A number of years ago I found myself walking the sunny streets of San Francisco with my sister-in-law. We walked without agenda and ate with abandon. On the last day, we took a day trip to the picturesque town of Tiburon, where we enjoyed brunch at Sam’s Café and then stopped in the shops and boutiques along the cobblestone path.

While we had hopes of visiting every one of the stores, there was one store where we spent most of our time. There was just something about it— candles; jewelry; a few pieces of clothing; and small, “beachy” treasures graced the shelves. The owner greeted us immediately and welcomed us to her “dream come true.” She was quick to tell us that she and her best friend, both raised in the tourist town, had opened the store several years earlier.

“We were terrified, both moms of young children, but we really wanted a place where we could showcase local talent and where women from near and far could gather and really get a feel for our beautiful hometown,” the shop owner told us.

And gather they did. As the crowd grew, my sister-in-law and I stayed longer and purchased more than we ever intended.

Your Sign Says Open, But Are You?

Whether the store owner knew it or not, she was a genius. By telling a brief story to us (a pair of customers) as we walked in, suddenly we weren’t just in a store, we were walking through someone’s “dream come true.” Storytelling has the ability to instantly humanize your business, open up hearts, and immediately connect to your customers. If you have a desire to increase in-store sales, effective storytelling is the most effective strategy to get customers in — and keep them coming back.

Of course for busy retail operations adding “become great storytellers” to the list of things to do is the last thing you want, but trust me, the return on this investment is worth it and there are a few simple things you can do right out of the gate.

Here are a few foolproof questions you can ask of yourself and your customers to find usable stories in your business:

1. Where were you the first time you tried your product?

Whether you sell rugs, furniture, ice cream, etc., every store started somewhere. This question directs the memory to a very specific time and even place. Perhaps it was in a basement or at school when the crazy idea to give this thing a try struck. By focusing on the specific moment of starting, stories are more likely to emerge.

This question has the added benefit of eliciting follow-up stories — e.g., other moments on the retail journey that stand out. The answers that come from this question are stories filled with emotion, and when retold, customers enjoy purchasing a piece of that journey.

2. What is the business proudest of?

The proudest moments in any business are often those when the business fulfilled the promises it made to its customers. These stories are often steeped in struggle and desire, and give the audience an opportunity to look behind the proverbial curtain. Make no mistake, telling stories of proud moments isn’t bragging, but rather an opportunity to be authentic and vulnerable. This question has unlimited persuasive potential.

3. And if all else fails … tell your story.

Follow this logic for a moment: Customers open up to people they trust. Humans trust people they know. People get to know people through their stories. Therefore, in order for customers to open up to a business, they need to trust the business. In order to do that, they must know the business. And to know the business, they need to hear its story.

Walking the streets of Tiburon was one of my favorite recent memories, and that store played a significant role. In addition to several other goodies, I purchased a candle from the “dream come true,” and every time I light it, I think of that bright-eyed woman and her vibrant store.