Be the Storyteller – Part 1

I’ve been working on websites, and become immersed in the process of choosing and developing niches.

As I think about them – making refinements and choices – it seems to me that there is a broader level, above the niche, that is important to the overall goal.

And that is the story.

What story will I tell to illustrate and explain everything that comes next? Part of this will depend on the nature of the niche, the goal of the site, the customers and the products.

For example, Martha Stewart has a story that overarches her business, as do many others. Hers is about cooking and catering, flower arranging, her homes and chickens – there are many facets.

Your story, and how it connects with your business, is vital to your USP (unique selling position). It helps build your interaction with your customers and position within your niche.

It does not have to be a big or dramatic story, just something to add a human touch.

Human interest has always been interesting, regardless of the media used to deliver those stories.

What are the elements of story?

I’ll show my ideas by telling you a story, in serial form, like Dickens and other authors used more than 100 years ago, but still relevant today…think Lost.

Part 1 – Set the Stage

No one in my family tells stories about me, even my twin sister. I’m the one who notices the connections and distills the stories.

I’m the storyteller.

In ancient tribal societies where the storyteller is an official function, the novices spend years and years memorizing oral traditions, learning at the feet of the old masters, every generation adding a new piece. The Aborigines in Australia, the ancient Celts in Ireland, Native Americans, all had someone.

Storytelling has deep roots in humanity.

I took the storyteller role upon myself. No one else was doing it. I had to find my own way. I learned how to listen and how to see truth in simple acts. I dug up the ancestors, and started to tell their tales – from the simple ones, like Grandma Rice cooking chicken, Aunt Gertie’s greeting cards, or my sister Sue’s Internet romance. These are the charming stories that are easy to tell.

Then there are the hidden stories, the more complicated ones, like this story of a move to Oregon – the rich but difficult stories every family holds.

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Since this series is about becoming a storyteller, the background on storytelling traditions makes sense to help stage the story about this family tradition.

More to come…