The products we sell, and what we think matters to our customers, workers, friends and family are all constructs of the stories we create and tell (and tell them over and over and over.  While we treat our stories as if they were true, very little of what they are made up of involve objective details. Humans don’t connect and engage with facts, so those are often the least interesting aspects.

It’s the juicy stories we’re after. We’re unaware that we’re crafting the stories we then live into. We have little experience getting into someone else’s world and really listening to what matters to them, and why….without adding our own meaning.

The more your added meaning is removed is the extent to which you can reach someone in their world.

Yes, you can make sales without really reaching someone, but your chances of connecting with someone and building trust and a relationship are significantly improved when you connect with them and the world they’ve created with their stories.