The most important page on your blog or website may very well be the “About” page. Most of us neglect this page completely on our sites, or just add a sentence or two that doesn’t have any real meaning to anyone who may read it. I would encourage you to take a serious look at what you have their now, see what other people in your field have included on their “About” page, and then take the time to rewrite yours so that it presents you in the best possible light. This will serve you well for years to come, and result in more prospects, profits, and business.

When you Google your name, more than likely your “About” page will show up near the top of the results. If you have only included an email address or a phone number, you are not taking full advantage of this opportunity to connect with your prospects when they are searching for you. Try to read what you have written from an objective point of view, and even ask people close to you to do the same. Ask yourself the hard questions here, like

I can remember the little girl next door asking my mother how she knew so many stories. That ‘little girl’ is now in her forties, and I’m sure she has stories of her own that she has shared with her family in the years since that time. We all grew up hearing stories, and you can most likely remember the stories you heard from a very young age.

Fast forward to doing business on the Internet in the twenty-first century, and storytelling has become the way we connect with people from around the world, most of whom we will never meet in person. The stories we share let others have a glimpse into who we are and what we believe in, and for those reasons alone they can be invaluable to our success.

Think about why you decided to build an online business in the first place. Did it have to do with a dream you had for your future, a job layoff, the economy, your health, or something else entirely? Whatever the reason, shape it into a story you can share for years to come.

When you are promoting a product or a service, whether it is yours or that of an affiliate, tell the story of how you came to create it or use it, and give as much detail as possible. This will flesh you out to your audience, and set you apart from everyone else doing business on the Internet.

When I was teaching 5^th and 6^th graders in the inner city of Los Angeles, many of my students had full time responsibilities at home. These included cooking, housework, and caring for younger siblings. While I am a firm believer in children helping out around the house, this went far beyond what is usually expected in a family.

I became an advocate for my students, explaining to the adults in their family that they already had a full-time job as a student in my classroom. Soon things would change at home, and my students went on to do extraordinarily well in academics, sports, and citizenship during the year they spent with me. I kept track of many of them as they continued through middle and high school, and their success continued in many cases. By building a relationship with the entire family, and not just the child, I had a far greater impact on the lives of the students I was teaching. I always said that once you had sat in the kitchen, holding a baby on your lap while the family prepared dinner, the relationship with that student and the people they lived with was forever changed.

This is an example of storytelling. It affects everything we do, no matter if it is related to business, family, politics, or other aspects of our lives. We remember the stories we hear, and are more likely to pass them on to others. You must incorporate them into your online business if you want to build trust, credibility, and community within your niche.

The story I share above tells you something about the type of person I am. No matter what you already know about me, this story sheds light on my personal belief system. In less than two hundred words you are able to connect on a deeper level with who I am, what I believe, and how it relates to what you want to learn from me. This may seem judgmental, but it is how we all decide who we will connect with in our business and in our lives.

We all grew up with stories, and storytelling has been a part of the history of mankind. These stories were passed down orally from generation to generation, and finally became written works. We remember great leaders in history by the stories we have heard about them. Our stories make sense of where we came from and where we are going. Stories help children to understand how to make the transition from childhood to the adult world. Trying to connect with people without using storytelling is like trying to paint a picture without color; it just doesn’t communicate all of the details.

What is your story? We all come to the Internet with a rich

Storytelling is an important part of relationship marketing. I used to believe that my stories would not be of interest to anyone, and that they might even detract from my credibility as an online entrepreneur. It turns out that stories are something we can all relate to. Now people ask me to tell some of my stories again so they can learn from my experiences.

Write down some of the stories that are a part of your life experience. See how you can relate them to what you are doing in your business. When we think of some of the greatest people in history, it is their stories that make us care about them. You can do the same thing to bring your online business to life.

Choose stories that make a point or that others

Building a relationship with your list can be a simple process if done from the very beginning. Storytelling is a natural and powerful way to connect with your target audience on a much deeper level than what most marketers are doing. You can learn to craft and shape these stories to retain their integrity while still making a point related to your business. Storytelling is comfortable for our audience, can be used to explain what we are doing, and is the basis for list relationship marketing.

We all grew up listening to stories told by the adults in our lives. In school we heard even more stories, especially those related to the history of our country and the world. Over time we become accustomed to hearing stories that shape the way we make sense of the world around us. When you think of someone who has motivated or inspired you, it is very likely you will connect them with the story they tell. Craft your own story to let people know who you are and where you came from. It will allow them to make sense of who you are and how you can help them to succeed. This is a comfortable medium to use with your prospects and clients.

You can explain what you are doing by telling a story around it. For example, I am teaching people how to hold teleseminars when they are new and have no list. The story I shared with them is how I started doing teleseminars by making up a list of names and questions. These were my make believe friends, and they asked questions that moved my calls along. As I began to build a list I no longer needed this pretend list of students, and my business was launched successfully. The point is that anyone can hold a teleseminars, even if they have no one on their list.

Craft stories to connect with your prospects and teach what you know. This is an excellent way to monetize even the smallest list.

Are you excited at the news you are sharing with your list? You must exaggerate what you say and write when you are working online, because the majority of your prospects will never meet you in person. You will want to tell everyone who you are and what you have to offer. This is a form of storytelling that works well on the Internet.

Don’t be afraid to brag about what you are doing and how it will benefit others. You can easily create a ‘buzz’ online by blogging, sending press releases, and sharing information about what you are doing on Facebook and Twitter. Build excitement with everything you, no matter how small it may seem to you at the time. I call this the ‘Kindergarten Effect’ because you will be just as excited in sharing your business news as a Kindergartner is when they have show and tell.

I first did this with an email I sent several years ago. I carried

When I was just starting out online my autoresponder messages were very dry and businesslike. I never wrote about anything that wasn’t precisely on target with what I was writing to them about.

Once I became more comfortable in my business I loosened up quite a bit. I now write about all kinds of things that happen to me, as well as things that will make a point. I have written about winning 25K at