To build credibility
Customer reference stories are proba-
bly the most common stories told by
salespeople—and for good reason.
Telling a prospect about all the amazing
things your product can do might create
a healthy amount of skepticism. Telling
a story, though, about a customer's posi-
tive experience with your product is
much more likely to make your prospect
a believer, or at least intrigue them.
To create urgency
The conversation goes well, everyone
in the meeting is in agreement, and then
. . . nothing happens. Time passes, other
priorities pop up, and the deal gets
stalled.
Stories can be used to create greater
urgency for your prospective buyer to
take action by highlighting the pain of
postponement or the benefits of taking
quick action.
Like an Academy Award–winning writer, start with the
why before you jump in to tell a story during a sales call or
presentation. You may not win an Oscar, but focusing on your
purpose and doing some planning ahead of time can help you
win a sale.
End of story.
WWJ
WWJ May 2016 55
Twitter @WaterWellJournl
Julie Hansen is a professional sales trainer, speaker, and author. She
authored the book ACT Like a Sales Pro in 2011 and has been featured in
Selling Power, Entrepreneur, and Sales and Service Excellence magazines.
She can be reached at julie@actingforsales.com and www.actingfor
sales.com.
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