As marketers, our job is to tell stories. The stories we tell are either believed or disbelieved by consumers. Presumably, you hire us because people tend to believe the story we tell more often than not.

As humans, we don’t process facts, we process stories. Our brains operate much better when we tell ourselves a story and then make decisions based on how that story makes us feel.

Jaguar, Volvo, and Land Rover are all vehicles that tell a very different story…and they’re all made by Ford…and they share many of the same parts. If we made decisions based on facts, we would all drive a safe, reliable, easy-to-maintain Taurus. Instead, we pick a vehicle…that single most expensive discretionary expense most of us will ever make…based on a story that we tell ourselves about how a Jaguar, Volvo, or Land Rover will improve our way of life, our image among our peers, and our perception of ourselves.

Stories are incredibly powerful. I go to the grocery store and buy a case of bottled water. Now, I realize that the water is most likely out of a tap not terribly unlike the one in my own kitchen, but it makes me feel good to believe that the water in those bottles comes fresh from a mountain spring that flows among the flowers on a bright, sunny day. It makes me feel healthy. It makes me feel special. And because it does those things, I want to believe the story. I want to believe it so much, in fact, that I lie to myself and make a decision to buy the water even though I know deep down that it’s complete and total baloney.

Amazing, isn’t it? Yet, we do it every day. And, so do your customers.

That’s why, as a business owner, you are a marketer, too. You’re in the job of telling stories. You tell a story every day. So does your staff. Even your janitor tells a story. You may not know it, but it’s true.

Now, let’s be clear…stories are not necessarily lies. They can be, but the best stories are purely authentic. Marketers that tell lies ultimately fail, because consumers aren’t stupid and they will eventually discover the lie and move on to another story told by someone else.

Stories are simply the sum-total of the experience your customer has with your company. Positive or negative…it all gets lumped in. When the story is good, your customer talks about it to their friends. When the story is bad, you’re ignored or, worse, the customer talks about their bad experience to their friends.

Ever wonder why a franchise is not quite as thrilling as the original? Simple… it’s because the franchise managers are out to make a buck and are not quite as in tune with the owner’s vision…therefore, the story they tell is a little muddier, a little less authentic. As a result, consumers aren’t as quick to buy that story or tell themselves a lie in order to spend money on it.

As marketers, we’re often approached by those who’ve been inadvertently telling a bad story for years and are at a complete loss as to why their sales are slumping. So, they want to hire us to put a good spin on their bad story and convince everyone that they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. That’s why marketers have a bad reputation…or, if not bad, then at least a reputation for being dishonest. Too often, it’s about the buck…marketers who whore themselves out to the highest bidder with the biggest lie to tell. It’s a shame, really…a few bad seeds reflect on the whole industry.

As a business owner, you are responsible for the story you tell. You believe you have a good story, or you wouldn’t be in business. Our best advice to all of our clients is to be sure that the story you’re telling is authentic.

To that end, our job often involves helping you learn how to tell your story better or in a more engaging way than your competition. As part of this process, what we try to help you understand is that EVERYTHING you and your staff do contribute to the story. Everything. No holds barred. The whole banana. Good, bad, and ugly.

That’s why it’s important for YOU to make sure that your team understands your vision and that they’re telling the right story to the right people. The goal of effective marketing is for your customers to tell all of their friends about you…we want them to repeat your story over and over and over again. If they do, you win. If they don’t, you lose. These days, it’s really that simple.

There are a couple of things you can do to help insure that your team is conveying the story you want to tell…

1. Hold regular meetings with your team and constantly remind them of your vision for your company. You’re the leader…the big cheese. If you don’t lead, they won’t follow, and you’ll have chaos on your hands. Stay in front, set a good example.

2. Be authentic. Be real. Don’t try to be something you’re not. Consumers are very good at sniffing out fakes. Own your story, and stick to it. At the end of the day, it’s about doing what you’re best at and enjoying every minute of it.

As a business owner, you’re in the marketing business, like it or not. Marketers are in the business of telling stories. When you tell a good story, your market will reward you. When your story becomes incoherent, you’re setting yourself up for failure.