Storytelling for Sales Success

There is a saying in the literary world to show but do not tell. What that means is to tell a story that will allow the reader to bring the words to life and imagine the story that is unfolding in their minds rather than telling them what they should be imagining. A great salesperson is no different than a great author, they just are representing a different commodity. The author is selling their vision via the vehicle of a story and the salesperson is selling a product/service using the same tools as the author; a story. I want to share with you the power of storytelling as it pertains to sales. Frequently we think that if we just tell-tell-tell all of the facts, statistics, and information about what we do we can get people to say "yes." However, I want to tell you that a compelling story is the way to get people to lean in and engage. Think of a great story that you read where you could not put it down because you had to see what was on the next page. Sales work similarly and when you show a compelling story you can get that sought after “YES” with you with their ears, their eyes, and their imagination in a way that they might not say "yes" otherwise.

Think about this, why do you do what you do that is so compelling? We frequently want to talk about HOW we do what we do and hopefully people understand the why, and that by osmosis they will understand the transformation that you are able to provide for them, right? To take them from where they currently are to where they ultimately desire to be, you have the power to do so. Tailor your sales pitch (story) whereas you show you have the ability to bring about engagement, excitement, and that should they say "yes” that you have nothing but their best interest at heart. So, that's what we want. We want them to say "yes" with their imagination and their attention before they say "yes" with their checkbook. This level of buy in is the difference between a transaction and a generational relationship which you have heard me talk about before.

Our company does outsource sales solutions, so, we actually do sales on behalf of our clients but one of the first things we do is take a period of time just asking them questions about their story. We want to understand all of the different nuances behind what they do, why they do, what got them started, and how they are able to help people. We want to get to the root of what really causes their clients to perk up and say "yes". This deeper knowledge allows us to provide a compelling story when we are making calls, sending out emails, or information on behalf of those clients that foster a relationship. Once a relationship has been developed then we know how to engage their imagination and how to engage them from an emotional place so that we can help them close more sales.

So, the moral of the story is to TELL MORE STORIES by showing what is compelling about your business and not so much statistical information, and what you might THINK has been working in the past. If you look at your bottom line, you'll be able to tell if what you are doing is currently working and if it's not, then give what I said a try.

If you have questions about how to tell stories masterfully to increase your sales, make sure you schedule some time for us to chat. I would be happy to share with you some tips that can help you to close more sales and have more fun because telling stories is a great way to get people to say "YES”!!!

-Tish