Story Selling Every ad tells a story. What's yours?

That's the untold story behind your decision to get into thebusiness you're in today? Was it a lifelong ambition? Were youbusting your buns for someone else in the field and decided to goout on your own? Was it the inspiration of a family member orfriend in the same industry? Or was it just an opportunity thatfell into your lap?

Everyone has a story--a potentially interesting story--to tellabout how they got into the business they're in . . . a storythat can actually be used to promote your business. Even if youthink your particular tale seems mundane, trust me, it can beturned into a provocative hook for an ad that gets peopleinterested.

I once wrote a column about a former social worker who made arather radical career leap to running a maid service. She hadwritten to ask me if there might be a provocative way to promoteherself, and I told her, in effect, she was sitting on it. Isuggested she use the headline "Why I gave up social work torid the world of dust balls" in her ads, followed by herstory. I thought it would add lots of curiosity value and establishcredibility through the real-life element of the message.