Relevant Examples are Key to Good Storytelling Amy Franko, Ep #312
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Storytelling is the first thing you can use to bring a situation to life and help someone connect with your product or service. Stories also give you credibility. That\\u2019s why stories should consist of genuine and relevant examples that help you better connect with your client. Even someone naturally skilled as a storyteller would benefit from learning skills to stay relevant. If it doesn\\u2019t come naturally to you, it\\u2019s a skill you can build and find success with. Amy Franko shares more of her thoughts on the topic in this episode of Sales Reinvented!\\xa0
Outline of This Episode
- [0:55] Why storytelling is incredibly important
- [1:55] Can you learn how to tell stories well?\\xa0
- [2:45] The 3 ingredients of a story that sells
- [3:59] Attributes of a great storyteller
- [5:18] Resources to improve your storytelling
- [6:13] Top 3 storytelling dos and don\\u2019ts
- [10:09] Involve your clients in your stories
Relevant Examples are key to stories that sell
Amy notes that relevant examples are a key ingredient to great storytelling. So is\\xa0brevity\\xa0and\\xa0credibility. If a client is able to visualize the relevant example you\\u2019re sharing with them, it helps them connect to you as a credible source. Secondly, it helps them to connect and visualize\\u2014in their own environment\\u2014what you\\u2019re trying to convey. Do your examples in your stories help your clients challenge their thinking? Do your stories help them see things in a new light?
What are the attributes of a great storyteller? Listen to hear Amy\\u2019s thoughts!
Amy\\u2019s 3 storytelling dos and don\\u2019ts
What can you do to improve your storytelling? Amy\\u2019s dos and don\\u2019ts are spot-on:\\xa0
- Keep a list of your stories and examples. You experience so many things in your personal and professional life that it\\u2019s impossible to catalog all of them in your head. So keep a running list in a notebook or a word document that you can pull from when you\\u2019re searching for a relevant example.\\xa0
- Ask 2\\u20133 of your best clients if they\\u2019re willing to share the story of your work together. Anytime Amy works with a prospective client, she asks for 2\\u20133 people they can talk to that would be willing to have a conversation.
- Use data to augment your examples\\xa0where it makes sense. Don\\u2019t lean heavily on data and metrics. The best storytellers can use that data to support a story. It can tell you how you need to change. The more comfortable you are with data, the more useful it becomes.
- Don\\u2019t forget to make your story relevant to the client. You\\u2019re better off with no example or story than using one that isn\\u2019t relevant to the situation.\\xa0
- Don\\u2019t forget what you\\u2019ve learned\\u2014your own stories and experiences\\u2014are valuable to your client\\u2019s scenario. Everything that you\\u2019ve learned along the way makes who you are. Use it as part of your storytelling process.
- Don\\u2019t forget that brevity is key. If you\\u2019re listening to someone tell a story and you lose track or forget what the purpose is, it\\u2019s too long.\\xa0
Involve your clients in your stories by sharing relevant examples
Amy had successfully made it to the final round in the running for a big opportunity with a client. She knew that she had to stand out from the other two competitors, which can be challenging when someone is seeing multiple presentations. What was her competitive advantage?\\xa0Stories.\\xa0
Amy got to meet virtually with a number of the stakeholders who were going to be part of the decision making process for this RFP. In that process, Amy learned about them, what was important to them in the project, and what each\\xa0person\\u2019s\\xa0decision-making process looked like.\\xa0
Then she weaved that information into her presentation. She had built rapport through initial conversations and shown that she had listened to them by using relevant examples in her presentation. It helped her overcome the challenge and she ultimately won the RFP.\\xa0
Involve your clients in the story where you can. It helps them feel connected. What can you learn and takwary from what they share with you that can be woven into a story? Lastly, Amy emphasizes that you must use stories to connect. People remember stories long after facts, figures, and data.\\xa0
Resources & People Mentioned
- Amy\\u2019s book:\\xa0The Modern Seller
Connect with Amy Franko
Connect With Paul Watts\\xa0
Audio Production and Show notes by
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