A few years ago I went to a conference in Orlando.
This really means that my family just got back from Disney World.
I attended the conference more than I normally would, to get a break from that magical place.
It's hard to explain how much fun and exhausting 7 days in Disney was with three kids, ages 7, 5, and 3, but I'll give it a shot.
First, just the facts.
We rode 52 rides
We each collected 23 character autographs
We went to 15 shows
We walked 42.8 miles or 51.2 miles (Fitbit and iPhone couldn't agree)
We spent one of the children's college funds to make this happen:)
Impressive, huh?
Now let me tell you a story.
On the hottest day at the Magic Kingdom, we got to the park before it opened.
We got in early, because we went to a character breakfast and ate a huge buffet, and met Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy.
After many miles walked, shows watched, and several temper tantrums, we decided to ride Splash Mountain to cool down.
We waited in line for 80 minutes (no FastPass this time.)!
Thankfully my girls found a newly married couple, Becks and Matt from the UK, and chatted the entire time. By the way, Ava and Lilly may have a future in sales.
After the ride, Lane, my 3-year-old son, had to go potty for the forty-eleventh (a real number in my world) time.
On the way out of the restroom, Lane was skipping and came to a dead stop.
He spun around and pointed to the rather large gentleman behind us.
After a second of awkward eye contact, Lane said, "Whoa mistew! You got a big ole bewwy!" and points right at the man.
The man doesn't smile.
At all.
After one more awkward second, we booked it out of the restroom and had a discussion about what we do and don't say to others.
See the difference?
This capped off a very fun and exhausting day. We got a few overpriced Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwiches and headed back to the room.
The facts of the trips were more informative, however, the story was more engaging and created more of a connection.
People buy on personal connection and emotion, more than facts.
The best product or service doesn't always win. The product or service that can make a personal connection and evokes emotion, does.
The video below is a great example.
Too many financial advisors focus on the numbers of investing, however, in this case the video focuses on the feelings of the investor.
Baobab Wealth Management was able to use this video in email marketing and email follow-ups to not only close more leads, but also get build real rapport with future clients.
Simply sending a fact laden brochure doesn't do the trick.
So, the next time you decide to tell someone about your years of experience, proven ROI, and about your great customer service, do it with a personal story.
And yes, an Explainer Video is an awesome way to tell stories.
