3 Big Mistakes Founders Make When Telling Their Story
The quality doesn’t speak for itself.
Growing up in Vietnam, I was taught from the early age to be humble and avoid talking too much about yourself.
I didn’t know that when I became an entrepreneur, that might become a piece of dangerous advice.
Like many other heart-based entrepreneur, I thought
“If I create a good service, the quality will speak for itself.”
Well, not really.
When my two businesses struggled months after months to break-even, I realised one of the big problems: I didn’t talk about my business - and more importantly, about myself in the business - it in such a way that could attract and convert.
Having learned my lesson, when I launched the third business, I made storytelling the priority.
My business, with virtually zero marketing cost, has been organically making sales, profitable, and growing in the last 3 years – with my 1-on-1 coaching program being constantly booked out.
Why storytelling?
I really understood why storytelling is considered “the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal.” (Dr. Howard Gardner, Harvard Graduate School of Education). And now I’m teaching founder how to craft and tell their founder’s story to amplify their impact.
You might have heard of the old Native American proverb:
“Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.”
But the power of storytelling isn’t just common wisdom, it’s a proven strategy.
Researches have shown that a well-crafted founder’s story directly enhances perceived brand authenticity – which, according to a study in 2014, is valued most by consumers in a brand – ranking above innovation and product uniqueness.
An increase in your company’s brand authenticity means an increase in clients'’ attitudes, purchase intent and a belief that your company is trustworthy and honest.
When you’re attracting clients, investors, talents, a founder’s story is how you stand out.
Let say you open a coaching practice. Sure you can join a race with other coaches on quality, methodology, price, or client services. But someone else can always have better methodology, talents, or simply money to buy time.
But no one lived through what you lived. No one has your story.
And guess what? Your founders’ story already belongs to you – free of charge.
Not telling a founder’s story is like letting your biggest asset or the rock star performer sitting in a corner doing nothing.
Here are the 3 biggest mistakes founders make when telling their stories:
1. Not doing it
You might think that telling your story makes you sound arrogant and self-absorbed, or that the quality speaks for itself - which it doesn’t.
Perhaps you’re afraid of visibility and or of being vulnerable. Or you have limiting beliefs about your own capability to express yourself.
Or articulation is simply not your strength yet.
All of these might be holding you back from using your story as one of the most important assets to differentiate you in the market.
2. Making it about you
The next mistake founders make, once they understand the importance of storytelling, is telling stories just for the sake of it.
I get it, your life is interesting. But no one is going to be interested in it unless it gives them some values (Maybe with the exception of your therapist – whom you pay a chunk of change to listen to you.)
Your story is about you. And ultimately, it’s not about you. Every time you tell your founder’s story is a chance for you to change minds, touch hearts, inspire actions – whether it’s to your customers, investors, or employees.
3. Telling it in a random way
When I mentioned storytelling to founders, they get skeptical – especially if they’re male.
They thought they need to get artsy about it, or that they need to be a good writer or great public speaker, or that they need to have been through dramatic stuff like having gone to India to cure their own cancer, found a cure in a hidden cave in the Himalayas and now are wholesaling it to share with the world.
The truth is: no you don’t. Good writing helps, some crazy story helps. But an overly flowery story and too much uncanny details can lower the impact and make it un-relatable.
The most important thing in a founder’s story is a strong structure.
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TRY THIS
Start crafting your founder’s story. A good start is to ask yourself these key questions:
1. Why did I start my business? Why is it important for me?
2. What are the biggest hurdles my team and I have overcome to grow this business?
3. What did I learn?
Share your answers in the comment below!
Remember: you are a beautiful miracle, and you can truly shine your light.