Do you have a story you tell over and over? Maybe it’s about how you landed your biggest account or found the perfect merch for a demanding client. These stories stick because they’re memorable. People care about facts and logos, but stories make those details meaningful.

A post on the ZoomInfo blog explains that sales storytelling is using narrative structure to connect buyer challenges to a solution. You do this by showing how someone like your prospect faced a problem, took action and got results. In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we share ZoomInfo’s take on the 4 types of stories that sales reps should have ready.

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The customer transformation story. This is the classic case study narrative, according to the ZoomInfo post. The customer faced challenge X, implemented solution, achieved outcome Y. Always focus on the customer’s journey rather than a product’s features.

The before-and-after objection handler. The ZoomInfo post points out that objections are story opportunities. For example, you could say, “I hear you. Another customer said the same thing. Here’s what happened …”

The vision/future-state story. This type of story works especially well for executive presentations or anytime you’re having strategic conversations. The idea is to paint a picture for them. Try saying, “Imagine 6 months from now when your team is …”

The relevant personal anecdote. Your prospects want to get to know you. That’s why this kind of story is so important — especially in early conversations. It helps build familiarity when you say something like, “When I was at [previous company], we faced something similar.”

What Not To Do In Sales Storytelling

  • Don’t make the story about you or branded merch. Remember that the buyer is the hero, not your solution. When you lead with features, you lose attention, the post says.

  • Don’t overload with data before earning attention. Stories first, stats second. The ZoomInfo post says it’s important to lead with narrative and support with numbers.

  • Don’t tell irrelevant stories. If the story doesn’t connect to the buyer’s situation, it’s noise. Relevance beats creativity.

  • Don’t ramble without structure. Stories need setup, conflict and resolution, the post says. Without structure, you’re just talking. The post also recommends removing any complications or barriers that will prevent prospects from understanding the overall objective.

When done well, storytelling in sales can help you create emotional connections. Stories help prospects remember you. Thay make you distinctive from other merch professionals. And when you tell a good story, you make it easier for prospects to picture what’s possible with branded merch.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: A post from the ZoomInfo blog.