Why You Need Storytelling in Sales and How to Learn It
Sales and storytelling, you must have heard about these two terms in the business world. As easy and obvious as the relationship between them might sound, it can be confusing.
In this article, I will present to you the why behind combining the two and how you can do that on your own to scale your business.
The importance of storytelling in sales:
Do you often feel like salespeople are too friendly to the point that you build a connection with that person?
Well, that’s part of their job: creating relationships with their prospects through an effective way that is storytelling.
Storytelling is a powerful tool that can help you sell more.
When you tell a story, it helps to build trust and rapport with your audience. People like hearing stories because they are memorable and can help you connect with them on an emotional level.
One of the biggest reasons why people don’t buy is that they are unsure. They need to be convinced that this product will solve their problems and make them happy. Storytelling can help you convince them.
If you can tell a story about how your product helped someone in the past, people will be more likely to buy from you because they will feel like they are part of something bigger.
Storytelling can also help you stand out from the competition. If your product is similar to another one, but yours has a story behind it, people will be more likely to buy from you.
This is one of the most important skills in sales. You need to be able to convince people that your product will make their lives better.
So, if you’re a salesperson, one of the best things that you can do is develop your storytelling ability. Because when you’re a good storyteller, people will trust you. They’ll like you. And they’ll want to do business with you.
Remember stories sell because people buy your WHY not your WHAT. And your WHY is clearly emphasized in your story.
How to learn storytelling?
When I hear this question, it sounds like we’re talking about some weird or supernatural thing. While, in reality, all human beings are storytellers. That’s our way of bonding and connecting with one another.
Maybe the right question here can be how to improve this skill that is already inherent to you.
And the ultimate answer to that is PRACTICE! It is the best way to get in the habit of telling stories and mastering it as a skill.
The more you practice, the better you will get at it. You can also try to come up with stories on the fly, but this is much harder than coming up with a story beforehand.
Keep in mind that it is a process and it takes time. Don’t underestimate your progress. And don’t be too hard on yourself.
Here are some questions that can help you assess the quality of your story:
- Is my story clear and easy to understand?
- Can my customer see himself or herself in this story?
- Am I showing my point through the story or am I just telling facts?
- Is my story easy to follow? Can my customer retell the story to themselves easily?
- Does my story reflect the bright future I’m offering my customer?
- Does my story open a room for my customer to dream and imagine while listening?
Key takeaways:
- The key to successful sales is not about how many people you talk to. It’s all about how much your customers trust you and the relationship you build with them. And storytelling is an excellent way to build that trust and make your customers feel like they know you.
- People buy you WHY not your WHAT. That’s the reason why stories sell.
- The ultimate way to master storytelling is by practicing.
