How can you use storytelling to build a sense of excitement with prospects outside your industry?

Storytelling taps into the emotional core of human experiences, fostering a deeper connection between your brand and the prospect. By conveying information in a narrative form, you engage prospects on a personal level, making your message more memorable.

It's a pity that my first contribution was deleted simply because I wrote about my experience with the UN, and linked to a conflict which had nothing to do with my experience I wanted to share with you. However, let me rephrase for the sake of passing on knowedge: As a film director/producer working exclusively on the topic of International Law, my company, AdvocacyProductions.ch obviously employs Storytelling for neutral reasons. I am using my films for Advocacy reasons to pass a message which is Emotionally based but Rational in order to strenghten International Law for Peace. It works. My film BROKEN - A Plstatoine Journey Through International Law" is taught to tens of thousands of university students each year.

Storytelling is a strong way to make people excited about your product, even if they're not familiar with your industry. It works because stories connect with emotions, making them memorable and easy to understand. When you share relatable stories, you help people relate to complex ideas. This captures their attention, builds trust, and inspires them. Stories also set you apart from competitors and create a cultural connection. By keeping your stories simple and clear, you guide people toward taking the actions you want. So, use stories with universal themes and real examples to create excitement and engage people who might not know much about your industry.

Building an interesting pitch is very tough versus telling a story because here you largely ensure to capture the interest of the customer and more importantly, it changes the landscape for a customer to not only hear you but probably get immerse and visualise his role-play in the success journey. Additionally, it breaks the Barrier of doubt whether he or she would be able to achieve success jointly once he adopts your product / services. It’s more like a testimony in itself when a customer visualise his road map when you are describing him the amazing output you are gonna commonly achieve. It’s important that the journey also focuses on the actual achievements and interest of both parties but for both the seller and the buyer.

Storytelling is super effective because we all love a good story. It helps us understand and relate to things. In sales, using stories makes it easier for people to see how what we're selling can really help them. It makes our product more interesting and shows we understand their needs.

No hay mejores historias que las que hemos vivido y de las que hemos aprendido y el objetivo de una buena entrevista de ventas y asesoramiento es conseguir que nuestro relato provoque que nuestro cliente nos cuente su historia, y nos muestre especialmente sus miedos, sus desafíos, sus objetivos... A mi me gusta mucho la historia y en especial los hechos históricos relacionados con liderazgos diferenciadores, ejemplos de superación, muestras extremas de humanidad y entrega hacia los demás... y muchas veces baso mi argumentación en grandes generales, políticos, humanistas, filósofos...y establezco un discurso sobre sus valores diferenciales intentando que mi cliente se identifique con el protagonista de mi historia y se vea capaz de todo.

Live!!! Dare to Live and let Live. Storys develop from experience and not from watching TV or games. Feel yourself as a living organism and storys will come without any doubt. Enjoy

Finding compelling stories involves tapping into customer successes, employee narratives, and industry insights. Personal experiences and collaborative successes also provide rich storytelling material, fostering a sense of relatability and excitement for prospects outside your industry. For example, narrate how a financial client improved efficiency with your software or share an employee's innovative contribution that led to project success. Industry insights can be illustrated by depicting how a company overcame a common challenge using your solution.

Look for compelling narratives within your organization. These could include success stories, challenges overcome, or the journey of bringing a product or service to market. Choose stories that resonate with universal themes to bridge the gap between industries.

To leverage storytelling in sales prospecting, seek stories that directly address your prospect's pain points, challenges, goals, or interests. Look to diverse sources such as your own experiences, customer successes, industry insights, and company achievements. These stories should tackle common objections and questions your prospects might have. To discover the right stories, ask yourself: What are the prevalent problems or frustrations in your prospect's industry or role? How does your solution offer remedies or superior outcomes? Share success stories from similar customer experiences, industry insights, and anecdotes from your journey that align with your solution's value.

Structuring stories effectively involves a clear narrative arc. Begin with a compelling introduction that grabs attention, perhaps by presenting a relatable challenge or scenario. Introduce key characters or elements, such as the customer or team member central to the story. Progress through rising action, detailing the problem or obstacle, and then reach a climax where your product or solution plays a pivotal role. Conclude with a resolution that emphasizes positive outcomes and benefits. This structure keeps the audience engaged, making the story memorable and impactful. Always tailor the narrative to resonate with the specific interests and concerns of your audience.

Craft a narrative arc that follows a logical sequence: introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. This structure keeps prospects engaged and helps them connect with the storyline. Tailor your stories to highlight the value and relevance to prospects outside your industry.

"The Hero's Journey" popularized by Joseph Campbell in his book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces", is a 12-step framework that makes us identify with the "journey" of the main character from ordinary mortal to superhero. 1 The Ordinary World 2 The Call to Adventure or Mission 3 Refusal of the Call 4 Meeting the Mentor 5 Crossing the Threshold 6 Tests, Allies, and Enemies 7 Approaching the Inmost and Fearful Cave 8 The Ordeal: the final, often life-threatening, challenge that tests his transformation and growth 9 Reward (Seizing the Sword) 10 The Road Back to the Ordinary World 11 Resurrection (he is a "reborn" hero) 12 Return with the Elixir. Ultimately, the hero can benefit his community or society with what he has learned and gained.

Existen muchos esquemas sencillos para crear relatos pero muchas veces son demasiado simples y estandarizados. En un escenario como el actual debemos crear una historia realmente diferenciadora y que genere impacto. Deberemos beber mucho del lenguaje y los recursos cinematográficos y teatrales y nuestro relato deberá enganchar desde el principio con un marco rompedor, introducir varios momentos de reenganche en su desarrollo y concluir con un desenlace absolutamente memorable. Evidentemente la cualificación previa de nuestro potencial cliente y el conocimiento profundo de sus necesidades deberán marcar el sentido de nuestra historia y es por ello que como comente anteriormente, conseguir que el cliente nos cuente "su historia" será crucial.

Delivering stories effectively requires a dynamic and engaging approach. Start by setting the stage with a captivating introduction to capture attention. Use vivid language and descriptive details to paint a clear picture. Maintain a steady pace and articulate your points clearly. Infuse emotion into your delivery to connect with the audience on a personal level. Be mindful of your tone and body language, adjusting them to match the mood and message of the story. Lastly, conclude with a powerful and memorable takeaway, ensuring that the essence of the story resonates with your audience.

Select the most effective channels for your storytelling, considering the preferences of your target audience. Whether through blog posts, social media, video content, or interactive presentations, adapt your delivery to suit the medium and capture the attention of diverse audiences.

See my entry under 1) Why Storytelling Works for reference. In my new educational film on International Law called "The Mandate - for whom International Law matters" I took a daring approach to filmmaking. I used my own recorded discourse about why my first film "BROKEN-the-film.com" was giving mandate to me as a producer for AdvocacyProductions.ch, given to us from Judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). My story turned into the new film with all the considerations and empathy a story can evoke. In fact, music was composed of my last sentence saying: "And That's The Mandate". You will see how this came about.

Transform your industry into a sitcom where office supplies embark on quests, and tech talk becomes a stand-up punchline. Share customer stories as epic adventures, casting your product as the hero in comedic twists. Poke fun at industry quirks, envisioning your product as a sitcom character navigating chaos. Humor builds human bonds, and it helps make your brand a friend, not just a product. Jokes stick and make your pitch memorable. Also, humor acts as a stress ball in a sea of jargon. Comedy simplifies complexity, turning intricate ideas into entertaining narratives. In the pitch sea, humor is the charm that reels prospects in with laughs, creating a memorable and engaging story. Who said industry talk can't be a stand-up routine?

The greatest sales leaders have been the greatest storytellers too. - Know your customer before scripting the story - Bring in success stories or use cases to help the customer understands the benefits - Ensure your story is genuine and relevant - Communicate the story well with confidence - Make sure the story can guide the customer and help them overcome their challenges - Do not use a templatized approach as it may not have the desired impact.

Storytelling is powerful to elicit engagement and understanding but we also need to be careful that others don’t feel they need to tell their personal stories if this is not appropriate or risky for them.

Important aspect is: make sure you include & share the value addition or impact of your solution/services to their existing business operations; be it monetary advantage or non-monetary. And needless to say story must relate to their business domain.

Storytelling is powerful to elicit engagement and understanding but we also need to be careful that others don’t feel they need to tell their personal stories if this is not appropriate or risky for them.

Explore creative angles to make your stories more compelling. Incorporate visuals, such as infographics or video snippets, to enhance engagement. Pay attention to prospect feedback and adjust your storytelling strategy accordingly. Being adaptable ensures that your narratives remain impactful across different industries and resonate with a broader audience."