Sales "Storyteller" Engineer

Everyone can be a Sales Engineer, but not everyone will be a great Sales Engineer. The choice to be great or meh is only yours. Being meh pays pretty well. But if you're great, now that's a whole different level.

One of the ways to become a great Sales Engineer is through the art of storytelling.

Storytelling is a powerful tool for building relationships with customers. When talking to them, you can use your story to make them feel included so that they see themselves as living a better life with your product or service—and then sell the fantasy of having your solution.

Resonate with your customer by telling them stories they can relate to, and make them feel amazing by letting them know how much better their lives will be once they have your solution!

When you’re telling stories, make sure they align with your brand. You don’t want to tell a story about how you got started in the business by selling fruit baskets at the local farmers market if your company is all about delivering high-quality software applications to Fortune 500 companies. Instead, tell a story about how you started the business by delivering software applications to Fortune 500 companies. If you don’t have any stories, go out and find some!

You can find stories about your customers, and employees, industry news, and events. You can also create your own by sharing the challenges you’ve overcome on your journey to success. The key is ensuring that every story you tell resonates with your audience. Stay away from generic, “hard sell” stories. The best stories are personal and specific to your target audience.

Humor is the quickest way to build rapport with your audience and humanize yourself as a speaker. It also makes it easier for people to relate to you and remember what you say. The best way to use humor is to tell a personal story with a funny twist. For example, if you’re talking about how your business started, tell the audience how it all began and then describe the first time someone told you they loved your product or service. You can also share a humorous anecdote from your childhood or college days. Humor can also help you make a point more memorable and easier to understand by breaking down complex concepts into simple terms. When using humor in a speech, try not to go for cheap laughs. Instead, aim for real humor that people will find funny because it’s relatable.

My Internet stopped working for 5 minutes.

Met my parents. They’re nice people.

Although humor is an effective tool for engaging an audience, it’s important not to overuse it. You don’t want your audience to tune out before you start. Instead, focus on making your speech as informative and relevant as possible.

Don't bash competitors or previous employers. You might think it’s a good idea to bash your competitors or previous employers in your speech. After all, you want people to know why your company is better than the rest. However, this negative talk can make you seem bitter and unprofessional. While it’s OK to mention other companies and their products in passing, avoid going into detail about what they do wrong or how they can improve.

You can talk about demanding customers but talk more about great customers and how you were able to please them. Instead of bashing your previous employer, talk about what made him or her great. You can even mention something positive about a competitor's product if it’s relevant to your speech.

A natural storyteller makes the character - your customer - see themselves in your story —which will keep them engaged. Engaged customers are more likely to trust you, like you better, and buy from you. You can mention other characters in your story, but keep them brief and focus on their role in the plot. If you need to mention other characters, give them a name and one or two attributes that make them memorable.

Your customer needs to feel how their life has already improved —or how it will improve—by buying your product. You can tell a story about someone who has successfully bought and used your product. You can tell a story about someone who has bought your product and is happy with it. You can even tell an aspirational story that describes how your product will improve someone’s life who hasn't bought it yet! But if you want to tell a story that sells, make sure it focuses on the benefits of buying from you rather than just describing what your product does.

If you want to be a great Sales Engineer, your customers need to remember you for your great stories. The best Sales Engineers are funny, engaging, and memorable. They make their customers feel like they’re the only person who can help them solve their problems. Great Sales Engineers sell more than just products; they sell solutions.