Storytelling is a powerful tool for outside sales, as it can help you connect with your prospects, demonstrate your value, and persuade them to take action. But not all stories are equally effective for different types of customers. In this article, you'll learn how to use storytelling to appeal to different types of customers based on their personality, needs, and goals.
Before you craft your story, you need to know who you're talking to. Different customers have different preferences, motivations, and pain points, and you need to tailor your story accordingly. One way to do this is to use a framework such as DISC, which categorizes customers into four types: Dominant, Influential, Steady, and Conscientious. Each type has a different communication style, decision-making process, and emotional trigger, and you can use this information to shape your story.
By employing customer segmentation strategies and conducting thorough audience analysis, businesses can identify different customer types and their corresponding emotional drivers. Armed with this understanding, storytelling can be customized to address the specific needs and desires of each customer segment, creating narratives that evoke the right emotions and forge a strong connection between the customer and the brand.
Once you know your customer type, you need to use the right story structure to capture their attention and interest. A common story structure is the STAR method, which stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This method helps you present a clear and concise story that shows how you solved a problem for a similar customer. However, you can also adapt this structure to suit different customer types. For example, a Dominant customer might prefer a shorter and more direct story that focuses on the results and benefits, while an Influential customer might enjoy a more engaging and emotional story that highlights the human aspect and the testimonials.
Another key element of storytelling is the emotional appeal. Emotions are what drive customers to buy, and you need to tap into the right emotions to persuade them. Different customer types have different emotional triggers, and you need to use the right language, tone, and imagery to evoke them. For example, a Steady customer might respond well to a story that shows trust, loyalty, and stability, while a Conscientious customer might appreciate a story that shows logic, accuracy, and quality.
By leveraging storytelling techniques such as relatable characters, compelling conflicts, and transformative journeys, businesses can tap into the emotions of their target customers, creating narratives that evoke feelings of empathy, joy, or even a sense of urgency, ultimately influencing purchasing decisions and building brand affinity.
Finally, you need to end your story with a clear and compelling call to action. A call to action is what you want your customer to do next, whether it's to schedule a demo, sign a contract, or refer a friend. Your call to action should be aligned with your customer's type, needs, and goals, and it should show them how your solution can help them achieve them. For example, a Dominant customer might want a call to action that shows urgency, authority, and value, while a Steady customer might want a call to action that shows support, reassurance, and commitment.
Storytelling is a skill that can help you boost your outside sales performance, but you need to know how to use it effectively for different types of customers. By identifying your customer type, using the right story structure, appealing to the right emotions, and including a call to action, you can create stories that resonate with your prospects and motivate them to buy from you.