We All Tell Stories

You know those people who tell great stories? They’re magnetic and captivating. They hold the attention of an entire room and make time stand still. Those are special people, and you don’t have to be one to tell great stories.

I used to think that I wasn’t a good storyteller, and then a couple of people told me exactly the opposite, and I started thinking differently about the concept.

Most people try to force some sort of narrative because they read it in a book. It doesn’t usually go well because it’s so contrived. We naturally speak in story. It’s how we communicate. You’d on’t realize you’re already telling a story, then you try to jam another one in, and it just doesn’t work.

When you recognize the stories you’re already telling, it makes it a lot easier (and natural) to just lean into those elements.

Salespeople can easily tell stories by illustrating the problems their customers have. It happens during prospecting and even more in good discovery. You empathize with where they are and help them look around the corner at what they may be facing in the immediate future. When that narrative is correct (and it should be if you’re talking to the right people), you position yourself as and expert and someone who could be a valuable guide for them; a trusted advisor.

One way or another, it’s best to commit. Go all in on a predetermined narrative that makes sense to tell your customers, or lean into the way you naturally communicate. One of those approaches has a higher ceiling, but the other is a little more straightforward. 

The state of the art of professional selling is putting your prospects in the middle of their own story and making them realize they're there.