Story-Telling: The New Age Sales Calls

Stories; one of those nostalgic words that instantly plunge us into memory and evoke endless emotions. Most of us will relate it to that time of our childhood when we used to wait for a power cut and a pitch-dark environment so that we can run to our parents or grandparents for a storytelling session and they were always ready with new life lessons. We, with all our attention and sequins in our eyes, used to listen to them and create a fantasy world for ourselves. Is it still in existence? Do we still have a fascination with stories? Would we still want to live in our fictional world?

Perhaps the answer is YES. It may be NO. However, we often hear that there is always a child in us, and at some point in time that child dominates our thoughts and all we want is to just hear some heart-touching stories.

This human emotion is an opportunity that is tapped by effective sales professionals to communicate their thoughts these days. Approaching a client with a not-so-mechanical sales pitch and creating a story around the product or service has emerged as a much better way of selling and is indeed the “New Age Sales Calls”.

In the sales world, the traditional sales pitch is no longer enough to appeal to prospects. In this digital era, there are more competitors in the marketplace than ever before, so storytelling is integral to the sales process. A good narrative can inspire and motivate people in a way that stats and numbers simply cannot. It can also help potential customers imagine using your product or service, resulting in faster decision-making.

For some, telling a story comes of course. For others, telling stories is nothing more than bizarre. It is important to understand how telling stories helps enhance your sales pitch.

Storytelling in sales calls has numerous perks. For one, it helps build an emotional bond between the seller and the client. Instead of the salesperson simply barraging a potential customer with facts, figures, and benefits, storytelling allows for a more human interaction that can leave an ever-lasting impression.

Another advantage is that storytelling increases the retention rate of information. The facts and figures are perhaps forgotten, but the stories are memorable. Thus, when a potential client encounters a similar issue or challenge in the future, they will remember the story that the salesperson told them and be more likely to associate it with the product or service being offered.

In addition to building emotional connections and a higher information retention rate, telling stories can also help sales professionals stand out from the competition. Customers are bombarded with sales pitches every day, and many of these pitches sound the same. A well-told story can help a salesperson stand out from their competitors and convey the unique value proposition of their product or service.

However, storytelling in sales is more than just the sale of the product or service. This involves building relationships and trust with prospects. Stories can help salespeople establish themselves as competent and trusted experts in their field. By sharing stories about their experiences and successes, and by recognizing and acknowledging the challenges and concerns of their customers, salespeople can build rapport and establish long-term relationships with their customers.

So, how does a salesperson make effective use of stories when making sales calls? The key is to be relevant. A story should be relevant to the potential customer and should clearly show how their product or service can help them cope with their current challenges. The story must also be genuine and truthful for the customer to trust the seller and the product or service offered.

To conclude, storytelling is no longer just an art reserved for bedtime tales but a powerful tool that should be a part of every salesperson's appurtenances. In sales calls, storytelling is essential to create a connection with potential customers, increase information retention, stand out from the competition, and ultimately lead to more sales transactions.

So go for it, embed the power of storytelling in your sales pitch, and discern the results for yourself!