Podcasts Business Sales Reinvented Share Stories That Show Value with Patti Pokorchak, Ep #331

Share Stories That Show Value with Patti Pokorchak, Ep #331

Published: Jan. 4, 2023, 8 a.m.

When you can share stories that demonstrate the value of your product or service\u2014while making your prospective client the hero\u2014it makes what you offer\xa0come alive. Patti Pokorchak likes to say, \u201cWhen people see the value, they will find the money.\u201d Learn how Patti crafts stories that show value in this episode of Sales Reinvented!\xa0

Outline of This Episode
  • [1:19] Why is storytelling an important skill?
  • [1:46] Is storytelling something that can be learned?\xa0
  • [2:37] The ingredients of a story that sells
  • [3:18] The attributes of a great storyteller
  • [4:03] Resources to improve your storytelling
  • [5:16] Top three storytelling dos and don\u2019ts
  • [6:25] How to keep your story more concise
  • [7:19] How to make the story about the customer
  • [8:12] When people see the value they find the money
Is storytelling something that can be learned?\xa0

Patti jokes that she\u2019s living proof that you can take a shy geek and turn them into a more outgoing multi-million-dollar sales professional. Storytelling is another tool in her arsenal that she uses and teaches. She believes that if you want to improve, it helps to have a board of advisors and accountability partners so you can practice your stories and get feedback.\xa0

The ingredients of a story that sells

You have to set the scene. What is the conflict or problem that needs to be resolved? The climax involves turning your potential client into the star of the story. Patti emphasizes that you have to pace yourself and use different tones. Make your story concise so your listener doesn\u2019t tune out. The least amount of words makes the maximum impact. Lastly, don\u2019t forget to pause at the crucial moment of the story.\xa0

Patti breaks down some other useful storytelling dos and don\u2019ts:

  • Make sure the customer is the hero of the story
  • Make sure there\u2019s a lesson to be learned
  • Be concise. Keep your story at 2\u20133 minutes
  • Don\u2019t be boring.
  • Don\u2019t be long-winded.
  • Don\u2019t make it about you.\xa0

Listen to find out how Patti makes her stories concise and customer-focused.\xa0

When people see the value they find the money

Patti was asked to come in to give a dreaded second quote to train a department that was already working with someone they trusted. To prepare for the quote, Patti started asking questions. She asked what the other consultant was charging. It was only $1,000 a day. Patti\u2019s target quote was\xa0$10,000\xa0a training day. She was\xa010 times\xa0more expensive. But that didn\u2019t deter Patti.\xa0

Patti had been working for Learning Tree for a few years by then. She was confident that they provided world-class training. So when she gave the quote, she shared how they developed courses, which included beta testing, six months of training, and constant evaluation of trainers. In comparison, their consultant had\xa0never\xa0taught this course before. Their consultant wasn\u2019t qualified in comparison.

Did they want their 20 engineers to waste two days of their time on an unproven course? Patti won their business by showing the value of their training.\xa0When people see the value,\xa0they will find the money. It\u2019s why Patti always preaches value.\xa0

Resources & People Mentioned Connect with Patti Pokorchak Connect With Paul Watts\xa0

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