The Story as Sales Tool: Why Stories Resonate with Prospects and Customers

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Have you ever heard a story that could have been about you?
Ever heard a story that reminded you of another one?
What about a story that sounded vaguely familiar?
Welcome to the power of story.

Unlike facts and figures, that often leave us cold, stories connect!And they connect deeply, often stirring us emotionally at a heartlevel. That抯 what makes them memorable.

The Prevalence of Stories
We're wired for stories! And since birth we've been conditioned torespond to stories. It's how we learned about our family andenvironment, culture and country, our religion, strangers and the worldat large. We remember stories, and we tell ours and others, repeatedly.And stories aren't just transmitted orally. They are fed us in and outof school, through books, radio, newspapers, opera, television and eventhrough the Internet.

Stories in Sales: Story Tell, Story Sell
I've written before about the use of short success storiesto help you sell. I prefer a three-part story, utilizing aSetting-Situation-Solution format. Using this format, you soft sell alistener on what you did for past clients, what you did on pastprojects, or the difference a product or service of yours made insolving a problem, overcoming a challenge or generating a favorableoutcome.

The Power of Archetypal Stories
Stories work on both conscious and unconscious levels with listeners.When you tell a story that echoes an archetypal theme the listener nodsin agreement on multiple levels. Think about the stories you tell asyou sell. Do they mimic traditional themes that represent the humanexperience? For your stories to connect, I recommend they allude to oneof various familiar archetypal themes: