FROM TOLD to SOLD! Leverage Your Stories to Resonate with Prospects and Customers

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 heart level. That's what makes them memorable, and powerful as a sales tool.

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

Stories in Sales: Story Tell, Story Sell
I've written before about the use of short success stories to help you sell. I prefer a three-part story, utilizing a Setting-Situation-Solution format. Using this format, you soft sell a listener on what you did for past clients, what you did on past projects, or the difference a product or service of yours made in solving a problem, overcoming a challenge or generating a favorable outcome.

The Power of Archetypal Stories
Your stories can work on both conscious and unconscious levels with prospects and clients. When you tell a story that echoes an archetypal theme your listener nods in agreement on multiple levels. Think about the stories you tell as you sell. Do they mimic traditional themes that represent the human experience? For your stories to connect, I recommend they allude to one of various familiar archetypal themes:

- The hero's journey
- Coming of age
- The acquiring of wisdom
- Pacts with the devil / fooling the devil
- Tricking the tricksters

Using The Archetypal Advantage to Connect with Customers
Consider some of these story genres and motifs for your use in selling products, services, and loyalty to brand affiliations and organizations.