Someone once asked me, “If you had one tool for sales/marketing in your toolbox, what would that be?”
The answer is pretty easy. If I had one tool in my sales/marketing toolbox, it would be a collection of powerful stories. Customers long to hear stories of other people just like them who have crossed the chasm and have achieved transformational success with the problem they are facing.
In today’s age of information overload, good stories stand out more than ever.
We are 22X more likely to remember a story than fact.
The magical science of storytelling – how you can change someone’s brain mood and brain chemistry simply through story.
It’s shocking how many leaders and sales people are downright awful at telling compelling stories. We’re not talking “tall tales” here, we’re simply talking compelling stories. As the saying goes, “Good stories happen to those who TELL good stories!”
David Phillips gives an engaging Ted Talk on how storytelling can change your brain chemistry.
>> A few tips on telling stories:
Everyone is a story teller. Start paying attention to your client’s success stories – where they were before, their struggles, their goals, and then the process of transformation.
You are not the hero of your stories – your client is the hero! Make THEM look great, and just position yourself as the guide. Your stories will be more persuasive and compelling to your customers and team members if you do.
Start writing your stories down and telling them across your team. Practice making the stories more compelling over time, and use them on prospective clients to gauge their response. As Jonah Sachs said, “Those who control the narrative control the outcome.”
Compile a “Story Bank” of customer success (and failure), and share those across your team frequently. Those stories become “north stars” for both you and your customers .
>> Further reading and resources on story:
Winning the Story Wars by Jonah Sachs
Link to lecture on the power of storytelling to change your brain chemistry (fantastic!)
