it.

Business Bio
Most businesses’ stories are incomplete, boring or both. Good business stories are real, value based, and compelling. They (1) Describe real people or businesses; (2) Have an understandable dilemma or problem; (3) Identify real-life details from the business or industry; (4) Show the characters’ attempting to solve the problem; (5) Reveal how your company made their frustration or pain go away; and (6) Document how you saved the business time, money or both.
At Small Business Management Consulting, we help you tell your story so that it is heard. We help you tell your story in a way that distinguishes your business from the competition. We help you tell your story so people want to do business with you.
Stories are what move people to act because they show the way, without hitting the reader/viewer over the head. I love them.