The power of storytelling in word-of-mouth marketing

By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Published: September 29, 2008

By Mark Powers and Shawn McNalis

“I guess you could say I was born an attorney,” the lawyer said. “Of course, it’s better to actually have a license.”

Everyone in the workshop laughed. It was a good opening line in an exercise designed to help lawyers incorporate storytelling into their word-of-mouth marketing. In an effort to help the attendees identify their own personal narratives, we had asked what motivated them to practice law.

“Well, when I look back on my childhood,” the lawyer continued, “I was the one everyone came to when they needed someone to settle arguments on the playground. In college, I was the spokesperson for my fraternity when there were issues and we had to go to the dean. Even in law school, people turned to me for advice and I liked doing whatever I could to help them.”

The goal was identify and refine short anecdotes that could be used when building relationships with potential clients and referral sources. This story, for example, provided insight into the attorney’s character and suggested he was someone who could be trusted.

A timeless tool

It is no accident that stories are one of the most powerful means of communication. According to Richard Stone of StoryWorks in Winter Park, Fla., the human brain is hardwired to learn best when stories carry the message.

So when you harness the power of storytelling in your own word-of-mouth marketing, you capitalize on the receptivity built into the human brain. Whether you are using stories in conversations with potential clients to demonstrate your expertise, with referral sources to illustrate how you can help their clients, or in social settings to educate people about your firm, you are tapping into a deep vein of receptivity.

In an attempt to educate us about what motivated him to open his own firm, a criminal defense attorney from Florida, the son of a prominent minister, told this story:

“I approach my practice like it is my mission,” he said. “I defend people who have nowhere else to turn. I used to be a public defender, but got fed up with the system. I opened my own practice because public defenders don’t have time to construct the proper defense for their clients. They are overwhelmed with more people than they can handle. Consequently, clients are moved through like cattle and no one takes any time with them. I believe in taking time with my clients, constructing a good defense and truly advocating for them.”

Another criminal defense attorney had an entirely different response.

“When I was young, I got in trouble with the law,” he told the group. “Before I went too far, an attorney who was a family friend intervened and set me straight. My practice is dedicated to that man — I want to do for other people what he did for me.”

A family attorney also cited her personal experiences as the motivating force in her professional life.

“My parents divorced when I was a teenager,” she said. “I was raised in a broken family and know what it’s like to lose a father I adored. I’ve also had the joy of being part of a new family. In my practice I focus on helping people who are in transition, whether they are breaking up or building new families. Because I’ve been there, I can relate.”

A story for every occasion

We consider stories like these a form of “stealth marketing.” On the surface they may enlighten or entertain listeners, but they also educate them, connect them to your background, highlight your values and reveal your motivations. In short order, the information these brief narratives provide can portray you as an empathetic human being and, because they require a certain amount of self-disclosure, deepen your intimacy with clients and referral sources.

Whether you employ long, rambling stories or, as more often happens, divulge small pieces of your own personal history, you can strengthen your marketing arsenal by having an assortment of stories and brief narratives to call on at different times and in various situations.

Even though your story idea is based on truth, rarely will you tell it in its raw, unrefined state. It’s best if you create a brief version, a long, detailed version and versions that emphasize different aspects of your motivation, values or background, depending on what you are attempting to illustrate.

And remember — you don’t have to be the hero in every story. Stories that are self-deprecating can be engaging, humbling and among the most memorable.

Once you’ve pinpointed your basic idea, it’s critical to polish and practice telling your story in order to become comfortable with it. Write down your pertinent points, then try versions of the story out on different people, starting with your spouse or close friends — someone you have a relatively safe relationship with — to gauge their initial reactions. Then begin using it in a wider range of settings where it might be applicable, such as with clients in an initial consultation, or at lunch with a new referral source.

Stories are powerful teaching tools and can teach people about who you are as a lawyer and demonstrate what you value, who you help and how you help.

“Look for the drama in your everyday actions to formulate your stories,” said Stone. “Just as a good author can find a story where others see only the commonplace deeds of ordinary people, it’s possible for each of us to frame our work in heroic terms. Stories are your narrative assets.”

Mark Powers is the president of Atticus Inc. and the author of The Making of a Rainmaker: An Ethical Guide to Referral Marketing for Small and Solo Firms. He can be reached at mark@atticusonline.com or by calling 352-383-0490.

Shawn McNalis is a senior practice advisor, curriculum developer, speaker and trainer for Atticus. She co-authored “The Making of a Rainmaker” and numerous articles for a variety of legal publications.

Virginia Lawyers Weekly

The power of storytelling in word-of-mouth marketing

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