Backstory: I had the honor and pleasure of doing a Storytelling for Sales keynote program for the National Wood Pallet and Container Association annual conference (NWPCA). I have known Brent, the executive director, for years as I did a keynote for him several years prior. This Storytelling for Sales keynote was all about the convergence of sales and storytelling. The article below was originally written in NWPCA’s international magazine, Pallet Central, January/February 2014 Issue.
INCREASE SALES WITH BETTER STORYTELLING
© 2014. The Chief Storyteller®, LLC.
Ira J. Koretsky
March 2014
Great leaders are great storytellers. Successful sales professionals are also great storytellers. Using personal stories to illustrate important ideas builds trust and improves likability. The old business adage of “All things being equal, people prefer to do business with someone they know, like, and trust” is true for executives who tell great stories.
Every business leader should use personal stories with specific business messages in meetings with staff, prospects, and customers. Start thinking about experiences in your personal lives that can translate into relevant business messages. Whether personal or professional, we live through each other’s stories.
Why is this important? 2014 will continue to be a time of cautionary spending. Combined with technology advances and increasing influence of social media, differentiation is more important than ever. Differentiation comes both from what your audiences say and don’t say about you, and what you say and don’t say to your audiences.
I have no use for engines. Give me the right word…and I will move the world.
One of my all-time favorite quotes is from the famous novelist Joseph Conrad: “I have no use for engines. Give me the right word…and I will move the world.” It is a perfect match to NWPCA’s Better Tomorrow Message™, “Pallets Move the World.” Make 2014, the year of the story. Make 2014. the year of the pallet, your pallet.
What stories will you tell to differentiate your and your company? Attend my March 3 presentation at the NWPCA Conference and leave with the ability to tell personal stories in business situations to make a bigger, lasting impact with staff, partners, prospects, and customers.
Photography Source: © Copyright 2018, The Chief Storyteller®, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Improve (dramatically) your storytelling, public speaking, and communication skills
FURTHER READING ON STORYTELLING FOR SALES
- The Secret? Ask Questions. A Story About Goldrush Jack (read)
- The Power Of Stories – John P. Kotter, HBS (read)
- Interest Questions, Your Key To Conversation Success (read)
- Why “What Do You Do?” Is So Important (read)
- All Sales-related posts (go)
- All Networking/Relationship building posts (go)
- All Storytelling for Leaders posts (go)
Photography Source Updated 2018: © Copyright 2020, The Chief Storyteller®, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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