Sell with a story - Paul Smith Flashcards
How stories create trust
Stories create trust by building relationships based on shared human experiences.
How stories differ from presentations
Stories differ from presentations, memos or reports, which address findings; stories focus on a conflict and provide a satisfying resolution.
When planning your story
Know what you want your audience to “think, feel or do” at the end of your story.
When stories are successful
A successful story makes your audience feel the drama of the conflict.
Six facets of story
time, place, main character, a goal, an obstacle and events
Most people make decisions from the subconscious and emotional parts of their brains; stories target those areas by guiding people to identify with a situation.
Story to tell yourself
Making sales calls is difficult, so salespeople need strong self-motivation.
Consider a time when you significantly improved a customer’s experience through your efforts and thoughtfulness.
- How did the difficulty you solved originally arise?
- What did you do?
- How did you do it?
- What was the clients’ response when you presented the solution?
Use this as your motivation story to remind yourself why your sales calls are about providing service.
Story you need 1: “Why I do what I do”
For people to trust your product, they need to know why you are passionate about it. This reveals the kind of person you are.
Story you need 2: “I’ll tell you when I can’t help you”
Professional buyers also want to know when you can’t help them. This makes them trust you. Tell a client when you need to think about how you would solve a problem rather than automatically saying “I can do that!”
Story you need 3: “I’ll tell you when I made a mistake”
Build trust by sharing a story of how you made a mistake, told the client about it and fixed it.
Story you need 4: “I’ll go to bat for you”
You represent a product and company, and you support your clients. Recognize situations where you can lobby on their behalf.
Story you need 5: “I’m not who you think I am”
People hold stereotypes about salespeople, so becoming an individual to your customers is important. Identify the most obvious negative idea people might have of you and your industry. Look back on your experiences and find a moment when you manifested the opposite characteristic.
Story you need 6: “Your company’s founding story”
Humanize your company by talking about the founder, the need the founder identified and how the company grew. Don’t worry about telling what the company does since this story is about presenting its values and drive.
Story you need 7: “How we’re different from our competitors”
Most people don’t see a difference among companies offering similar products. Find a story that reveals how you are unique. Highlight that the owner or employees are members of a specialty group, have a particular work ethic, or provide special offerings or values for employees.
3 stages of relationships
- First, you get to know people.
- Then you have a chance to build rapport and confidence while working together.
- Finally, over the years, you establish “a lasting relationship and friendship.” Stories help you get there.
Listen to Client Stories
develop open-ended questions that require the clients to tell their own stories
“Day in the life” questions reveal information about clients, as well as about their staff and customers.
Sales pitch story 1: “Invention or discovery story”
Much like the founding story, this focuses on the specifics of a product. Avoid the standard corporate narrative. Instead, find a personal narrative, such as the story of the product’s inventor.
Sales pitch story 2: “Problem story”
If your product solves a specific problem, describe customers who had that dilemma and solved it. Emphasize the difficulty and any associated problems the situation created, so your product or service stands out as a clear solution.
Sales pitch story 3: “Customer success stories”
These are not testimonials, wherein customers declare their loyalty and appreciation of the product. Instead they show potential clients how actual customers in similar situations found resolution by using your product. Make videos of clients describing their experience and share them with potential clients.
“Two-roads stories”
This type of story cites a past client who experienced both a problem story and a success story. This highlights the utility of your product.
“Value-adding stories”
These stories improve the appeal of the product by showing some unusual, unique or unexpected benefit.
5 Sales Pitch Stories
“Invention or discovery story”
“Problem story”
“Customer success stories”
“Two-roads stories”
“Value-adding stories”
Closing the sale
Don’t let customers delay closing. Tell a story about clients who stalled and lost an opportunity or experienced a difficulty because they didn’t have your product.
Ask established customers about the moment they knew your product was a success and how that made them feel. Use that story to help undecided clients realize why they must close soon.
Elements of a great story
“A worthy lesson”
“A relatable hero”
“A relevant challenge”
“An honest struggle”
Elements of a Great Story 1: “A worthy lesson”
Identify the lesson the story imparts and ensure its suitability. A simply entertaining story isn’t enough to create a sales reaction. Your client needs to draw a relevant lesson from the story.
