The Ultimate Storytelling; so good it feels like cheating

Episode nr. 5

In the previous episode, I shared with you the best way of getting customers to lean in: The successful method SHOW-VERIFY-ASK and using 3rd party research drives customer interest, curiosity and, ultimately, more opportunities.

The next step in your sales process is accompanying your insight with storytelling to keep building that suspense and credibility. Storytelling helps humanise information, making it relatable and memorable.

Hundreds of books and articles have been written about storytelling techniques and how to apply storytelling in sales. Don’t get me wrong; it can be a game-changer. However, it’s not for everyone. In my view, the main reasons why not every salesperson blooms in storytelling are:

1. Lack of relevance to the Buyer: A story not directly tied to the buyer’s specific challenge can feel irrelevant.
2. Fear of sounding inauthentic: Buyers may feel that the story is a manipulation tactic rather than a genuine attempt to help.
3. Overemphasis on the story vs. the customer: Salespeople may focus too much on crafting the “perfect” story and miss opportunities to engage the buyer directly.
4. Stories that don’t showcase results: A story without clear, measurable outcomes can fail to inspire confidence in the buyer
5. Lack of training and practice: Many salespeople are not formally trained in storytelling techniques.

So, how do you deliver your insight to create an unforgettable moment for your customer and build a lasting connection? (the pros of storytelling). How can you make it simple but impactful?

“Sell with Proof, Not a Plot”

Social proof is indispensable in influencing. But it is not used enough in selling. So, sell with proof instead of telling a story. The ‘trick’ is so simple but good that it nearly feels like cheating. How does it work?

After you have shared the 3rd party insight to change your customer’s perspective of their challenges and current strategy, you say:

“I have helped other customers with this”

Most likely, your customer will ask for an explanation. Great! Now you have engagement.

All you have to do now is share what you have done before with another customer and how this has helped them drive results. For example:

“Last quarter I have helped another customer with similar challenges. We used the research of this article, figured out what that meant using their own data and apply the recommended strategy. Since then they have seen more customers coming to their website, at a greater click through rate and a 20% increase in orders.”

You can keep the first sentence always the same and replace the second sentence with:

“Since then they have seen [x % growth in …] and [ y% increase in …].”

What you do here is selling with proof, not with a plot. And it is dead easy. Try it out on your next call or sales meeting. It works and has the same effect as the best storytelling. It nearly feels like cheating.

What’s next?

Once your contact person is interested in how you have helped other customers be successful, you want to progress the opportunity. But how? What is the next step? In the next episode, I want to take you on a journey of doing things differently.

Sales Managers always ask, “Are You Talking To The Decision Maker?”—but I 100% disagree. Here’s why: …

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