The following is an excerpt from my new book “Once Upon a Bottom Line: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling in Sales.”
Do you remember when you were a little kid?
You’d get ready to go to sleep, dress in your favorite superhero pajamas, snuggle into bed and pull the covers up to your nose. Then, you’d wait for your parents to come in and read you some… statistics.
Wait. That’s not right.
Nope, you were waiting for a bedtime story, weren’t you? You wanted to explore the department store with Corduroy as he searched for his missing button. You wanted to feel the tiny pea creating a lump in the bed that kept the princess up all night. You wanted to sail to an Island where you’d be crowned king of the Wild Things, and listen as the Lorax spoke for the trees.
You my friend, are wired for story. We all are. From the moment we are born, no scratch that, from the moment we are conceived, we are trained to respond to story. From the first story read to your mom’s belly, to the stories that will be told at your funeral, you are a creature of story. This is how we learn lessons, internalize societal mores, emotionally connect with other human beings, and influence behaviors.
In The Strategic Storyteller, Alexander Jutkowitz says, “Communication allows us to feel connected and helps us better understand ourselves, which is why storytelling has been an inherent, universal part of the human experience.”
What does any of this have to do with sales?
Let me repeat the last two benefits of stories:
- Connect with other human beings
- Influence behaviors
That sounds a lot like the basics of sales. You need to connect with other human beings (your clients) in order to influence behaviors (get them to buy).
Do you want to deny your customers (not to mention yourself) of the human experience?
Storytelling is one of the most important skills that you can learn to improve your sales and your business. If you’d like to learn more, Once Upon a Bottom Line is available at http://onceuponabottomline.com.
About the author:
Sheryl Green has always enjoyed writing, however, it wasn’t until a divorce shook her world, that she discovered the power of story. Having penned three novels, she now brings her penchant for storytelling to non-fiction and content writing, working with businesses and individuals who want to position themselves as experts in their field. She leverages the power of story through blogging, website content, book coaching and ghostwriting, and speaking engagements.
She is the author of the book “Once Upon a Bottom Line: Harnessing the Power of Story for Sales” and “Surviving to Thriving: How to Overcome Setbacks and Rock Your Life.” Learn more at www.sherylgreenspeaks.com.
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