When I’m driving long distances, I like to listen to audio books. You might think I’d listen to professional improvement audio – and many times I do – but I’ve really gotten into historical novels. I just finished listening to “Killing Lincoln,” by Bill O’Reilly. I have to tell you, the miles between Kansas City and the middle of Nebraska just FLEW by (and not only because I was airing out my Impala SS)!
O’Reilly, in the intro, unabashedly says that the book was written “thriller style,” and why not? First of all, dry history narratives are boring. And second, what’s more thrilling than a murder novel (even with one as tragic an ending as this one)? O’Reilly has mastered a skill that’s vital to moving your sales to the next (top) level – storytelling. Good stories can pull a customer into your sales call in the same way that “Killing Lincoln” (and “Killing Patton” on a past trip) pulled me down the road effortlessly. So, what’s the difference between storytelling and conventional selling?
Storytelling is a narrative. Narratives have a beginning and an end. A who, what, where, why, and how. And narratives draw you in and make you part of the story, enjoying it and what comes next. And narratives don’t have to be long. For instance, let’s look at what most people would consider to be a basic ‘company story.’
“This company started in 1994 when the owner decided that he wanted to sell racing parts. Over the last 20 plus years, he kept adding new product lines and decided to carve out a niche in safety products. That’s why we’re the auto racing safety experts nowadays.”
Pretty basic, sticking to the facts, right? A version of this is how most “company stories” are told. Just the facts and nothing but the facts. Now, let’s try this:
“The founder of our company was a lifelong racing enthusiast, and in order to maximize his racing dollar, set himself up as a dealer for a few parts lines. Honestly, it was just so he could buy at a discount, but he sold stuff to some of his buddies, too. It occurred to him that if he did it on a bigger scale, he could support his racing habit, so that’s what he did. Then, about fifteen years ago, a friend of his got hurt very badly because he wasn’t using the right safety equipment. That was the turning point. Our founder started researching racing safety, publishing articles on safety, and decided to specialize in safety products for the oval track racer. That’s where we are right now. When you buy from us, you buy from someone who only does safety products, knows safety, and is passionate about racing safety.”
See the difference? The story had a beginning, a middle (the turning poing – a friend got hurt), and an end (the present). It had the who, what, where (actually, I eliminated that just for the reasons of this article), the why, and the how. And – most importantly – it had the key reason for buying. ANY salesperson working for ANY company can construct a story like this – it just takes a little bit of thought. Here are some stories you should have on hand, ready to give:
Your company’s story: This one seems obvious, but it’s often not. I’m amazed at how many salespeople – and even managers and owners – can’t articulate their company’s story in a way that’s interesting and appealing. Brainstorm your company’s story, and make it exciting and interesting.
Your personal story: I’m really thinking of your professional story here. Your customers want to know you, and why you do what you do. So, tell them! Better than that, tell them in such a way that is interesting and exciting. Something you don’t know about me – I’m a classic “accidental salesperson.” I really (thought I) wanted to be a marketing executive, but before I could do that, I became a salesperson and loved it. A number of years ago, I actually found a position as a marketing VP, did it for a year, hated it because it was so far divorced from the sale, and went back to what I love (sales and sales management). What is it about your career that your customers might find surprising and interesting?
Your key products’ stories: You probably have key product or service lines. Each one of them has, or can have, a story. What is it, and how can you make it interesting?
Your success stories: What have you done to really fix problems or improve the conditions of your customers? These stories can be both interesting and exciting, particularly if your customers are about to face the same problems.
The bottom line is this – you can simply recite facts and figures, show features and benefits, or you can tell compelling stories that draw your customers in. It takes time and practice, but it’s worth it.
