A sales call is a valuable opportunity to build rapport with a prospective client. This is just as true for phone calls as it is for face to face meetings. One of the best ways to make a point during a sales call is to tell a story. Facts can get boring after awhile. But a good story can motivate and inspire.
To be effective, a good story should be true and should illustrate a point. You (the sales rep) should practice stories, particularly where you were not specifically involved. Stories should not sound scripted and should have a certain amount of drama. Be specific and allow the listener to invest themselves into the characters. Then, they will better appreciate the outcome of the story.
This is a great exercise for your sales muscles. It's also a great buddy prospecting exercise. Team up in groups of two or more to share stories. Sales reps should critique each other and the best stories should be shared with the group. Sales reps should be prepared to answer questions about the story or provide a reference if asked.
When you start using stories effectively, you'll persuade more prospects to understand your value proposition -- and ACT on that inspiration!
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a good story is priceless.
Note: one of the most convenient ways to have good stories ready for a prospect is to use a prospecting management tool like LMS. You can keep several stories ready for quick reference by pasting them into one of the ten interview screens that can then be instantly displayed while you're on a sales call. Note to team leaders and sales managers: this kind of feature is very useful for your new agents.
Soon, I'll post some good sales stories that can be adapted to several different sales scenarios.
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