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Pitch Perfekt Presentation
Simple Steps for Stories that Sell by Michelle Mazur
Numbers. You are inundated with numbers. 4 out of 5 dentists prefer Crest. The national debt is 16.7 trillion dollars. The ROI on an investment is 150%. 40% of Americans swear while on hold for customer service (thanks, USA Today – glad I’m not alone). The fact is that numbers don’t sell people on your product or service. Numbers provide great supporting evidence. They show that your product or service solves a problem or impacts a bottom line, but left to their own devices, numbers are sterile, boring and dry. No one has ever been startled by a statistic, and rarely has anyone has made a purchase because of a plethora of compelling numbers. People buy based on emotion. We buy when we feel it’s the right decision.
Great marketers don't make stuff. They make meaning. ~ Seth Godin
Mr. Godin is correct, and I would venture to say he would agree that great salespeople don’t sell stuff. They sell meaning. The best way to create meaning, illicit feeling and entice emotions is through story. Human beings are storytelling creatures. If the audience you’re presenting your pitch to can see themselves in the story you tell, you can sell them your idea, service or product. Does that mean you should abandon those boring statistics? Absolutely not! Remember:
Stories + Statistics = Successful Influence Stories that sell are everywhere. The best stories for you to use in persuasive pitches are the true stories of your customers. You have a niche market. You know them better than anyone else. Use their stunning success stories.
www.soldlab.com
There are universal themes in the stories we tell. This means that your clients’ success stories will appeal to those who are interested in what you are selling. Craft a story that sells from your best case studies. How do you tell a great story? I’ve put together the 5-step SPARK process so that you can captivate an audience, instigate influence and sell more.
Step 1: Set the Situation. Just like any great novel, you need to setup the situation. Ever so briefly describe to the audience the people involved and the place where the story unfolds. It's not enough to mention that Acme Company loved your product. It’s your job to put a face on the company. Tell the audience about Bob, the innovator whose bag under his eyes told the sleepless nights he spent working passionately on Acme Company’s new widget. Those small details allow an audience to connect with Bob, see themselves in his journey and ultimately relate his story to their own plight.
Tip 2: Probe the Problem. This is the easy part – the problem should be one that your service or product solves. The hard part is building the tension and emotion around the problem. You need to build the problem to its natural climax. There’s a big difference between: Acme Company didn’t know how to get the word out about their new widget. Vs. Bob and his dedicated team knew they had a great widget. They put all of their heart, passion, and manpower behind creating it. Their excitement when it debuted was palpable, and their disappointment
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