By Shannon Plumb
Early in my career, I had a role that required me to memorize and recite a script word for-word on every single discovery call. It was torture for me and my “love of variety and naturally flowing conversations” personality. I am also certain that it was blatantly obvious to the prospects I was speaking with. No matter how much I practiced it never felt authentic to me and how I converse.
The example above is extreme, but trust me, there are still many Account Executives who are going through lists of discovery questions like interrogations and product demonstrations that feel like someone is reading an encyclopedia of features and functionality. For too long, salespeople have been trapped in the rigid confines of scripted pitches, often sounding mechanical and insincere, like I did, above.
How to Craft Compelling Sales Narratives
It made me realize that 1. I have a deep reverence for actors who can take a script and make it seem genuine; and 2. The sales narrative isn’t one size fits all. As I share below, there should be preparation and storytelling involved, but no one out there should be memorizing word for word someone else’s narrative. The most successful sales professionals are transforming from script slaves to storytelling stars, using compelling narratives to connect with their prospects on a deeper, even visceral, level.
The Power of Storytelling in Sales
Why is storytelling so effective in sales? Humans are hardwired for stories. From ancient myths to blockbuster movies, stories are how we make sense of the world. Plus, they are entertaining, and in a world where the average attention span of a human is 8.25 seconds keeping your audience engaged is imperative. They evoke emotions, create connections, and make information memorable.
In Sales, the ability to captivate your audience can mean the difference between winning a new customer and losing a prospect. Here are some tips for a successful sales narrative.
Step 1: Understand Your Audience
The first step in crafting a compelling sales narrative is understanding your audience. Who are they? What about their job keeps them up at night? What are their needs, challenges, and desires? Detailing the personas that encompass your ideal customer profile (ICP), who are the stakeholders in a purchase decision is imperative. Every persona or role (department, title, seniority) has unique pain points and challenges. The better you understand your audience, the more effectively you can tailor your story to resonate with them.
Conduct thorough research, ask questions, and listen actively to gather insights. Current customers are a wonderful place to start to conduct this research. Why did they purchase? What were they trying to solve? What else did they consider?
Data is king/queen, so make sure that you are capturing the data from these conversations to make decisions from data, not gut.
Step 2: Build a Relatable Hero
Every great story needs a hero. In a sales narrative, the hero of your story is your prospect. Position them at the center of the narrative, facing a challenge or problem that needs solving. This approach makes your story relatable and engaging, as your prospects can see themselves in the hero’s “shoes”.
Step 3: Present the Challenge
Once you’ve introduced your hero, present the challenge they face. This challenge should reflect the pain points or problems your prospect, and more specifically the personas that you are interacting with, is experiencing. Be specific and detailed, painting a vivid picture of the struggle. Take your time here. The more accurately you can depict their situation, the more invested they’ll become in finding a solution.
You might notice your prospect getting uncomfortable, squirming in their chairs, smiling, or nodding their heads. This body language is a good sign that you have hit the challenge spot on and that your narrative is resonating.
Step 4: Introduce the Guide
In the hero’s journey, the guide is the character who helps the hero overcome their challenge. In your sales narrative, your product or service is the guide. Show how it provides the tools, knowledge, or support needed to conquer the challenge. Highlight its unique features and benefits, demonstrating how it addresses the specific issues faced by the hero. Remember this is not a feature and functionality “tour”, but rather a focus on the unique and specific functionality that addresses the challenge. Tie these back to your narrative.
Step 5: Illustrate the Transformation
A compelling story shows the transformation and in a Sales Narrative this transformation is tied to the return on investment (ROI). Describe how the hero’s life improves after using your product or service. Use concrete examples and vivid imagery to illustrate this transformation. Show the positive impact on their business, productivity, and/or personal life. This part of the story should evoke emotions of relief, satisfaction, and success.
Step 6: Craft a Strong Conclusion
Wrap up your narrative with a strong conclusion. End with a bang. Reinforce the key points and benefits of your product or service. Leave your prospect with a clear understanding of how they can achieve similar success. Encourage them to take action, whether it’s scheduling a demo, making a purchase, or signing up for a trial. Don’t ever leave a call/meeting without a clear next step, including a next meeting.
Tips for Effective Storytelling
- Be Authentic: Authenticity builds trust. Share real stories, use genuine and common language, and avoid exaggeration.
- Use Emotional Triggers: Tap into emotions to make your story more impactful. Fear, excitement, hope, and satisfaction are powerful motivators. You are looking for an emotional reaction to your story. Asking open ended questions throughout the narrative is a great way, in addition to observing body language, to understand if your sales narrative is addressing the challenge that your prospect is facing and if you’ve shared a compelling enough narrative for them to seek to address that challenge.
- Keep it Simple: Avoid jargon and complex language. Keep your story clear and easy to understand. Leave the acronyms out of the conversation.
- Practice and Refine: Like any skill, storytelling improves with practice. Test your narrative, gather feedback, and refine your approach. Dextego is the perfect way to practice and as I like to say, “Practice makes better.”.
Conclusion
Moving from script slaves to storytelling stars requires a shift in mindset and approach and lots of practice. By crafting compelling sales narratives, you can create deeper connections with your prospects, address their needs more effectively, and ultimately, close more deals. So, ditch the script and embrace the power of storytelling.
