THE POWER OF STORYTELLING IN SALES

It’s probably the oldest art form of them all. People have passed on stories since the beginning of the human race. It started around campfires, evolved through the Bible and Shakespeare. Today it’s TED talks and Instagram Stories. 

 Telling stories is also a super effective sales technique, a primary way of doing business. If you can be a great storyteller, you can also be a great salesperson. Here’s why.

 Stories build connections

In their influential book 'Make It Stick', Chip and Dan Heath uncovered a staggering statistic. 

‘After a presentation, 63% of people remember stories. Only 5% remember a statistic.’

When it comes to sales presentations, people are tired of Death By PowerPoint. They prefer stories because they make a connection. When you tell a story you reach out, you connect on a personal and emotional level. Stories give your listener an insight into what drives you, your ‘why’ rather than your 'what'. Stories show that you’re human and authentic. Stories make people like you and trust you.

The trick is to tell a story that not only connects with your listener and makes that connection, but also helps differentiate your product or service from the rest of the pack. 

Types of sales story

 It’s difficult to say what story you should construct as part of your sales presentation. Every story is unique, and you need to find the one that best shows off what’s unique about you. You also need to tell a story that connects with your audience. Here are some ideas you could try:

? Analogies and metaphors – ‘What if…?’, ‘Imagine if…’. Tap into what’s causing your prospect pain. Get them to wonder if there’s something that can effectively relieve the pain they’re feeling. (There is, and it’s you)

? Your story – Tell a story of why you do what you do, your mission. Why are you here? What problem are you trying to solve? What setbacks have you overcome? This builds rapport with your prospect, and shows that you have a genuine concern for them and their business. You’re not just out for a fast buck.

? Proof stories – Real-world examples of people who used your product and made themselves the hero. Proof that your product can do the same for your prospect. 

How to tell a story

Once you’ve decided what type of story to construct, it’s time to get out there and tell it.

Here are my 10 storytelling tips:

1 – Make your story clear and easy to understand. Give it a beginning, middle and end. Guide your audience through your story.

2 –What is your goal of your story? What do you want to achieve? This will help you construct the right type of story for your audience. 

3 – Give your story a hero, someone your customer can see themselves in. On second thoughts, make your customer the hero.

4 – Make sure your prospect is following your story. You can do this by asking rhetorical questions to check they’re with you. Check on this every 60 seconds, minimum.

5 – Give your hero a big victory. Show how they bridge the gap between terrible pain and triumphant victory. This will make it all the better when your prospect makes the connection between the story and their own predicament.

6 – Once your prospect has their moment of clarity, and sees the bright future from your story for themselves, it’s time to move the deal on. Get closing!

7 – Let your characters speak. Give them credible dialogue.

8 – Don’t be afraid to get emotional. Get your prospect feeling things. Give them something to remember.

9 – Show, don’t tell. Get your audience to work out the meaning of your story for themselves. Be a guide, but not a spoiler.

10 – Give them a story they can easily retell themselves, again, something to remember. Don’t make it look like you’ve planned it too much though!

…and they all lived happily ever after.

Remember, your audience wants to feel something from their contact with you. Give them something. Give them a story, not stats. Show them the human side of your business, and you’ll make much better connections.

Over to you now, what are the best sales stories you’ve told, or heard? What tips do you have for someone trying to incorporate storytelling into their sales process? Leave a comment below.