Business storytelling need not be intimidating…your stories are merely your experiences packaged into anecdotes. Throw in some of your natural charisma and charm, and you’re on your way to engaging even the stiffest of your customers.

The key to good storytelling is how you frame the points you want your customer to remember. Take your value prop, for example. You could recite it as a script – just as it was handed down to you – or, you could package some of its salient points into a story about another anonymous client who is experiencing the same challenges as the prospect you’re pitching.

One thing is for sure: Your stories won’t get good unless you practice them. And because they’ll only run for about 90 seconds to two minutes, you can practice waiting for the light to turn green while out running errands.

Think of all the things that occur with your customers and challenge yourself to re-tell them with a bit of pizazz thrown in. Do they sound compelling to listen to if you were the buyer? Remember, each time you tell the same story, it’ll change and get better!