# 1 Rule of Storytelling: Know Your Audience

The first step of storytelling is knowing your Audience.

Knowing who you are talking to will help inform you on the type of story you share, and the details you need to include.

So many people ask me, “How do I know what’s relevant— which parts of my story should I share?” — and the answer is tied up in “who are you talking to?” — What parts of your story would your audience be interested in? What is relevant to them? 



Too many people share their story and quickly get off on a tangent of details that, honestly, nobody really needs to know!  Going off the rails like this makes your story all about you. Remember, your story — and the whole reason you are sharing it — is to make it about your audience. 



Knowing who you are talking to will inform you on the types of details you need to share. Asking yourself this simple question: “Does my audience need to know this; Is it relevant to them?"— will help you eliminate endless details that only matter to you.



Asking this question will also help you differentiate between what is good storytelling for business, and what is good storytelling for personal use.



Storytelling for business should always be aimed at customers and clients. How does your story relate to their story? How does your own journey connect to what your audience is going through? 



As businesses — we should all be looking at our clients and customers as a group of people who we can serve….. through our products and services, we can help improve their life, or make things easier, or simplify processes. 

Looking at it from that lens, how does your own story fit in here? 



The most common mistake business owners make in today’s market is they overlook the power of telling their story. They assume it’s not relevant and that their story has no place in business. 

If you’ve thought that, I’d encourage you to look at it differently— and study how you make decisions in your purchases. Even shopping retail stores — do you like to shop small boutiques where you know the owner and the staff? Or do you shop big box chain stores where their brand and reputation has been tried and tested? 

In either case, there is an element of knowing that store’s story. 



Let’s take network marketing as another example — Mary Kay cosmetics is one of the oldest network marketing companies around. You probably know more than one Mary Kay rep…. you probably know over a handful, I imagine

. If you were to shop Mary Kay, who would you choose to give your business to? The person who is a distant acquaintance and you know very little about....  or the Mary Kay rep who lives in your neighborhood, and you know she’s a single mom with 3 kids, working her business diligently to put food on the table and provide?


You tell me. Where does the story matter in these businesses?



Where are you showing up and sharing your story? Who is your audience? Why does your story matter to them? 



If you are ready to start figuring out your own story but you have no idea where to start — I have a simple Story Formula that is a free download . Grab it and work through the exercises there. The step by step formula will give you a solid roadmap on crafting your own story to share with others. 

Just remember, YOUR story is important in all aspects of your life.... and it's can serve as a bridge between you and another person (who may also become a client!) 

Consider where you own story fits in, and start sharing it with your Audience. Magic is gonna unfold! I promise! 

xoxo 
APRIL