- Congruent Selling
- Congruent Selling for Pharma
- Integrity Selling (a program of Integrity Solutions)
- Adapting marketing materials to Styles
Communication roadmap
Selling Skills Program introduction video
Storytelling
Storytelling is a great way to communicate ideas. Storytelling, contrary to what people think, is not necessarily a one-way street. This is especially the case in business situations where one side tries to sell a product of concept to the other. It is also true in other situations. Take the bedtime stories we read with children. They are rarely one sided and their message does not transfer in the same manner from one child to the other, or from one night to another. If we want the story to be effective or successful, we must understand the needs on both sides. The parents may aim to teach or bring up important aspects of life in addition to putting their progeny to sleep and having a few minutes to clean up the kitchen and relax before going to bed. The child may try to spend one-on-one time with a parent, extend their waking time, or simply do something they enjoy. On both sides, there are objectives. For the story to work, both sets of objectives must be met, at least in the most important aspects. If the parent has other things to do, they hope for a short story. The child may be quite awake and wants more time with that parent. A valuable and acceptable middle ground must be established. What happens if the parent decides on a short story and picks the one that suits them best because it meets their needs? What are the probabilities that story time will be a success? If the two sides have dissonant objectives but only one side has theirs met, can we say that the allocated time was necessarily well spent? What could happen when one party does not meet their needs?
It is usually a good idea, depending of course on the age of the children, to set expectations early on. It is also a good idea to let the child choose the story they want based on set parameters (ex. It must be a shorter story). There may even be a discussion on objectives and realities to reach an agreement on the proceedings for story time. Setting expectations is also crucial in business situations
Some children just listen to the story, others ask questions. In some cases, they know the story inside out and participate in telling it, noticing if the reader makes mistakes. While bedtime stories certainly aim to create a quiet moment for the child to relax and enter a state more prone to inducing sleep, stories also provide learning. It is therefore important for the parent to ask questions relating to the story. While many children have their favorite stories, they also like to hear new ones or simply vary the experience. It will depend on situations. A child may be upset and need a comforting story or one that they associate with safety or predictability. Some days, children have been exposed to new situations, and the night story may help their understanding and integration of events or feelings. In such cases, a child may ask questions or make comments that are related to what is occurring in the story. The parent must pay attention and adapt.
The point is that stories and storytelling will vary in style and progress based on situations. Not every story is always told in the same manner. Not every bedtime story has the same objective or impact. In the vast majority of cases, storytelling is a conversation based on objectives, priorities, preferences, and needs.
It is the same for storytelling in a business environment. It is a well-documented fact that stories are effective in several situations. Stories help explain a project or a process. Stories help emphasize key messages. Stories help relate to ideas. Storytelling has been included in effective teaching or facilitation. It contributes to captivating presentations. Storytelling is highly valued in selling situations. Just like the bedtime stories we use with children, each story necessitates the proper context to be effective. It is too often the case that salespeople will choose a story (or are told to use a story) and tell it to every customer in the exact same manner.
We must help salespeople understand situations before they identify which story to tell or how to tell their story. The choice goes back to the U&I, DO™ model.
First, the salesperson must understand the situation, objectives, priorities and preferences of the person with whom the story is shared. They also must include their own objectives, priorities and preferences. Complicated? It does not have to be. The salesperson must first be clear on their own objectives and priorities. It is much too easy to state that “my objective is to sell a product”. This type of statement is also quite vague when it comes to planning an encounter. Is this my first time meeting the client, or is it the tenth? Do I have history or not? If I do, what is it? Where are we in the relationship or the sales process? What do I know about the objectives and priorities of my interlocutor? What is their self-motivation preference? If they are externally motivated, the story must speak of the impact of any action on others, on them (the client), on perceptions, on visible results or outcomes. Using the Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH) fable, I will put more emphasis on the relationship with the grandmother, the emotional reasons to make the effort to brin her food, the objective of the wolf and how the end of the story demonstrates the impact of caring, action, courage, gullibility and the importance of thinking through a problem. For an internal motivated individual, the story must speak of structure, task quality, safety, predictability or process. Going back to the LRRH fable, more emphasis must be given to thinking, reflecting, evaluating, safety and paying attention to the process. In both cases, we tell the same story. What changes is how, where we insist, where we ask questions and what questions we ask.
Understanding is followed by the identification of how the story must start, unfold and evolve. How the story starts is crucial to generate early interest. There is a difference between saying “I have a story that may illustrate the point I want to make” vs “Here is a story that you may find interesting based on what you are trying to achieve”. Questions must be asked along the way to identify if the story means anything, how it must be adapted, what needs clarification and what impact it seems to generate. In this step, which happens before the story is told, we identify questions that will help engage the interlocutor, verify the value of the story and adjust.
The story is then delivered, not as a monologue but as a discussion. As we may have done with a child during bedtime stories, we inquire on understanding, reactions, perspectives, and impact. We address what the story is transmitting and how it makes sense to the other person. We continuously seek to ensure that the story is meeting the objectives and has value.
Ideally, the final step is to clarify the impact of the story, what was learned and what must happen next.
To conclude, storytelling in sales does work and may be extremely effective. It puts things in perspective, helps insist on key aspects and generates some level of emotional connection to a product or service. But not every story works with everyone. The same story, one that has worked very well, may generate a completely different result in other situations.
Storytelling must be based on objectives and priorities on both sides. It must also consider the person to whom the story is told, their preferences and what counts for them. The story cannot be a monologue. It is constantly verifying and confirming that the information makes sense, that it makes a difference.