Tell me a story, and I'll buy it!

I was walking in Shiraz city center, a crowded business district. Loads of thoughts in my mind and looking no where! I came across a shop, a VERY ordinary shop. They had ready meals, cookies, Pirozhki* etc

A very kind woman was inviting me in, with a real smile on her face. I looked at all the stuff and thought "fried, unhealthy, faty etc! There is no chance I eat one of these" 

The lady looked in her 60s or maybe 50s. But a shaddow of hard life and daily struggle was in her eyes.

I almost left the window of the store that a man, who was standing beside me for last 30 seconds, started to talk to me, with no intro "there are many of them, more than 100" he said. I asked "who?"

"The ladies." He added "5 years ago someone donated a house to 20-25 women with no house to live. Then he bought simple materials of some food for them. They cooked and they sold them to taxi drivers in the area, later to companies staff in the area and so on. The community grew bigger and now there is 100 of them, living and working in 3 houses like that, selling all the stuff in this store and another one in another area of the city"

He ended his words and entered the store. I followed him with no will! Bought some Pirozhkis and lef the store!

I'm trying to tell you: if there was no story, I would never bought anything from that store! The quality, packing, hospitality .... nothing made me buy, but a story!

Tell your customers a story!