11/22/2023-Hey, Did you read this book… ‘Sell with a Story’?

You won’t get good talking in stories unless you tell them frequently. There’s a story you can use for everything you communicate to your customers…force yourself to make it habitual.

YES, telling personal stories is different than telling business stories, but they’re both powerful tools that will serve you strongly to engage your customers.

The book Sell With a Story, by Paul Smith is a great resource for those wanting to add storytelling skills to their toolkit. Paul is an ex-P&G brand manager who uses his stories to encourage and teach others how to improve their storytelling.

Paul’s premise is simple: clients are more apt to remember stories that engage their emotions versus the data, facts, and figures that appear on PowerPoint slides.

Go to the library and check out the book, Sell with a Story by Paul Smith. If it’s already on loan to your competitor, buy a copy! Reading the first chapter alone will reinforce a good investment by you.

Til now, you’ve probably focused on mastering your value prop and learning how to leverage and customize it for different types of prospects and clients. That’s great…but developing strong storytelling skills will take you to the next level with your buyers.

Let Paul be your sherpa; he’s legit, and his book is too.

There’s a fine line between being a "sales performer" (clown) and an effective sales communicator (seasoned pro). While there are times every seller needs to put on the tap shoes and do a little dance, you should be more consumed with mastering the communication skills effective in today’s frenetic market.

The answer?

Storytelling. It’s the difference between settling as a relationship seller versus consistently hitting the high notes as a trusted advisor.

Appreciate that good storytelling includes telling personal and business stories.

Every Monday, be prepared to share a 2-minute anecdote about the crazy, verbal brawl among fathers that erupted at your 11-year-old’s weekend soccer game. On Tuesday, tell a little tale about how a customer used your platform/service in ways that illuminate your value prop.

Your clients won’t admit it, but a big portion of their buying decision is based on trust, and a big part of you earning theirs is showing your humanity. But they need the goods too…they need to understand how your value works for them.

You won’t get good talking in stories unless you start and commit to it frequently. There’s a story you can use for everything you communicate to your customers…force yourself to make it habitual.

Let The Story Man (a.k.a. Paul Smith) briefly explain the difference between sales stories and sales pitches in this 3-minute video.

Paul will convince you of the need to develop storytelling as a part of your skill repertoire.

Paul doesn’t say it in this video, but common sense tells you it’s dangerous to rely on PowerPoint slides to deliver your pitch…it’s not what your customers want.

Learn to tell stories, and you’ll have a high chance of being remembered and trusted.