In the late 1700s Franz Mesmer, a German physician, developed a new therapy where he treated patients by looking into their eyes and holding magnets above them. Mesmer believed that his gaze, combined with the magnet would restore a ‘natural balance’ in his patients and he might have been on to something! He is reported to have cured everything from headaches to paralysis, becoming a kind of celebrity in the process. It is said that when he worked with his patients, he would gain complete control not just of their actions, but also of their thoughts and their feelings- in short, they were… mesmerized!
Are you wondering why this is important? Well, you’ll probably remember the origins of the word mesmerized now because you learned it within the context of a story. And if you’re a salesperson, you should be using the power of your own stories to mesmerize your prospects! In fact, listeners are 22 times more likely to remember a story than facts and figures alone. Stories are a powerful tool because they allow us to visualize a better world or understand a possibility that seems intangible in the present day. In a business environment, you can use a great story to paint a picture of how your product or solution can improve your clients' day-to-day experiences. The question, is how to do it?
There are two stories that should be in every salesperson’s toolbox:
- The Brand Superhero
- The Brand as a Best Man
Brand Superhero
Like all good stories, The Brand Narrative has a beginning, middle and end, plus some stock characters. There’s an issue or challenge that needs to be addressed and a hero who swoops in to save the day or rather, your product I should say. This story style is great for large presentations, where you want to capture an entire audience with your products superhero powers and show off your USPs. Here’s your formula for success:
Start with the status quo: The status quo is the way things are today or a description of your customers’ current world.
Introduce the core conflict: The conflict challenges this situation and puts something at stake, forcing your brand to actively find a solution to this problem.
End with a resolution: The resolution describes how the protagonist solves the problem, giving your audience an emotional payoff.
Here’s how it looks in practice:
Status Quo: “Alone we are just one drop, but together we are an ocean.” Working together is an essential part of the human experience- alone, we just don’t make the same impact. And we believe that great collaboration tools make working together even more beneficial.
Conflict: In a market where almost every vendor has similar applications, pricing and functionality, it can be difficult to differentiate. We choose to break out of the mould. Why?
Resolution: Well we know that our partners come first. We’re driven to release collaboration tools that reimagine what's possible in the workplace but we know we can’t do it without our partners. Working together comes first. That’s why our partner program is the most accessible, inclusive and rewarding in the market.
Brand as a Best Man
If you’re discussing one-on-one with a client, a better option is to enter their existing story as your client’s wingman. You’re the Robin to their Batman. The point of this narrative is to insert yourself into your client’s existing narrative as a supporting character whose role is to help the client achieve the goal they are struggling toward.
This narrative story also has the benefit of steering your salespeople toward success. Once they understand that they are the support act, it becomes necessary for them to learn about the clients perspective, needs and pain points. This means reps are more likely to engage the client in meaningful conversations and build relationships built on trust. Here’s the adjusted formula:
Introduce the hero: The sales rep paints a picture of the world as it is today, featuring the client as a hero engaged in a series of struggles.
Your new world: The utopian world is presented, as a possibility that can be achieved only with the help of the brand. The sales rep shares facts and actions that describe how working with the brand conquers obstacles, reduces pain and increases success.
A clear call to action: To end, the sales rep reiterates the utopian world and invites the client to join them in a partnership (here’s your business ask), in which the goal is to make the client an even more powerful hero.
Here’s how it looks in practice:
Introduce the hero: I regularly speak to leaders just like you and they tend to tell me that they struggle to get their employees together in a room at a time that suits their busy diaries. And I get it! If you’ve got remote workers, new parents and your own busy schedule to juggle, it can be difficult to keep up the pace of progress.
Your New World: Think about what could be possible if everyone in your office was accessible by video, with just the touch of a button. No logins, no passwords, just collaboration in the moment and making things happen. We’ve been able to support other businesses in our area, by introducing them to 3CX’s video conferencing solution, which uses webRTC for easy browser-based collaboration.
A clear call to action: I think we could help you become a collaboration all-star and enable you to solve your meeting challenges. That way, you’ll be able to focus on the bigger decisions that will benefit your business, instead of focusing on the trivial stuff!
Storytelling in marketing is nothing new. The hard part is knowing the story we need to tell and knowing how to express value propositions in a way that resonates with our customers. Try incorporating our two story models into your business conversations this week and see for yourself how the conversation shifts from function to value in an instant.
