USING STORY TELLING FOR

STORY SELLING

JOHN MYERS

PRESIDENT OF SALES

SMALL BUSINESS USA

USING STORY TELLING FOR

STORY SELLING

Story Telling

Story Sharing

Story Selling

"In a world where people

have a lot of choices, the

story may be the deciding

factor."

USING STORY TELLING FOR STORY

SELLING

Before we start…

what would you like to get out of the meeting?

Why is Story Telling so important?

What are the elements?

Why does it work?

How we use it in everyday life.

How you can have more fun!

SBUSA Minefield example

USING STORY TELLING FOR

STORY SELLING

Make it relevant!

GUESS WHO SAID THIS ABOUT SALES?

First: Thorough preparation

Second: Securing influence

Third: Gaining a hearing

Fourth: Creating a desire

Fifth: Taking the order

“You must be interested yourself, or you cannot interest

others; and the way for you to become interested, is to KNOW your book THOROUGHLY.”

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”

MY OWN RULES FOR SELLING

Always tell the truth, have fun and enjoy what you are doing.

Never ever bash the competition.

Always return phone calls within 24 hours.

If you mess up don’t blame me because I’m the vendor. It’s a

partnership. I’ll admit when I’m wrong, you should too!

Always try to do the right thing and then do it right!

Look after your customers. Customer service is key!

You have 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason. Listen twice as

much as you speak and be respectful to everyone!

Do your homework, understand your “product/service” and

be passionate about it.

WHY IS STORY TELLING SO

IMPORTANT?

The 3 elements of every convincing story:

What do I want the recipient to learn?

“Vision” stories. (Your company saved/improved a

business…”wow” stories.)

What do I want them to feel?

“Who am I?” stories. (Personal commitment and

connection.)

What do I want them to do?

“Why am I here?” stories. (Be up-front and trustworthy.)

ELEMENTS OF A GREAT STORY

Sympathetic character AKA The Hero (Prospective client)

The Hero sees a conflict that needs resolution

Tension and conflict is exposed

Crossroads where the change took place (your customer

purchased?)

Moral of the story…Hero navigated the conflict and has

been transformed into a better state

ELEMENTS OF A GREAT STORY (CONT.)

Connection….establish credibility, trust and emotional

connection. Do your homework.

Let them articulate the current state of affairs.

Desire….what’s the destination?

Expand the pain (but not too much!)

Provide hope.

Discuss potential results and seek agreement.

Move to action…motivation…..invite collaboration.

HOWEVER!!!!

CFO example

THE THREE OUTCOMES FROM THE

STORY

Learn

Current state is not a good place to be

Feel

Empathy plus new confidence

Do

Collaboration with you for success

WHY DOES IT WORK

EXAMPLE…CHARMIN TP

Mobile app called “SitorSquat”.

Humanize the brand plus add sponsorship of outdoor

events (Times Square).

Clogging and bio-degradable discussions in ads.

“We like our TP the same way we like our coffee:

STRONG!”

Friday is the only work day worth giving a “sheet” about.

Focus on philanthropy and humor…what a CHARMINg

name for TP.

HOW DO WE USE IT IN EVERY DAY LIFE?

Selling a product

Selling a solution

Selling a concept or idea in a business meeting

Bed, Bath and Beyond persuasion

Buying a winter jacket (etc. etc.)

TIME TO PLAY A GAME!

We need 2 people as volunteers!

iPhone and AT&T Android and Verizon

PHONES

ANDROID

Price

Removable parts

Relevant features

Standard USB charging

Linux and unlockable

Nice camera

I’m ok with this

IPHONE

One IOS (do I care?)

Secured Operating system (do I care?)

Over 1m apps (I have too

many already that I don’t use)

The Apple Ecosystem (awesome )

Apple stores (Hmm, a mall on a

Saturday)

Great camera

What?

SERVICES

What’s important to you as a consumer?

Making a phone call duh!

Long battery life

Service of phone and provider

Apps

Price

Functionality/features…stylus as an example

Camera

And they are talking to each other!

HOW YOU CAN HAVE MORE FUN!

Develop anecdotal stories about your job.

Develop anecdotal stories about yourself and your

friends.

Always be truthful.

Always relate to your audience. Make the conversation

relevant to them and not just about you.

Be unique.

Keep it short.