Close your eyes and imagine you’re a buyer. You agree to a meeting with a seller because you think their offering would add value for your company.

In the meeting, the seller moves quickly past the pleasantries and starts running through slide after slide after slide.

Before the meeting, you thought their offering was intriguing, but now you’re not too sure!

Your mind can’t stop wandering as you keep thinking about the weekend. You can’t wait to get together with Lucy and Charlie on Saturday night. (They’re a hoot.)

Suddenly, something magical happens, and the vibe of the meeting changes…all because the seller stops talking and shuts the laptop. S/he pauses for a second – which feels like ten – and asks, "Are you as bored by that deck as I am?"

You nod sheepishly. (ALELUIA!)

The seller adds, "Lemme tell you a story about why our company does what we do… ."

Your eyes dilate, and you feel your mind and body return to the room.

Buyers don’t want numbers, facts, slides, and collateral pieces…they want to be engaged. Stories are the perfect communication tool…they engage everyone.

Learn to tell personal and business stories, and you’ll build engagement and trust. You’ll establish bonds with your sellers without having to stay out late closing down bars.