Sales Professionals Collect Stories, Are You A Story Collector?

“We are all storytellers. We all live in a network of stories. There isn’t a stronger connection between people than storytelling.” 

Jimmy Neil Smith, Director of the International Storytelling Center

We all love a great story. If you want to successfully sell yourself, your vision, your ideas, and your products, you must recognize the power of storytelling.

You must become proficient in telling your own story! You do have a story and I'm here to say, it must be told.

Become a story collector and storyteller

How well do you know your own story?

How well are you sharing your story?

If you want to sell, you have to make people want to listen to you AND storytelling is a must have sales skill.

Reflect upon this for a moment... Many of you tell stories just to tell them. However, when you start asking people why they listen to and then share, there's always a reason. It might be to encourage, inspire or sway you into thinking differently.

Humans, we are empathic in nature. And as such, we respond to stories because they cultivate emotion, a sense of togetherness, and a connection.

If we agree stories help you to sell, then what makes up your sales story? Sit for a moment and self-reflect upon your sales story.

"Every story you tell is your own story."

Joseph Campbell

Why must you become a story collector?

• People retain more through stories
• Stories appeal to our emotional side
• Stories create visualization
• Stories encourage action and inspire

PEOPLE BUY STORIES

Stories are all about people, relationships and the connections between them. Can your story influence your clients or your prospects in some way? Can it inspire them on a journey to business betterment?

Telling your story and the stories of others, changes everything.

Stories are memorable, but more importantly are your stories tugging on the heartstrings?

I encourage you to move your focus away from B2C or B2B. In fact, every business interaction is H2H, Human to Human and Heart to Heart.

Imagine for a moment... what would happen if people heard your story within seconds of landing on your LinkedIn profile? Would it change the course of conversations? Would it change their opinions or perception of you?

Become a story collector and storyteller, why?

• Stories create an emotional bond
• Stories motivate us
• Stories teach and prepare us

Stop with product centric conversations. Stop with the data dumps. Stop with the sales spew and corporate crapola!

Products and features don't communicate feelings and meanings, your story does.

You can overcomplicate this all you want, BUT... your clients, your prospects and YOU, buy stories.

• Are you collecting stories?
• Are you collecting what motivates your clients into taking action?
• Are you collecting their stories that tug on their heart strings?

Your story must be true, and it must be an authentic representation of why you’re different from all the other empty suits.

COLLECT CLIENT STORIES

If we all can agree stories sell then let's think what would happen if you collected, bottled up and repurposed your client stories? Would you open up more genuine, real and authentic conversations?

Sales professionals are relationship connectors. They connect to the hearts and minds of their clients through stories.

Imagine for a moment... you're having a conversation with a prospect that sparks a client story, how many of you right now can pull from your client story library that will tug on the hearts and minds of your prospects?

Storytellers are great story collectors. Are you?

I encourage you to uncover your client stories.

Here are a few questions to help you capture your client stories:

• What challenges or obstacles have we helped you to overcome?
• What do you appreciate the most about our partnership?
• What was the reason you decided to do business with me?

BRINGING IT HOME

A true sales professional understands the story they tell is not about their personal greatness.

They get to the core of what matters. They involve the heart. The stories they share are sincere, heartfelt and not canned.

Sales is all about the art of the help. Art rhymes with heart. Get your clients and prospects to hear with their heart.

I will leave you all to reflect upon the following:

• Is your story relevant to your clients and prospects?
• Is there a point to your story?
• Is there a message behind your story or is it self-serving?

We all have a story to tell, how well do you know your story?

I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and heartfelt strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way! It's about understanding value before visibility.

Selling From the Heart is making a difference! I poured my heart into every page of this book and I think you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback, kindle and in audio. You can click on the book image below and this will take you to Amazon.

You can find more material inside Selling From The Heart.

In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps succeed by getting valuable before they get visible. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market. 

I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my stories. Integrating the use of social and sharing my story on LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.