“Why should I work with you?” is a typical question most people will ask when stumbling over one’s products and services for the first time. What people really want to see when they are thinking “are you a good fit for me?” is if your “story”, and why you do the work that you feel you’ve been called to do, really fits into their “why.”

Recently, I discovered that the more I share my vulnerable and painful story of acculturation, the more vulnerable I allow others to see their vulnerable selves in my story. My story creates that emotional safety net. For example, on LinkedIn, I posted a link to my blog post on what it felt like to feel like an outsider serving in the Israeli army and the courage it took to eventually leave Israel and start over in the States.

A few hours later, a potential coaching client literally landed in my “hand” when she openly shared with me in an email that she could also relate to my feelings as an outsider. She, too, had also immigrated to the U.S. This led to a phone call and she “bared” herself even more by confessing that all her life she wanted to give voice to her stories but didn’t know how to figure out which story was uniquely hers.

When she began to learn more about me through my ezines, blog posts and social media posts, that’s when she grew to know, like and trust me. Again, she “knocked at my door” and I offered her a complimentary strategy call where we could discuss her needs and how my products and services could help her on her journey.

After she signed up for my homestudy on helping her get clear on her personal story, and how to weave it in her business, she shared something that is extremely important in the social media world. “Dorit, I signed up for your program because I felt I really connected with you.” ‘

This story journey of my new client continues. She has used my homestudy program to help her gain valuable clarity with her story, and has used this information as a workshop facilitator so she could share more of her personal stories with her clients. She is also a new coaching client – all because she clicked on my blog post link on LinkedIn.

Think about it…how many times have you infused some element of your personal story into your message, your blog posts and Twitter feed and Pinterest efforts…and, if not, why not?

You can:

• Tie an early memory to a book promotion effort
• Share a moment of triumph into your “about” page
• Twitter, Facebook or blog about a recent experience where you have had to deal with – a personal struggle – and describe how it taught you a valuable lesson. Show how you can help others in similar situations with your products and services. You just never know who needs your story right now. It could be a nurse trying to make sense of a chaotic work environment or a teacher who is struggling to manage a classroom of 40+ students, or a parent who is trying to deal with her defiant 7-year-old daughter.

In a fast-paced social media world, these personal story elements can help others connect with you, which will then naturally lead to them learning more about your products and/or services.

Dorit Sasson is a speaker and the author of a chapter appearing in the book, Pebbles in the Pond: Transforming the World One Person at a Time. She uses the power of story to help others get clear on how to use their story to heal themselves and transform their business. Download your free MP3, Story Manifesto: A Guide to Stepping into the Authentic Voice and Vision of Your Story, at . When you do, you’ll receive a bi-monthly complimentary subscription to the “Giving Voice to the Voiceless” ezine.