If you want to sell more, tell more stories. A good sales story stimulates the mind and encourages people to talk. If you are selling and people are not on the same page as you say, it is almost impossible to move them into action. You tell the stories to get people to recognize you and create impact.
Stories are not more important than features or benefits; they help accentuate points and create feelings. Combining data and logic from the left side of the brain with emotional stories from the right side of the brain is a powerful way to stimulate the mind and teach things from a different perspective. People more often forget the facts and details but find it easy to remember a good story.
What people sell is not just how they see an idea, the product or the service; it's how they see things that work for their benefit. The narration introduces people to their own minds, emotions, and images. Although thoughts are largely shaped by logic, data, and information, most decisions are made with the emotional right side of the brain.
President Ronald Reagan was a great storyteller and in his late 70s he became President. He joked about him and his age again representing a potential problem to an advantage that he used stories, wit and humor:
One of my favorite age ratings comes from Thomas Jefferson. He said that we should never judge a President on his age, just on his job. And after he told me that, I have stopped worrying, and will only show how young I am, I intend to campaign in all 13 states.
Robert Kiyosaki, author of Dad Rich, the Poor Dad series has sold over 26,000,000 books since 1997. Most of Dad Rich's success is not simply because Robert wrote a good book. The message to become a better money manager and use the power of financial literacy and leverage to create wealth defied conventional thinking: it takes money to make money.
Robert worked a story of logic and emotion and told it in seminars, on the radio, on TV, and in newspaper interviews. He perfected a structure that turned a boring lesson about money into something exhilarating and emotionally telltale. The story of two parents is an unusual message and the cornerstone of Papá Rico's success.
- Are you a master of sales because people tell their stories, values and knowledge?
- Do you get people emotionally involved?
- are you unique and an example to others?
Storytelling Strategy
We tell stories in sales situations because it is often difficult to create excitement for the service or product. The reality is, showing advantages and benefits can be achieved in simple brochures or on the internet. However, creating images in the mind is often a powerful way to stimulate emotions and move people to action.
Use stories to:
- Keep ideas in order and show ideas sequentially
- Indicate how things happened
- Help others understand why things happened
- Share information and illustrate another's successes
- Illustrate the principles that can be used in any situation
How to create a Story
People don't necessarily see things from your point of view; they see things by their paradigms. Because an effective sales story is often a paradox. While storytelling is important, hidden value is how others interpret the story for their own benefit or point of view.
Stories work best when they are created to fit situations and use emotional cuts. The cut may be something that will stimulate others to ask questions or introduce ideas of what, when and how to make a purchase decision.
To formulate a Story:
- Start with simple, recognizable truths
- Shows the way out of problems and situations
- Illustrate the success of satisfied customers
- Describe why your products perform better than their competitors
- Explain why your products have more value
- Use scenarios of why things work and happen
- Leave customer rooms to have your own views
Once you develop a good story you can use it many times. However, if you improvise stories without a planned strategy of what you want to achieve and how you are going to tell it, you can simply find yourself in a conversation without direction or objective.
Storytelling
One of the most difficult things for people who must speak and function in public. His thoughts turn in his stomach and he is very nervous. People are concerned with creating a show about them, being perceived as unprofessional or not being a good communicator. However a secret advantage of storytelling is that you memorize what you visualize in your mind and tell it in your own words. You don't need to read a prepared script or presentation that often helps people focus on the storytelling and takes away the worry of how they present themselves.
1- Learn the History. We learn by repetition. Tell the story in your mind enough for you to be comfortable getting to know it. Practice in front of the mirror. Tell the story to others to get opinions.
2- Remember History. You don't have to remember a speech or presentation literally, the key is to remember the essence and key points so you can take the information and data and turn it into something interesting that people probably want to hear. The images will stay in the mind while the words are often forgotten.
3- Tell the Story. Wear it with your own natural style and expression. Be as authentic as possible, this will help your confidence. Use timing and emotion gear to communicate key points.
Develop a bank of key stories to illustrate important points, arguments, answer objections, and show advantages through real-life situations. In sales meetings share stories, talk about what works best. The more you learn and practice telling stories, the better communicator you will be. Narration increases sales; this is an executive communication tool.
