No matter what business you’re in, you have to know how to tell your story in a compelling way if you want to grow. If you’re trying to tell someone what you do and the person you’re talking to seems disinterested or looks over your shoulder, you’re on the wrong track. (It happens, right?)

You need a story that has people saying, “Tell me more!” and asking questions. We call that a “WOW!” story because it gets people excited and wanting to know more about you and your business.

So, what’s the best way to create your WOW! Story? Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Make it short. Be as concise as you can, five or six sentences at most. It seems that we all have short attention spans, so get to your point quick, or your risk losing your audience.

Share your passion. Think about it. Why do you do what you do? Why are you passionate about it? Passionate people don’t “sell insurance,” they “help families ensure their financial futures.” A passionate PR pro doesn’t just “write press releases,” he “tells stories that get people’s attention.”

Include a measurable result. You may know how much money your client saved with your product, or you may have helped them increase their sales by a a specific dollar amount. If so, use those numbers. For example, “After working with us, our customer increased their sales by $3 million” or “The repeat business they generated after our training increased their sales by $350,000 in just six months” are effective because they mention a specific quantifiable improvement your customer got from working with you.

If you don’t have a measurable number, use statistics to lead to a dollar figure. For example, “the average customer turnover is 20% per year, so even if you cut that down to 10%, it’s like increasing your sales by $100,000.”

Want to know more? The WOW! Story is just one part of the Million-Dollar Self-Introduction Formula that I’ve created to help people just like you introduce themselves in a way that’s compelling.