Telling stories creates connections. Telling stories about your destination or attraction helps potential visitors understand why they should visit. Storytelling and Tourism go hand in hand. So why don’t more businesses tell their stories? Why do they just create lists of all the amenities and things to do? Because it’s not easy. But I am here to help.
Storytelling in the Berkshires.
I just got back from a weekend storytelling course at Kripalu retreat in the Berkshires. I spent 2 days with teachers, consultants, business owners and others looking to become comfortable speaking on stage. Our instructor, Matthew Dicks is a renowned storyteller- who I had never heard of before, but many others in our class were big fans of his. ( I am a big convert now!) I learned what makes a good story and how to keep others interested in what you have to say. Our group learned that a few easy tips can help you become the best storyteller in the room.
Why Sales need stories
No one ever made a decision because of a number. They need a story. Daniel Kahneman
Tour operators and individual visitors are bombarded with information and ideas every day. What is unique about your destination. What is the most famous spot everyone should see and why is it there? Did something get invented there? Was there a famous resident that most people would know? Or perhaps a resident that no one has heard of but made a big difference in the world? Local businesses that have behind the scenes tours are great at telling stories.
Action Step for destinations: list the top 3 places to visit and create a short story as to why they are there.
Action Step for attractions: Why are you located here? What is interesting about your place? Create a short story.
Streamline your story
Not every piece of information needs to be included. Matt told a story that had us all captivated. But then he took the time to let us peek behind the curtain of the story. He actually left many other details – and people- out of the story. He showed us how a streamlined and pared down story is more effective. Too much information can cause people to lose interest. Short is always better than long.
Action steps for destinations – don’t give an operator an exhaustive list of all the things to go. Just list the top 5 for first timers and top 5 things to do for repeat visitors.
Action step for attractions. What are the activities that everyone visiting your attraction should see or do?
Know your audience
We learned that storytelling has competitions that have specific rules. Themes and time limits. So it’s important to know who you are speaking to and what they need to hear. Many of us are familiar with the 7-minute appointments at shows such as ABA and NTA. That doesn’t mean you get 7 minutes to talk. Keep your destination story short – 2 to 3 minutes tops. When you can craft a short story, with imagery and specifics, you will be remembered.
Action steps for destinations. Do you have a story about a tour operator that brought a group to your area and reached out later to let you know how wonderful everything was?
Action Step for attractions: Tour operators will want to know that their customers will have a great time. Do you have a great TripAdvisor review you could reference? A lot of those reviews are mini stories – can you find a few to borrow?
Final thoughts
Storytelling should entertain the listener. Learning just a little bit about this skill will impact the way I make presentations. The story I told my class was about how I stepped out of a cab into the streets of Chinatown the first time I made a sales call on a tour operator. I will use that story when I am helping destinations become China ready. Because if my story can help one more tourism business feel confident that they can become successful. then my story has done its job!
P.S.- Matt has a great new book – Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade and Change your life through the Power of Storytelling.