It was my third week of waking up feverish, heavy headed, out of breath, exhausted. Originally the doctors thought I had pneumonia, but after further observation it was determined that my immune system was overreacting to tree pollen. I was put on powerful steroids and potent antihistamines, which I felt uncomfortable using.
That’s when a concerned friend visited me to offer help. She shared her personal story of dealing with months of excruciating chronic pain. She suffered through as best she could to maintain her career and care for her young kids – but just barely. She was losing hope that life would return to normal.
Then she was introduced to groundbreaking, natural-healing patches that she was told would eliminate her pain over several weeks. She was sceptical. It took time and patience, but gradually things got better. Now she had a new lease on life. Her pain was gone and she had the energy to move her company forward and enjoy her beautiful family. I pined for that relief, observing the sparkle in her eyes. Her story invigorated me; I was buying those patches no matter the expense. I was going to kick this thing!
That is “story selling”. Engaging the imagination and emotion of the person sitting across from you; helping them identify with an experience they either want for themselves or seek to avoid; and providing the information they need within the narrative to make an informed decision. Story can go much further to motivate someone to act rather than presenting a list of features and claims, or what we call the “dry facts”.
So how did this story move me to buy? What are the components of effective narrative in selling as a whole?
You can spend years in higher education to become a master of the theory, elements, and methodologies of powerful story creation. But for the purpose of this post, I believe you can build effective selling narratives by following three key guidelines:
- The story is true.
- The story is in service to the listener.
- The story relates to what the recipient needs, wants, and desires.
Let’s take a quick look at each story selling property.
The Story Is True
Many of us love good fiction, but when it comes to making decisions for ourselves, we want truth. A testimony from a person we trust or a narrative around the experience of a verifiable third person goes a long way in helping us picture how a solution (i.e. product or service) will work within our own context. We love real-people stories. Consider some recent box office hits: Michael (2026), Oppenheimer (2023), and Bohemian Rhapsody(2018). Each of these biographic films grossed nearly one billion in revenues.
A true story about a person or group of people does two things for our minds: 1. It opens up our imagination and emotion, two powerful pieces that impact our limbic system which drives our decision-making; 2. It presents the proof that a set of claims is true, without boring us.
Coming back to my own medicinal patches example, my friend shared her personal experience with me. Observing how she looked and acted compared to a few months previously presented the evidence I needed. And ultimately, the trust she earned with me through our interactions alongside her care & authenticity sealed my decision.
The Story Is in Service to the Listener
When we focus our narrative to the needs of the listener, in how it’s built and shared, we meet the ethical standard and the empathic quality of a strong testimony. This also reflects what I believe true salesis, finding the right clients who truly have a need for what we can provide. When our story delivers what a person requires to receive, hear, discover, learn, and understand to improve their situation, then it’s in service to them and much more than just a transaction.
My friend didn’t share her story with me to make a quick buck; she truly wanted me to have the same life-changing experience that she had. Her goal wasn’t transactional, it was transformational. Did she take a percentage of the sale? Of course! But that didn’t matter to me, if anything I wanted her to receive something for my gratitude in offering me a solution that would bring me much relief.
The Story Relates to What the Recipient Needs, Wants, and Desires
The keyword here is “relates”. The listener needs to be able to visualize themselves within the story you’re sharing. They should see themselves as the protagonist in their own narrative through the personal or third-party testimony you share.
My friend’s specific health ailment was different from my own. But her experience of overcoming a debilitating health condition was completely relatable to my situation. Her desirable outcome, being able to thrive (and not just survive) in her career and family life, was the same experience I deeply sought. As she shared her testimony, I envisioned what I wanted my own personal story to be.
In closing, a true story is a powerful tool in opening prospects’ imagination & emotion. It helps them picture how your solution fits within their own context and delivers something they really want. As the narrative integrates the evidence of a desirable outcome from an ethical, engaging, and empathetic position, not only are prospects more likely to act, they may thank you down the road.
If you need a little more inspiration, here’s a fun clip from the series Mad Men. The main character, Don Draper, masterfully sells Kodak through his own personal story. Enjoy.
Recent Comments