Each week my wife and I go to Jean Talon Market here in Montreal. It is one of the city’s busiest markets, particularly over the summer months.
Last week I took my camera along, in search of how stall holders might be using stories to help market their produce.
It’s funny how the mind works. As soon as I looked around in search of “story”, suddenly I was surrounded by them.
You’ll get the full roundup in the video above.
But a couple of examples jumped out at me.
First was the story of the husband and wife who created a poster to thank their son. They were thanking him for his decision to stay on the farm and keep it in the family for another generation. They also recognized that it was their son’s idea to open the stall at the market.
In an environment with dozens of different vegetable stalls, this one stood out, simply because of the story they chose to share.
The second example was another family story. This was about three generations of the same family, all involved in their tea and spice store.
Well, maybe two generations. The little girl representing the third generation was only about one year old!
But the little girl was there in the store, with her mom, and her mom’s mom. Plus her dad and her grandpa.
Their story is one of traveling the world in search of the best teas and spices. It’s a story of family and adventure.
By the time we had stocked up on fruit, veggies and teas for the week, and returned to our car… I was overflowing with stories.
The visit to the market had reconfirmed what I have been teaching in my latest course, Selling With Stories.
In a nutshell, the telling of stories is one of the most powerful ways to market and promote pretty much any business.
It doesn’t matter whether you work for a multinational brand or stand behind a vegetable stall at the weekends – telling a compelling story instantly sets you apart form the competition.
Stories also engage an audience at an emotional level that makes them far more likely to buy, and to become loyal to your business.
Stories rule!
You can find out more about my course, Selling With Stories, here…
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Hey Nick,
I simply enjoyed your clip about storytelling visiting the farmers’ produce market with you and wife. It’s always a pleasure to learn from you. You are always ahead of the pack. I get it! Stories are a great way to promote your business. Who doesn’t love a good story, and we all have a story in our everyday lives. Stories are as exciting for those who share them as they are for those who make them. Again, thank you for being a wonderful influencer and teacher. ps. I’m an AWAI COS copywriter.