Stories, effectively

I.
When she happily stepped into her new four-wheel drive SUV - the first new car she'd ever owned - she smiled. She fastened her seat belt, checked the mirrors, and turned on the car. Her favorite station was synced on the radio.  On a commercial break, miles from the dealership, she realized her salesperson had programmed all of her stations (in the same order) from her 200,000 mile old-reliable sedan into her new vehicle. Over the next few days, she posted lots of photos of her new ride - and one in particilar of the media console, thanking her salesperson.

Or,

As a best practice, all salespersons are expected to wow the customer.  Going above and beyond will ensure strong sales growth going forward, generating referrals and ancilliary sales in preventative maintenance.

II.
On her first day, she brought flowers to the Concierge who had been so kind and welcoming during her multi-step interview process.  Another time, she delivered various specialty cafe drinks for her peers - mochas, herbal teas, soy lattes. Later, she arranged with the director of the rehabilitation department to surprise his team with their favorite lunch sandwiches. And recently, she coordinated with the director of the maintenance department for a similar lunch for his team.  In each situation, she expressed her thanks of their commitments and expertise.

Or,

Show appreciation to your colleagues with small, meaningful gifts.  Thank them often. Recognize their contributions.

III.
She still remembers the first time she intentionally listened to her mother, when she didn't immediately jump to speak, or to comment, or to change the subject to her own preferred topics. She waited through periods of silence - breaks in her Mother's conversation - listening to the pauses. She could almost hear her Mother thinking. And her Mother's stories meandered into a much deeper conversation of joy and disappointment, of fears and hopes. She listened, and when the time seemed right - after her Mother seemed relieved - she spoke.

Or,

Listen more than you speak. If you're doing all the talking, how can you be listening?


Whereas it can be important (and tempting) to condense an initiative or inspirational message into a few well-thought, concise sentences; it can be far more effective to tell stories that create an archetype.

For further reference:
Selling the Invisible
Made to Stick

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