Watch video for Ty Sander's keynote where he shares more on storytelling with 3 ways to bring the audience into the story.

"Decide what differentiates you? What do you want your client to know or believe about you?"

Last week I was in Kentucky speaking to Realtors for Berkshire Hathaway. I was sharing The Power of Storytelling and the first question they asked was how do you tell a story that differentiates you but comes across the right way?

In other words, how do you sell yourself without bragging?

This is a crucial story as an influencer for each of us to master - so let me give you the formula.

Step 1. Decide what differentiates you? What do you want your client to know or believe about you?
Examples - You have integrity. You possess unique market knowledge. etc…
Keep in mind that you can’t differentiate yourself by putting down the competition. Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.

Step 2. Determine where you learned or developed this quality or skill. Who taught it to you? Where did you learn this lesson? Or who/what is a great example of this?
Don’t be the hero of your own story. Determine where this quality came from and build the story around that person or experience - making them the hero.

Step 3. Apply that to yourself.
Use a simple line such as: "And as we work together you can count on me to operate with integrity because that is how my parents raised me. "

I was coaching a financial advisor named Walker. As he went through this formula he developed a story that sounded like this:

A few months into my first job out of college our employer took us to an extreme team building experience. It was amazing. We were divided into platoons (teams) and each platoon was led by a former Navy Seal. Our leader was a mountain of a man that looked the part of a Navy Seal. The first thing he said to us was this: "If we are going to win, we are going to win as a team. Which means everyone here needs to commit to this - You are going to do the right thing even when nobody is watching. You have to make decisions for the team and not just for yourself. If we can commit to this, there is no stopping us."
I share that with you because this concept resonated with me and it is a commitment I have tried to live by as I do business. So, as we work together I want you to know that you can count on me doing the right thing even when nobody is watching. I am in it so we both win.

This simple formula allows you to build a specific story that we can each use in the influence process. It will allow us to sell ourselves without bragging and win business through The Power of Storytelling.

The new normal seems to be a never-ending, changing target and so we have to learn to be flexible.”

There has never been a point in time where adaptability - the ability to deal with change - has been more essential.

The new normal seems to be a never-ending, changing target and so we have to learn to be flexible.

But why is change so hard?

One word - fear.

Change triggers a fear of loss. Giving up what we know, what we enjoy and what is comfortable.

What happens in our mind when we face the unknown is we ask, what if? And our mind tends to answer with a worst-case scenario response.

Our minds are actually trying to protect us and so it helps us to see what we need to avoid but it creates a fear that isn’t necessarily real and, more importantly, it is debilitating.

The problem with fear is it stops us from taking action and effective change requires action.

So, when we play the What If Game in our mind, we have to consciously and strategically answer with a positive response.
We need to see that change leads to growth, new and better results. And use that vision to take action toward creating that reality.

Managing fear is a very real thing for each of us and our teams.
To navigate the constantly changing landscape, we need to be action oriented and understand how to push past fear.

Adaptability is an essential skill in today’s world and it operates much like a muscle. It grows with use.

Managing fear is the first step. Then with consistent action, we grow our adaptability muscle.

The key to growth, high performance and real impact is commitment.

As a young entrepreneur I had a mentor who used to tell me, “If you treat your business casually, you will become a casualty of your business.”

This advice has stuck with me for nearly 20 years and with time I have found it to be applicable in many areas beyond business.

If you treat your health casually, you will become a casualty.

If you treat your personal and professional growth casually, you will become a casualty.

If you treat your marriage casually, you will become a casualty.

If you treat parenting casually, then your kids will become a casualty.

The key to growth, high performance and real impact is commitment.

True commitment opens doors, gains followers and extends positive influence.

The Commitment Scale asks us to assess where we are living.
At a level of distraction? Constantly being pulled away by every distraction.

At a level of decision? Making a decision plants your flag. It cuts off other options and gives you direction.

At a level of discipline? Where we follow through and choose consistency.

At a level of devotion? Where you are driven by purpose. Where you don’t treat things casually, you are fully committed.

It is devotion that builds brands, loyal followers, committed teams and leaves a legacy.

Don’t be casual.