Sales stories have a profound effect on our brains and on our behavior. This goes back to childhood, when the most basic request we made as children, besides “I’m hungry”, was “Tell me a story”.
As buyers crave and demand more information, marketing teams are finding unique and captivating ways to give consumers what they want, humanizing businesses and products.
People like to buy from other people – not from nameless and faceless companies. That's why brands that use storytelling in their marketing are more likely to form relationships with their audience.
And these relationships result in greater engagement, loyalty and sales.
Consumers want to know more than what products a company is selling; they want to know the story behind them.
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Expanding influence through storytelling
The real power of a great story is its ability to transport us into other people's lives. In business, you can explore this natural human curiosity and empathy, sharing a character-based story, which includes an emotional component to which your audience can connect.
The story of the founder of your company, perhaps, and what led you to venture out on your own. Paul Zak And your research team found out about it over a decade ago.
In short, a killer story is full of visual details and senses-based – and moves in real time. It's like "making a movie with words." It involves the recipient in a special way.
To improve your own storytelling skills, consider the following expert advice:
If you want to sell, you have to make people want to hear it.
Not only listen, but you want to listen.
Sales have changed a lot since the days of pushing information down people's throats and employing borderline dubious techniques to close sales.
The consumer is now more judicious, likes to research and produce his purchases and will not fall into the telemarketing trick of giving two yes just so the quality checker can put his credit cards on sale.
This is equally real for sellers who are offering expensive products and long-term subscriptions. Languages that list the benefits of the product without context or any attempt to connect will fall into failure.
See: no matter the sector, you're always talking to people to get sales. And people only listen when they want to – so to sell, they must want to hear you.
Check out below the classic storytelling techniques reimagined for modern marketing and some important tips to apply on sales:
The Hero's Journey
Also known as monomito is the story of a bad luck – one who comes out victorious despite the odds against him. The hero leaves on a journey full of trials, tribulations and uncertainties to get enlightenment. That's what Luke Skywalker did in Star Wars.
Marks can use the monomito in the following two ways:
- Make the brand SenseiThat's a Japanese word for a teacher. Marketing professionals can create content that inspires action, sharing their experiences and learning.
The content can be in the form of words, a podcast or a video to help customers solve their problematic areas, make better decisions or get a new perspective.
- Make the audience the hero: Let your customers tell their stories. Let them show you how their products helped them improve their lives. The depositions allow the marks to do that. It's what we also call social proof, a lot used in marketing.
Mini graphics help tell stories
Although monomyth is an effective technique to inspire people, using mini graphics (visual representation of data) can help you persuade them. This storytelling technique moves between hope and reality, where you or your brand promise to fill the gap between the ideal state and the present.
How can you use this technique to influence the purchase decision? Here are two simple ways:
- Use convincing phrases on buttons that call for action (CTA) to inspire the desired behavior. The Netflix CTA “Try 30 days free” is more effective than a simple sign-up button.
- When designing landing pages or product demonstration presentations, focus on the sales benefits, not on resources. Show the users what they have!
Create ephemeral content
Social media platforms like Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram allow users to post small pieces of content that disappear after 24 hours. Brands can use ephemeral content to engage the public with a short period of attention. In addition, the fleeting nature of content creates a sense of urgency in the public.
Create contradictions
To involve the public in your story from the beginning, create contractions. Say something that contradicts the context or challenges your beliefs. The contradictory statement should not be abrasive, but something that will make them say, “Okay, I am all ears”.
Contradictions intrigue people.
Create a STAR moment
To become memorable, you need to deliver something inspiring or enlightening related to your product or service. Its contents should have a hook that your audience will grab and associate with your brand. It must be something they'll always remember. Check out five types of moments STAR you can use:
- Memorable Dramatization
- Repetible audio snippets
- Evocative visions
- Exciting storytelling
- Shocking statistics
Use metaphors in sales stories
Stories, especially metaphors, work in the subconscious mind. In sales situations, stories allow the potential customer’s subconscious mind to actually ‘get’ and see the valuable application of the solution.
Neurolinguistic programming shows that all humans function 99% subconsciously and only 1 percent consciously.
Metaphors help our brain experience a story, as if we lived it ourselves. Listen to a PowerPoint presentation where a host is zealously reading topics, for example, will activate the language processing parts of your brain, where you decode words into meaning.
That's it, nothing else happens.
But things change dramatically when you hear a story. Researchers in Spain have found that not only are the parts of the brain that process language activated, but other areas of the brain that we would use if we really lived the events of history also light up.
Stories Encourage Action
If you succeed in making your stories relevant to the potential customer situation and are able to arrest them and hold their attention, you are in a great position to influence your purchase decision. The way you position your brand and product in your stories is essential to get that yes.
The consumer in the spotlight: even when you are talking about other customers or hypothetical situations, make sure your target for sales can be seen in stories ALWAYS.
Keep the stories straight: there is no need to flower or be overly literary. You're not writing an epic, just trying to attract the potential customer. If you prepare well, you will understand the points succinctly.
Use images: learn to use storytelling that paint scenarios. Stories are a big leap from the dry presentations, but don't let them dry! Practice them on your colleagues, if possible.
Use your humor: The right moment is a gift. If you are, don't be afraid to make your potential client laugh here and there. Just don't overdo it! There's a fine line between being smart and being a secondary show.
Paint a picture: Use concrete details. The specificities of a story create the connection in the listener that makes history universal.
Stay relevant: the story must create a connection between the listener and the service or product you are selling.
Suspense sells: each successful storytelling contains a problem and a solution. Each product or service solves a problem or meets a need. No wonder, then, that sales and stories are peas in a pod.
Stick to the truth: trust is the basis of every relationship. Lies destroy that trust immediately and your credibility along with it.
Use best practices as examples: they highlight their skills and provide value to the listener, who can learn from them. With a good preparation, nothing prevents him from getting more storytelling clients.
Conclusion
Everybody hates being sold, but everybody loves a story.
Successful internal sales professionals know how to use the information available and bring them to life through stories. There is no lack of experience on the side of your company and its potential customers. You just need to develop a keen look at the information that will perfectly figure in your stories.
Storytelling is a mandatory sales skill.
Make the potential customer the hero and make him see how your tests can be solved by your product without having to force the problem.
I hope you enjoyed the article. Ready to tell stories for sales?
