Why Storytelling Is Becoming The #1 Sales Skill To Master

1. Why Storytelling Is  Becoming The #1 Sales Skill  To Master      We have often heard that you have to know your numbers to be effective  as a salesperson. You should do your research on the prospect and have all  the figures and stats at your fingertips. However, this alone might not be  enough to close the deal because there is something more important than  just data. And that is the power of a narrative. As salespeople, you can  increase your effectiveness by packaging available data into a familiar  story narrative for selling.  One reason that storytelling is an important skill for salespeople has to do  with our childhood. Remember how we loved sitting with adults, and wait  for them to tell us stories? For centuries, storytelling has been an  important ritual of growing up for generations. It is where most of us  learned about life, morals, having fun, etc. Whether it was an impossible 

2. fairy-tale that held us wondrous or stories of courage and bravery that  inspired us, storytelling first introduced us to the imagination.  Storytelling is one of the best ways to establish an emotional connection  with listeners. Stories inherently appeal to our younger selves and evoke  positive feelings in those who listen. ​Sales training in India​ usually  overlooks this important skill in sales. You might ask, what is the relevance  of storytelling to the serious business of sales and selling?  We all understand the importance of presenting facts logically to the  prospect. Each prospect has his own decision-making process which he  will use to evaluate your offering and come to a decision on whether to  buy or not. This decision-making process is driven by rational thoughts, but  not entirely. People, in general, are more receptive to anecdotes and  stories rather than with rational data.  This is because right from our childhood we learn the language and  thought through listening, and replicate from the conversations that  happen around us. This is why for centuries knowledge was passed on  from generation to generation orally. We mentally think in terms of  concepts (not logically), and we are more amenable to information we  receive through stories. This narrative network subconsciously triggers  attention from the listeners.  When listening to a story, it triggers our emotional response centers,  engaging us by making us link our own lives or business to the story being  shared.  This does not mean that salespeople should randomly start sharing stories.  If we really want to connect with our customers, we must share stories that  can resonate with them or their business. Another important factor is that  we are naturally drawn to stories that are relevant not only to us but to  members of our social group. You must have noticed how we tend to  remember something better if it is relevant to our team members. When  someone genuinely thinks that a story is worth retelling, they respond with  increased interest and with greater memory.  This is a crucial aspect of sales training that is not given enough  importance. Especially in India, there can be too much emphasis on other  skills. But we firmly believe in leveraging storytelling in sales training. Here  are three main reasons why you must develop your storytelling skills if you  want to up your sales game: 

3. 1. Stories help build genuine relationships  Storytelling is a great way to build and maintain trust. We tend to  intrinsically trust people we know (unless they have given us a reason not  to). We are more likely to not trust people we do not know. So how do you  make a prospect decide that they know you personally?  When you tell a story, it reveals a highly personal view of your life. When  you hear someone share their story, it establishes a connection between  you. This is because you think you know some of their stories, so you know  something personal about them. This is actually the difference between a  resume and an interview. With a resume, they have access to all your facts,  but until they personally speak to you and you share your experience,  there cannot be an emotional connect.  2. Storytelling directly addresses the  decision-making centers in the brain  Sales training in India seems to overlook this fact. Our understanding of  cognitive science tells us that though we may think we are very rational, it  is not often true. We arrive at decisions, sometimes subconsciously,  through emotional, and oftentimes irrational triggers. We, later on,  rationalize the decision as something else entirely. This is true for all of us,  and understanding this is crucial to a salesperson.  So when you are trying to influence a prospect’s decision to buy, your role  should not be limited to providing data. Speak to them emotionally, so  they are persuaded to see you not just as a salesperson but as someone  they trust. The easiest way to achieve this is through stories. 

4.   3. Stories help the prospect remember you,  your ideas and your product  Research unequivocally shows that facts are far easier to remember when  they are delivered through stories. When all the data makes a meaningful  scene to a listener, they are more likely to remember it as opposed to just  sharing dry data.  As a salesperson, you are sharing your ideas and products with a prospect.  You can ensure that they are more receptive to the information you are  sharing with stories that are relevant to them personally or to members in  their social group. If you use a story to present your ideas and facts that is  relevant to them, they are more receptive to what you are saying. Stories  build an emotional connect with the listener, which increases your  chances of persuading the prospect.  What is a Story?  Most people are sure of themselves as storytellers. This is not surprising  since most of us think in terms of stories, and hence are very confident  about our storytelling abilities. However, there are some pointers for you  on how to develop a strong story.  Storytelling in sales should be a completely logical exercise, which means  that they have to follow a logical progression. Depending on the context 

5. and the situation, the way you tell a story might change (too formal/ too  casual), but the structure has to retain its integrity in storytelling. When  you start telling a story, each section has to come from the section before.  Every sentence should lead into the next sentence seamlessly. Only then  will you be able to tie in your product/ solution into the story, which is the  ultimate goal. When there is a smooth flow from the first line of your story  to the end where you position your product as a solution, there is greater  receptivity and acceptance of your ideas.  The skill of storytelling is crucial for a salesperson and can elevate him to  the next level. There is tonnes of information available to everyone in the  world today, but a great salesperson will be able to convert this data into  stories that resonate with prospects. He should use a conventional story  structure to underlie the information in a pitch. When a pitch lacks this  unifying narrative, the ideas seem all over the place and will confuse the  audience. The bottom line is that data makes the solution legitimate, but  the story is necessary to promote the solution.  Here are a few things you can include in your story to make  it more effective at sales:  – How different types of customers have leveraged your solution  – How another customer of yours has faced a situation similar to the  prospect and how your solution helped  – How a customer faced a problem that seemed impossible at first and  how you helped  – Can you highlight results you have produced for another client of similar  size  – The show, don’t tell, the future for your prospect if he ties up with you  Source:  https://www.yatharthmarketing.com/why-storytelling-is-becoming-the-1-s ales-skill-to-master/