Successful Storytelling Hinges on Tension and Release (Steve Benson), Ep #324
Storytelling is how you help prospects and customers remember you and understand your product (and why it\u2019s valuable to them). Humans interpret things through stories. If you can tell a story that makes sense, you\u2019ll be more successful. But if you can tell a story interweaved with tension and release, you\u2019ll hook your listener and they\u2019ll be more invested in what you have to say. Steve Benson shares why this is his favorite storytelling strategy in this episode of Sales Reinvented!\xa0
Outline of This Episode- [0:54] Why storytelling skills are important in sales
- [1:32] Is storytelling a skill that can be learned?
- [2:18] Tension and release are key to a great story
- [3:28] The attributes of a great storyteller
- [7:34] Resources to improve storytelling abilities
- [9:04] Steve\u2019s top 3 storytelling dos and don\u2019ts
- [12:59] Stories have the power to win new business
Some people are better speakers than others\u2014but is it because they\u2019re born that way or learned those skills as a young child? Anyone can become a better storyteller. It\u2019s about communication, being articulate, and understanding the elements of what makes a story.\xa0
When you\u2019re in a conversation and want to sound interesting, it comes down to tension and release. You lay out the characters, where you are, what time it is, and set the scene. Then you describe the tension/problem and the resolution. Movies build tension and have small resolutions throughout the story that keeps you hooked.
The attributes of a great storytellerYou need to be articulate and use variability within your voice. You can use a coach to learn what you\u2019re doing right or wrong. Are you calm and relaxed? Or tense? You need to be confident, clear, crisp, and articulate. But the most important thing is to tell good stories that are interesting and relatable.\xa0
When you\u2019re selling a service or product, a prospect is thinking about it from different perspectives, which is why it\u2019s important to ask them questions so you understand how they view the problem. Then you can serve a story that\u2019s framed in the right way. It all starts with asking, \u201cWhy are we here today? Why did you invite me in?\u201d When you do this, your stories will resonate intensely.\xa0
Steve\u2019s top 3 storytelling dos and don\u2019tsSteve shares a few key dos and don\u2019ts of the storytelling process:\xa0
- Use storytelling to address objections before they\u2019re voiced. If you suspect a customer will have a certain problem or question, bring it up casually and answer their question with a story.\xa0
- Use stories to make it easy for a prospect to say yes. You can shorten your sales cycle if you can help people connect with others who have been in a similar situation. It takes risk off the table.\xa0
- Uncover what the story needs to be about. Uncover the prospect\u2019s perspective so you map the right story and frame it correctly.\xa0
- Don\u2019t wing it. It\u2019s better to have a framework for storytelling in your mind (set up the story, move into the problem/tension/challenge, and share the challenge).\xa0
- Don\u2019t make your salespeople make up their own stories. Have a place where they can share relevant stories and build them into your sales culture.\xa0
- Don\u2019t be boring. When you tell a story, use excitement in your voice. Build tension and release tension throughout your story to keep things interesting.\xa0
When BadgerMaps was a startup (2013) they offered a service that did one thing well: They took customers and put them on a map so you could see where all your customers were based on their specific attributes. They were courting a large medical device company with revenues of $6 billion a year.\xa0
Because they were a small startup, they had to share who they were and what they did in an impactful way. They had to come across as trustworthy. So they were honest and open about where they were\u2014but shared where they planned to go. They signed a three-year deal with the medical device company\u2014large enough to cover their expenses for the entire next year. It allowed them to build out the product for other companies.\xa0
Learn more about Steve\u2019s storytelling process in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Resources & People Mentioned Connect with Steve Benson Connect With Paul Watts\xa0Audio Production and Show notes by
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