How To Tell a Story & Draw a Picture In Your Sales Presentation | Virtual Sales Presentation Skills
A picture is worth a thousand words. You may not be much of an artist, but everyone can tell stories that sketch powerful word-pictures in the mind of a prospect. A good story can punch up your presentation of capabilities more than any fancy brochure.
Telling stories helps sell intangible services. With a tangible product, prospects can see it, touch it, and try it out. With intangible services, there is nothing to touch, so craft a carefully worded picture to entice your prospect.
Case Studies Sell
Telling the right story in the right situation can be a powerful sales tool that demonstrates your capabilities to deliver quantitative and qualitative benefits. Using stories is a form of persuasion. Relating a story is a more compelling way to make your point, rather than just stating some facts. Stories appeal to the emotions and can give you a decisive edge in the competitive game of demonstrating your capabilities.
Dr.Paul Homoly, an author, coach, and storyteller, says that the most compelling reason for people to engage your professional firm is other people who found that your solution solved their problems. After all, what is a service firm? In one way, it’s the success stories of its clients.
How to Construct Stories
Dr.Homoly says the best way to tell stories is to combine them with business objectives. Homoly trademarked a phrase, Story selling, to describe the concept that includes narratives, colorful comparisons, metaphors, and similes to help clients understand, believe, and remember what you say—to actually feel your message.
Suppose a prospect asks why your service costs more than others. Instead of launching into a spiel heavy on numbers, create a story:
Think of a client who had the same objection, but is now a happy client.
Tell your prospect about the client.
Recount the specifics.
Describe the client’s current situation.
Explain the lesson the client learned.
Transfer the lesson to the present situation.
To have the greatest impact, your stories should include some personal experience. One of the best resources you can use on the subject of Storyselling is Scott West’s Storyselling for Financial Advisors.
Conclusion
To have the best impact when demonstrating capabilities, tell a story to illustrate how your new client will enjoy the benefits of working with you. By telling a story, you cover the qualitative as well as the quantitative reasons for hiring you.
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