Telling a story about a massive enterprise client to a small business prospect can backfire. Instead of being impressive, it often makes the prospect feel that your solution is too complex or expensive for them, and that you are simply bragging about your large clients.
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To truly resonate with an economic buyer, align your solution to the specific KPIs they are personally accountable for. These metrics often differ from those of your champion or general corporate objectives like revenue and cost savings, requiring tailored messaging.
In sales storytelling, the customer must always be the hero who overcomes a challenge. The salesperson's role is that of a trusted guide who provides the plan and tools for the hero's success. This framework builds customer confidence without making the salesperson seem arrogant.
Vague stories can sound fabricated. Including specific, non-round numbers or precise facts (e.g., "it was 4.2" instead of "around 4") makes a narrative feel more authentic and tangible. This grounds the story in reality and enhances the salesperson's integrity and credibility.
The ultimate test of a sales story isn't engagement, but whether it prompts the customer to take a specific next step. When debriefing a sales call, if no action was secured or the prospect doesn't ask follow-up questions, you should assume your story failed to connect and was not relatable.
The speaker lost a promising lead by describing his service with vague terms like "strategy" and "enablement." He realized he should have focused on the specific, tangible problems his service solves, like overcoming cultural differences for offshore sales teams calling into America.
To sell effectively, avoid leading with product features. Instead, ask diagnostic questions to uncover the buyer's specific problems and desired outcomes. Then, frame your solution using their own words, confirming that your product meets the exact needs they just articulated. This transforms a pitch into a collaborative solution.
Instead of forcing a sale, elite salespeople act as advisors by proactively telling smaller companies when a solution is a poor financial fit. This builds long-term trust and prevents you from becoming the highest, most scrutinized line item on their P&L.
The speaker tried to build rapport by referencing team names ("team white and team orange") found in a job post. However, the senior leader he called had no idea what he was talking about, causing the personalization attempt to fall flat and seem out of place.
Don't rely on recalling the right story in the moment. Proactively build and maintain a "story library" with dozens of categorized examples. While you may only use a few core stories regularly, having a deep, accessible catalog ensures you have a relevant narrative for any customer situation.
A common marketing mistake is being product-centric. Instead of selling a pre-packaged product, first identify the customer's primary business challenge. Then, frame and adapt your offering as the specific solution to that problem, ensuring immediate relevance and value.
