If you’re a follower of For Impact, you’ve heard me say (probably a hundred times),
“You’re in SALES … get over it!”
The concept of ‘story’ is a huge element of the SALES process.
Selling is not about a PITCH (on an elevator)! It’s not a spiel. It’s not memorized.
It’s about a dialogue.
We ASK QUESTIONS. We LISTEN TO THE RESPONSE. We then RESPOND with a STORY or STORYLINE!
We used to call this IMPACT POINTS and TALKING POINTS. It was the idea of “reaching into your quiver of arrows” and selecting the right response. You could also think of it as reaching into your collection of STORIES.
Just ASK. LISTEN. RESPOND … with a STORY.
One of my favorite axioms around selling is that:
SELLING IS NOT TELLING!
Spewing, vomiting or unleashing a bunch of ‘words’ is not how you SELL!
Now … however, I always add this line … ‘UNLESS it’s a STORY!’
‘Telling’ a story is, without question, the most meaningful way to communicate any MESSAGE!
Stories inspire … empower … bring people together.
SELLING IS NOT TELLING! (Unless it’s a STORY!)
