A business owner said to me once that one of their competitors had posted a picture of their staff giving money to a community cause. He told me they had also given money to the same cause but hadn’t thought about taking a photo and sharing the story.
Not enough of us tell our own stories. By not telling our own story, we are allowing others the opportunity to tell our story for us – likely a story that is unlike the one you would tell yourself.
We seem to be much too modest. Too much modesty can be damaging to us and our organizations.
Some degree of modesty is a good thing. No one likes to spend time with “that person” who seems to brag about himself every chance he gets. But never telling your story won’t do you much good either. Because if you don’t tell your own story, who else is going to? Unless it’s a completely amazing or unusual story, chances are slim that someone will stumble upon it and tell everyone for you.
Telling your own story might make some of you uncomfortable. But consider the following. The person who isn’t afraid to tell his story tends to get the job over someone who isn’t comfortable or good at telling his story. The business leaders who tell their philanthropic or customer service stories create a better perception of their business and attract more new customers than the ones who don’t. The community that tells their story about how great they are tends to attract visitors, businesses, and development at a greater rate than the community that sits back and hopes someone else discovers the opportunities within.
No one is going to find you and tell your story, or if they do, it won’t be the story you want told. If you want others to know the great things you do, you must take it into your own hands. So talk about it. Throw some of that modesty aside and start telling your story.