Research shows that sales are not generated with offers, discounts or prices alone, but people choose to buy a product or service when they make an emotional connection. What better way to make a personal connection with the product or service than to tell a story. No wonder, good sales people we meet are good story tellers too. Here are a few story-telling tips that will help your business prosper.
Practice your message
You know your sales material but to sell you must have a message that does not come across as generic. Your customers won’t like to be targeted with the same pitch that other’s offer. Create a good pitch that addresses the customer’s needs and practice it to retain customer’s attention throughout.
Use bullet points
Practice your message but do not rehearse it. Rehearsed messages do not warrant the same attention as one-to-one discussions. Speak naturally and try to maintain a conversation with your client. You may want to take some bullet points with you, for reference, but all you need to sell is a meaningful conversation about your product with the client.
Solid beginning, middle and end
Start well and hook your audience and reach the middle while holding their attention. Finally end your pitch with a clear call to action. While preparing your pitch, always ask why the audience should care to listen to you. What is in store for them? If you hold their attention throughout your pitch, you are now much closer to a sale.
Personal stories
Add a personal story to your pitch and go for the kill. Once you have made a human connection, the client has bought the idea of purchasing your product / service. No amount of statistical information can beat the decision taken with an emotional connect.
Photo Credit: Flickr/Magenta Rose
