Everyone loves a story. It’s why movies are still big business and many of us spend hours on the couch binge-watching our favorite television shows. What’s important to keep in mind — and to remind your sales team — is that effective storytelling can also drive sales.
This doesn’t mean devising fanciful, fictional tales to entice customers and prospects into buying. Rather, it involves learning the customer or prospect’s story, putting it into words, and then demonstrating how your company’s products or services can add a happy chapter to the tale. Think of it as a three-act play:
Act I: Set the scene. Building rapport is key in sales. Find out from your sales manager(s) how much time sales staffers are spending with customers and prospects. Ensure they’re not rushing through initial contact. Salespeople should take the time to provide a concise overview of your business, telling its story and emphasizing its capabilities.
Act II: Build the plot. Salespeople should generally ask a series of prepared questions that prompt responses outlining the customer or prospect’s needs and goals. The potential buyer should do most of the talking. The more that salespeople listen, the better chance they’ll have in identifying and filling out the plot of the customer’s story and, one hopes, making the sale.
At this point, the sales staffer also wants to uncover any objections the customer or prospect might have about doing business with your company. These “subplots” can often go overlooked and ultimately ruin the ending of the story for you.
Act III: Resolve the problem. The final scene should be a climactic one. The salesperson needs to summarize the customer or prospect’s story — identifying the key needs revealed by the questions asked. Then, the sales staffer must present a viable solution to meeting those needs and emphasize your company’s ability to efficiently fulfill the products ordered or provide the necessary service(s).
When executed properly, the three acts above should increase the odds for an encore (or a sequel, as the case may be). Buyers who know that your business understands their story will be more likely to become return customers.
Although using storytelling as a sales tool may seem simplistic, it’s a tool that needs sharpening from time to time. We can help you evaluate your sales process from a financial perspective so you can implement changes as necessary.
Effective storytelling can drive sales. That doesn’t mean devising fanciful tales to entice customers. Rather, it typically involves learning the customer’s story, putting it into words, and demonstrating how your products or services can add a happy chapter to the tale. Think of it as a three-act play. First, set the scene. Sales staffers should take the time to provide a concise overview of your business. Second, build the plot. Salespeople need to ask insightful questions to learn the details of the customer’s story. Finally, resolve the problem. The salesperson needs to retell the customer’s story and present a viable solution to the needs identified.
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the way people interact and do business. Even before the crisis, there was a trend toward more digital interactions in sales. Many experts predicted that companies’ experiences during the pandemic would accelerate this trend, and that seems to be coming to pass.
As this transformation continues, your business should review its remote selling processes and regularly consider adjustments to adapt to the “new normal” and stay ahead of the competition.
How can you maximize the tough lessons of 2020 and beyond? Here are three tips for keeping your remote sales operations sharp:
Remote sales can seemingly make it possible to sell to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Yet trying to do so can be overwhelming and lead you astray. Choose your sales targets carefully. For example, it’s typically far easier to sell to existing customers with whom you have an established relationship or to prospects that you’ve thoroughly researched.
In the current environment, it’s even more critical to really know your customers and prospects. Determine whether and how their buying capacity and needs have changed because of the pandemic and resulting economic changes — and adjust your sales strategies accordingly.
For remote selling to be effective, it needs to work seamlessly and intuitively for you and your customers or prospects. You also must recognize technology’s limitations.
Even with the latest solutions, salespeople may be unable to pick up on body language and other visual cues that are more readily apparent in a face-to-face meeting. That’s why you shouldn’t forego in-person sales calls if safe and feasible — particularly when it comes to closing a big deal.
In addition to video, other types of technology can enhance or support the sales process. For instance, software platforms that enable you to create customized, interactive, visually appealing presentations can help your sales staff meet some of the challenges of remote interactions. In addition, salespeople can use brandable “microsites” to:
Also, because different customers have different preferences, it’s a good idea to offer a variety of communication platforms — such as email, messaging apps, videoconferencing, and live chat.
Customers increasingly prefer the convenience and comfort of self-service and digital interactions. So, businesses need to ensure that customers’ experiences during these interactions are positive. This requires maintaining an attractive, easily navigable website and perhaps even offering a convenient, intuitive mobile app.
The lasting impact of the pandemic isn’t yet clear, but remote sales will likely continue to play an important role in the revenue-building efforts of many companies. We can help you assess the costs of your technology and determine whether you’re getting a solid return on investment.
Many experts predicted that companies’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic would accelerate the existing trend toward more digital sales interactions. Indeed, this seems to be coming to pass. Here are three tips for keeping your remote sales activities sharp in the new normal: 1) Focus on targeted sales to existing customers and well-researched prospects. 2) Leverage the most up-to-date, well-suited technology tools, but don’t forego in-person sales calls were safe and feasible. 3) Create an outstanding digital experience that includes an easily navigable website and perhaps even a convenient mobile app. Contact us for help managing your technology costs.