The Hidden Selling-Power of Sales Stories, Part 1: Discover Why Sales Pros Use Stories
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It’s no secret that Sales Champions use sales stories. Let’s take a closer look. Why?
Stories Quickly Build Trust and Rapport with Prospects:
A story is the easiest and fastest way to develop trust with a prospect. When you are telling a relevant and interesting sales story, the prospects treat you more like a friend than a salesperson. Friends listen actively to each other and their stories.
Sales Stories Act as Invisible Selling:
When you use the script: “Let me share with you a story…,” the prospect lowers resistance and thinks: “Oh, the salesperson is just telling me a story” and they let their guard down. Your selling stories will powerfully deliver your main selling points and motivate the prospect to take action and buy today.
Sales Stories Move People Emotionally:
Many of us realize that prospects buy with emotion and justify their buying-decision with logic. A story takes an abstract product or service and makes it real in a way that emotionally connects with the prospect.
Think about the heart-rending stories used in a life insurance sale to help the prospect connect—emotionally—to the reasons why life insurance is so important. You can effectively utilize the emotional power of stories in promoting your business or industry.
Sales Stories Suspend Time:
An engaging and dynamic selling story holds and grabs the prospect’s attention, since the prospect is focused on the story and is not primarily focused on the time.
Sales Stories can be Humorous:
Stories that are appropriate and humorous can improve the effectiveness of your sales presentation, so don’t be nervous about including a relevant, humorous one to your prospect. Script your story—word-for-word—and remember: Funny equals Money!
What are you waiting for? Start using stories in your sales presentation today!
Be sure to read my next Blog Post:
The Hidden Selling-Power of Stories, Part 2:
Learn Where to Strategically Place Your Stories in Your Presentation.
Sharing who you are by being vulnerable and telling true stories about yourself can make a huge difference in your bottom line — and your personal satisfaction with your business relationships. Research indicates the more you share of yourself in your marketing copy, the better your sales results. It’s human nature for folks to prefer to associate with people we know, like and trust. And according to Joseph Campbell: “What is most personal is most universal.” People often relate based on things that may even seem trivial to you, such as where you grew up or your hobby.