Last week, when working alongside an out-of-town client at a photoshoot, we had a few moments of unplanned down time where we weren’t running around setting up or organizing props and models for the next shot.

During those brief non-busy moments, many people could have felt awkward, filled time by turning to their phones or simply walked away to deal with other matters. But the person next to me opened up and began telling me how their hot water tank had burst at home earlier in the day. In the space of a few minutes, the relatively new business relationship took on a new form – bound by a small personal connection. This individual became a different person in my mind, transformed by the simple effect of a brief story.

In the small world syndrome we’ve all experienced, I happened to run into this same person a few days later at a volleyball tournament where both of our sons were playing. Having discovered some more unexpected common ground, we happily engaged in further conversation and the already-established connection grew instantly stronger.

It’s easy to see how companies can approach their own marketing using storytelling – descriptive, authentic, imaginative stories and touch points to create or strengthen connections with potential or existing customers. Striking up a relationship by acknowledging the human dimension in all of us, will transform a company in the minds of its audiences into an entity with whom they will want to be associated. Can you think of a better way to use frequency and message to become an approachable business, to gain loyalty and to persuade a buyer?

Here is an article that talks more about the effectiveness of Storytelling.