Always Have a Story Ready ... You Don't Know When You'll Need It!

Realize that impromptu telling can become a great marketing tool. I am not suggesting that you become pushy, but I do suggest that you always have business cards handy. Once a new group finds out that you are a storyteller, and that storytelling is "alive and well," there will be at least one person in the crowd who has a relative, a child, and/or an association that they think might like to hear your stories in the future. This impromptu telling can serve not only as an introduction to storytelling, but also as an introduction of you as a storyteller. Even if they don't call you directly, at least they now realize that there are people who tell stories to groups.

Go one step further, and let local organizations know that you are ready. If you have ever worked on programming for a group or organization, you know that with Murphy's Law in effect, there is always the chance that a program will fall through at the last minute - a speaker becomes ill, is stuck in an airport, has a car that breaks down, or suffers one of the many other unforeseeable mishaps. Let schools, libraries, Chambers of Commerce, the YMCAs and YWCAs, associations that meet regularly, and anyone else who sets up programs know that you can come and tell stories at a moment's notice - of course, only if that is true. Even if you need a couple of days' notice, you will still get calls for last minute cancellations. This is one of the quickest routes to endearing yourself in your community. There is nothing more daunting to a meeting planner than having a room full of people waiting for a presenter that doesn't show up.

So, get your stories ready and when an opportunity arises - and they will - get on your feet and start telling. You and your listeners will be glad you did!

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