By this time most of us know it’s not enough to have a terrific brand: we need a compelling brand story.

But what do you do if—as you’re telling your story—you see your listeners’ eyes glaze over? (Or, worse yet, they reach for their phones?) A few suggestions from the world of dating:

Everyone wants to feel special: Make it clear why you are telling THEM this story: The same way it’s no fun to listen to your date tell a story you can tell they’ve told everybody else, nobody wants to hear a brand story that hasn’t been tailored to them. How can you do this? Well, the same way you (likely) looked up your date online ahead of time, you need to research your listener ahead of time. Then you begin with, “I wanted to tell you about this because I know one of your goals is X and we can help you achieve that.”

Now you have their attention.

Don’t overwhelm them with detail: The same way there’s TMI on a date, there’s TMI to your brand story. So while you might want to, for example, include your organizational chart, it’s a little like drawing your family tree on a napkin. Trust me, the same way your date is likely to assume you have a rocking Nana, your listeners are likely to assume you have a super-deluxe COO.

If the meeting goes well, you can include vital stats in future meetings or follow-up emails.

Make it a dialogue: The same way you aren’t likely to go on a second date with a monologist, listeners aren’t likely to be drawn in by stories that don’t allow them to contribute. (This is also a great way to find out if you’ve gone down a rabbit hole your listener doesn’t care about.) So the same way you might – on a date—say, “Have you had a similar experience?” you might—during your brand story—say, “Have you had a similar reaction from your customer base?”

Demonstrating you value their contribution is a great way to build trust.