One of the questions we constantly come across is “What are the best stories to craft when trying to perfect my sales pitch?”
It’s a natural question. Stories are the best way for an audience to engage with and, most importantly, retain information. It’s likely that in the 20-30 minutes you spend with a client, they will retain only one or two things you say.
So how do you make your mark?
Devise your PCP story plan–Personal. Company. Produ
Personal: It always amazes me how people prepare weeks for an important sales call and when they get in the room, they fail to present themselves! Your personal story should be just that–personal. This is your one (and likely, only) chance to really humanize yourself with your audience.
Company: You may work for one of the largest, most well-known companies on the planet, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your audience knows what your company’s story is (or cares, for that matter). The best way to craft your company’s story is to answer the question: Why should your audience care?
Product: The introduction to the product must first and foremost grab the audience’s attention, and there is no better way to do that than to answer a very simple question right off the bat: What will your product do… for me. The best way to answer that could come in the form of a story based on a similar customer profile that used your product to great success.
The best sales leaders know that the most effective sales programs combine the best of art and science. Having the knowledge of sales cycles, pipelines, forecasts, and analytics can only take you so far.
You are, after all, selling to humans (at least for the foreseeable future!). Sales training helps you win over minds. Storytelling helps you win their hearts.