Blog Post: Facts Tell, Stories Sell

I love the quote, "facts tell, stories sell" and use it often, although I am not sure of its source. It sums up what employers, and all of us for that matter, need to hear from people in order to meaningfully connect with them. I know that many job seekers give careful consideration to the adjectives that best describe them, e.g. hardworking, friendly and team oriented, but many of these words, even when they are highly accurate, fail to make a lasting impression on employers; they are just too difficult to remember; on the other hand, the candidate who can tell a good (truthful) story has got it made.

Please allow me to provide two examples of "stories that sell". One popular movie tells the story of Jerry McGuire. If you saw it, you may recall that Jerry was working as a Sports Talent Scout when he experienced a very public and dramatic termination. He immediately started his own company, but if he hadn't, he would have experienced some very challenging interviews. I can imagine him trying to explain the facts with a positive spin on them. I don't think he would have had an easy time influencing employers in this manner. On the other hand, if he had simply told his story, I bet employers would have been impressed (just as we were as movie watchers). If you remember all of the story line, please feel free to skip ahead, but, think on this; your crystal clear memory of his hardships and triumphs proves my point.

Jerry's story began with him working in his room late at night, unable to sleep because he was filled with inspiration. He wrote down his mission and vision for the future of his industry. He was sweating before pressing the "send" button on his computer. Once he sent it out, he revealed his dreams to his whole office. It was a huge risk. He was hesitant to go into work the next day and face everyone , but he went anyways. As he somewhat expected, this was the end of his relationship with the company. However, he learned that he had a true confidante in one employee who chose to leave the firm with him. He went out on his own and worked tirelessly to find and retain clients. One client made him jump through hoops, literally getting him to yell out "show me the money" in order to work with him. Their road together was far from easy, in fact there were a lot of challenges that they faced together, including a time when his client was rushed to the hospital.

Jerry and his client were both transformed into better people from their developing bond. He was on the sideline when his client scored a winning touchdown that was anticipated to get him "picked up" by the NFL teams. They hugged and celebrated together. As a result of this life changing event, Jerry gladly shares his mission statement within anyone who will listen and is prepared to help anyone truly live out their dreams. ( In addition, he married his co-worker-"lost" her-and got her back again, but that was a different story in itself) Decide for yourself, would Jerry's story persuade you to want to hire him.

Now I want to share with you a real story, just in case the movies don't serve as a believable example. Lisa, one of my clients, wanted to work in a day care, but she had no paid work history for the past 10 years due to being a housewife. She also had no formal training or certificate. She had volunteered at her son's private school and, in return, received a tuition discount for his studies. One day, we role played interviewing skills and she practiced her response to the classic question, "What are your greatest strengths"? Her first response was, "I'm compassionate, creative and very good with children". These are all positive characteristics, but I knew that this would not work in grabbing an employer's attention.

I asked Lisa to pick one of these traits and "back it up" with a story. Here is the one that she told: One day a boy named Michael arrived for his first day of pre-school. He was crying, sitting in the front hallway, and wouldn't enter the building. The Lead Teacher called out to Lisa and said, "someone needs you here". Lisa sat down next to the boy and let him know that he didn't have to say a word to her, but she would be there for him whenever he needed. She watched him fall to the floor in inconsolable fits and she stayed by him. He finally lifted himself from the floor and sat in a chair and stayed there silently holding his head; she still stayed close by to offer him reassurance. When lunch time came, Lisa stood up and asked him to come with her and he did.

One week later, Lisa was in the classroom assisting a teacher. A police officer came walking down the hallway looking very stern. She knocked on the door, opened it and called in to the room, "I need to speak to Ms. Lisa". Lisa was very nervous wondering what she could have done wrong. The officer asked her to close the door behind her. As soon as Lisa did this, the officer completely softened. She thanked Lisa for the support that she had provided Michael. She explained, holding back tears, that she had to pull Michael from different schools because the staff could not handle his tears and separation anxiety. Now, thanks to Lisa, everything had changed. She explained that when he went to sleep at night he said goodnight to Ms. Lisa. One day, he even told his mom that, while he still loved her, he loved Ms. Lisa very much. The officer hugged her.

When Lisa told me this story, I honestly had to hold back my own tears. I was completely sold by this true story. And, if I were an employer who read this story in a cover letter or heard it in a phone interview, I would have said this when I finally met her in person, ( quoting from the Jerry McGuire movie), ......."You had me at hello......You had me at hello".

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