Telling stories creates connections. Telling stories about your destination, attraction or tour business helps potential customers understand why they should visit. Or why they should book their next tour with you. Storytelling and Tourism go hand in hand.
So why don’t more businesses tell their stories? Why do they just create lists of all the amenities and things they provide? Because it’s not easy. But our new reality calls for new ways of reaching out. Telling your story can be your new tool for success
Storytelling in the Berkshires.
In December 2018 I attended a weekend storytelling course at Kripalu retreat in the Berkshires. I spent 2 days with teachers, consultants, business owners, and others looking to become comfortable speaking on stage. Our instructor, Matthew Dicks is a renowned storyteller- who I had never heard of before. Most of the others in our class were big fans of his. ( I am a big convert now!)
I learned what makes a good story and how to keep others interested in what you have to say. Our group learned that a few easy tips can help you become the best storyteller in the room.
Why your Marketing need stories
No one ever made a decision because of a number. They need a story. Daniel Kahneman
Tour operators and individual visitors are bombarded with information and ideas every day. What is unique about your destination. What is the most famous spot everyone should see and why is it there? Did something get invented there?
Was there a famous resident that most people would know? Or perhaps a resident that no one has heard of but made a big difference in the world? Local businesses that have behind the scenes tours are great at telling stories.
Action Step for destinations: list the top 3 places to visit and create a short story as to why they are there.
Action Step for attractions: Why are you located here? What is interesting about your place? Create a short story.
Action Step for Tour Operators: What kind of experiences do your customers rave about? Can you tell a story about a past tour where you provided an experience that people are still talking about?
Action Step for Hoteliers: Sure, you might be a chain property. But you are located in an area that has a compelling story. Work that into the reasons why people should stay with you.
Streamline your story
Not every piece of information needs to be included. Matt told a story that had us all captivated. But then he took the time to let us peek behind the curtain of the story. He actually had left many other details – and people- out of the story. He showed us how a streamlined and pared down story is more effective. Too much information can cause people to lose interest. Short is always better than long.
Action steps for destinations – don’t give an operator an exhaustive list of all the things to go. Just list the top 5 for first timers and top 5 things to do for repeat visitors.
Action step for attractions. What are the activities that everyone visiting your attraction should see or do?
Action Step for Tour Operators: Create 2-3 good short stories about customer experiences. You can choose what story to share based on your audience. Do you specialize in student tours? Tell a short story about a student that was transformed by the time she spent on your tour.
Know your audience
I learned that there are storytelling competitions- who knew? They have themes and time limits. So it’s important to know who you are speaking to and what they need to hear. Many of us are familiar with the 7-minute appointments at shows such as ABA and NTA. That doesn’t mean you get 7 minutes to talk. Keep your destination story short – 2 to 3 minutes tops. When you can craft a short story, with imagery and specifics, you will be remembered.
Action steps for destinations. Do you have a story about a tour operator that brought a group to your area and reached out later to let you know how wonderful everything was?
Action Step for attractions and hotels: Tour operators will want to know that their customers will have a great time. Do you have a great TripAdvisor review you could reference? A lot of those reviews are mini-stories – can you find a few to borrow?
Final thoughts
Storytelling should entertain and engage the listener. Learning just a little bit about this skill will impact the way I make presentations. The story I told the group was about how I stepped out of a cab into the streets of Chinatown the first time I made a sales call on a tour operator. I spoke about being nervous and being out of my comfort zone.
That story is one I use when I am speaking about trying new things and being willing to be uncomfortable. I hope my listeners find it inspiring – and funny.
If today’s post can help one more tourism business feel confident that they can become successful starting to tell stories, then this post has done its job!
P.S.- Matt has a great new book – Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade and Change your life through the Power of Storytelling.
Want to check out one of his stories? Try this one.
Ready for Summer 2021?
This will be a busy one for everyone. I know almost everyone is short-staffed and helping in multiple roles. Here are some ways I can help you.
Tourism Pro Academy
Are you looking for some articles and resources to increase your professionalism? Are you new to the industry and trying to find a place where you can pick up some more knowledge? Then head over to Tourism Pro Academy. There are free articles and resources, along with great online courses and ways to work with me. You can download 25 Terms Every Tourism Pro Should Know and 2021 Tourism Trends to get started. Click here to sign up for free access!
Make Time to Read a Book
Reading is one of the best investments of your time. Read just one book this summer and you will be better prepared for your future. I have a section in the Tourism Pro Academy on books I recommend. I even provide a direct link to the books on Amazon to save you time. Click here to check out the list!
Learn from past blog posts
I have been writing a weekly blog post since May 2016. Wow! For the first time ever, I will be taking July and August off from writing. But that doesn’t mean you can’t keep learning. You can check out past blog posts by categories such as:
- Group Tours
- Best Practices in Tourism
- Tourism Trends
- Covid Challenges
- Information for New Tourism Pros
- Tourism Pro Talks (interviews with industry rockstars), and more.
Click here to access the blog. Then click Read More in one of the posts and the categories will show up in the right-hand column.
Can I ask a favor?
Could you share this post with at least 2 of your colleagues who would benefit from reading it? And then they can sign up here to receive my posts directly to their inbox. Thank you!