You've started your very own company. Your engineers are fast developing the product you believe the world needs and you've gotten the SEO guru on board. Your data analytics are in place so that you can now track every click and you've even raised some early seed money to pay the bills. All is looking good.
But can you tell a story?
The art of storytelling is the most underrated skill that I know. It is a skill that is designed to help you captivate audiences, to pull them into your reality so that it becomes theirs. It is about getting them to commit their time, even for the briefest of moments. In tech jargon, that is called "engagement" and it is the single most important metric when starting a business. Without engagement you have nothing.
Telling a good story requires passion, and the ability to connect with people. It also requires a "script" that is well articulated. Stories have a beginning and an end, and they are not random. They are constructed over time to pull you in, to enthral and amaze you. Yet above all, they must be entertaining and drive the desire for more.
So, how good is your "script"?
As an early stage investor, I often meet entrepreneurs when they are starting their adventure. Most "scripts" are poor. They lack clarity, passion and substance. They don't connect with me, nor do they excite me. So no matter how good you think your analytics are, people first connect to a story. It has always first been about making people dream....
Few are born with the ability to tell a great story, but it is something that can be learned. My advice is simple: 1) write a script, 2) record yourself and 3) practice 1000 times. If it flows, comes across as natural and your audience's eyes don't glaze over, you just might have a true competitive advantage.
* This post was first published on LinkedIn