Why Salespeople Need to Create Emotional Context in their Stories [Dan Seidman] Ep #308
Why is emotional context an important aspect of a story? A prospect needs to feel like they identify with a character in your story. If they\u2019re able to see themselves in the context of the story, it can deepen their investment in your conversation. So how do you craft stories that are compelling, where a buyer can feel emotionally invested? Dan Seidman shares his strategy in this episode of Sales Reinvented.\xa0 Outline of This Episode
- [1:01] Create emotional context for the buyer
- [2:35] Dan\u2019s two models for storytelling
- [5:10] What makes salespeople great storytellers?
- [6:28] Two books that Dan recommends
- [7:26] Dan\u2019s storytelling dos and don\u2019ts
- [10:25] First impressions are everything
- [12:56] Dan\u2019s \u201cconfession sessions\u201d
When you share a story, you create an emotional context for the buyer. But if you can get buyers to go into the story, it deepens their emotional investment in the conversation. Dan was on a ride-along with a BCBS sales rep. They were talking to an owner and he asked, \u201cWhat if you don\u2019t switch insurance programs? What if you stay where you are?\u201d\xa0
The owner got angry and said, \u201cMy son chipped a tooth in an accident and they haven't paid for it because the dentist recommended an orthopedist take care of his fractured jaw. The insurance company rejected the claim because it was a dentist that recommended an orthopedic procedure.\u201d He emphasizes that they were switching\xa0no matter what. His story helped them understand the emotional context behind the buying decision.\xa0
Dan\u2019s two models for storytellingOne model that Dan likes to use is \u201cPET.\u201d A story must be\xa0personal,\xa0emotional, and\xa0teachable. Another framework that\u2019s great for written communication is \u201cPWS.\u201d You have a\xa0problem, you\xa0worsen\xa0it, then you offer a\xa0solution.\xa0
Inside these two models, you want to create a role in the story that the buyer can identify with by building emotional context. When Dan trains people on storytelling, he shares a story about his daughter. In the scenario, his daughter is at McDonald\u2019s playing in the kids\u2019 area. A girl became quite upset because his daughter bumped her on the slide. The parents watched on the sideline to see what happened. The little girl\xa0spit in his daughter\u2019s face.\xa0
Dan then asks everyone in the audience, \u201cWhat\u2019s your teaching moment from this story?\u201d Everyone\u2014based on the role they identify with\u2014tells a different teaching moment. Someone might say he was a bad parent because he didn\u2019t intervene. Another person might say that the other parents were poor because they didn\u2019t make their daughter apologize. There are ways to get people to identify with the characters, which deepens the experience.\xa0
Dan\u2019s storytelling dos and don\u2019tsDan shares some savvy storytelling advice:\xa0
- You need to make your stories sound like they\u2019re spontaneous so the conversation is a back-and-forth. Don\u2019t just fire it off like you have the story prepared.\xa0
- Account for the professional and personal impact of the decision at hand. When you share a story, their professional and personal circumstances may impact their choice. If Dan is talking to a buyer and asks how their reputation and decision-making might impact their choices, they think about their role, who they get reviewed by, and where they want to be aligned when they make a decision.\xa0
- Account for both the benefits people would obtain and the problems they would solve with your product or service. Most people have a problem-solving mentality or they\u2019re motivated by benefits/good things. You have to speak to both types.
- Make sure when you share stories that they\u2019re things you\u2019ve had experience with or something you solidly believe in. You already have proof someone should buy from you because you can share reasons why other people said, \u201cyes.\u201d Tell them the consequences of success.\xa0
Dan spoke with two salespeople who were on a sales call in Florida. It was a hot day. They had bought some slushies and sat in their car waiting for their appointment. One man looked over at his partner to see that his lips, teeth, and tongue were\xa0flaming red. He looked at himself in the mirror to see that his teeth were\xa0green.\xa0
They walked into the building and people laughed at them as they walked through the lobby because they looked like circus clowns. But they had to keep their appointment. They were led into the president\u2019s office, where they obviously weren\u2019t taken seriously.\xa0
First impressions are critical; they can kill your opportunity or create a great one. How do you bail yourself out of a mistake? You could use self-deprecating humor. Or, they could\u2019ve brought in a Slurpee for the president of the company to mitigate the embarrassment.\xa0
Dan shares a hilarious bonus story in this episode\u2014don\u2019t miss it.\xa0
Resources & People Mentioned Connect with Dan Seidman Connect With Paul Watts\xa0Audio Production and Show notes by
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