Sell Stories, Close Deals

Humans love stories. We dive into movies, get lost in books—yet, in sales, we often forget the power of narrative.

I know just one company with a dedicated role for teaching storytelling to salespeople.

Here's the good news: Learning the basics isn’t hard. Below are three steps.

After that, it’s all about soaking up stories around you and practicing:

1. Watch Pixar Movies

↳ Pixar’s storytelling starts in a known world, then something happens that leads to a big change, ending with a memorable finish.

↳ This reflects your client's story—without a challenge, they have no reason to buy. The narrative arc is what ignites the emotion.

2. Know Your Place

↳ In the story with your prospect, you’re the guide, not the hero––which is the prospect.

(Think: Luke and Obi Wan/Yoda in Star Wars, Harry Potter and Dumbledore, or Frodo and Gandalf).

↳ Your product is the lightsaber/magic wand/ring. (Donald Miller’s “Story Brand” explains this idea using Joseph Campbell’s famous Hero’s Journey concept.)

3. Use What You Learn

↳ A big mistake in demos and sales decks is not using what you’ve learned from your prospect. By using these insights, you talk with them, not at them.

↳ Your storytelling weaves everything together, making it effective.

Voila, I've just shown you 90% of what storytelling is about.

Follow these steps, and your product or service will naturally become the solution.

This is when budgets open up quickly.

What’s your story?