How to Boost Your Sales Through the Art and Science of Storytelling

Most of us believe that storytelling is a form of art. However, there is still some science behind it. A good story follows a format and plot that makes it easily relatable to the audience. Good storytelling transcends aesthetic, time, trends, and even cultures. 

Telling stories had been done throughout humankind since time immemorial. Even today, people still line up to catch the latest movies. People go to the movies to see stories and be entertained. It’s no surprise why the film industry has grown into a billion-dollar industry today – it’s all thanks to the people who love stories. 

And it’s not just movies – books and television are also billion-dollar industries today because again, people love to read, hear, and see stories from these platforms. Now that technology has changed immensely, many people subscribe to Netflix and Hulu just to watch more shows (and know all these new stories!). 

No matter how much technology evolves, people always love a good story. Many are even more than willing to pay just to get these stories. And the good news for you is, this principle also applies to prospecting and networking! 

Everyone and every business have a story. Surely, you have a handful of these stories just waiting to be shared. Telling a good story is a great way to pique the interest of your prospects. You can tell them about your past – failures, setbacks, and realizations before you entered networking and found success. These stories are very relatable to prospects because they have similar experiences too!

Now you might be telling yourself that you are not a great storyteller and that you might not pull off this feat for your prospects. Well, some people are indeed born with a natural talent for writing and storytelling, but you don’t have to be JK Rowling or Stephen King to start telling stories. 

Again, storytelling is not just a form of art – there is also a science behind it. Knowing the science behind a good story will allow you to craft compelling stories and make them interesting to the average reader. You just have to follow a certain format.

Throughout the years, marketers and writers know that the following story formats (or arcs) that are very “sellable.” This means that many people consume these kinds of stories:

1. Man in Hole – this story features a character who fell into bad habits or a bad situation who eventually rose up from it after learning a thing or two. Although sometimes, the main character just gets what he/she deserves. This is common in tragedies and crime dramas like “The Wolf of Wall Street.” 
2. Boy Meets Girl – basically this is the format applied to romance movies. Boy meets girl, the romance changed their lives, they lose each other, and then they get back together again for good. A prime example is “The Notebook.”
3. The Cinderella Story  – If you are familiar with the fairytale, then you already know what this is all about. This is your typical rags to riches story. The character starts out as a poor person and eventually rose up from his/her destitute situation through luck, hard work, or good character.

For starters, you can try and think of creating a story by using 1 of those 3 popular arcs/formats. However, don’t forget these 3 crucial parts to make your story more effective and compelling.

1. The Hook

You need a compelling hook to grab the attention of your target prospects. You have to take note that you have to compete with other businesses, pages and individuals on Social Media. Therefore you have to craft an opening that really packs a punch. You have to take your readers into the heart of your story with a good hook.

2. Pain Points

You have to make sure that your story touches on a certain pain or struggle that your target prospects are experiencing too. What is most likely keeping them up at night? What is possibly holding them back from reaching their goals? It could be money, lack of direction/focus, lack of motivation, confidence, or the lack of proper skills and knowledge. You have to show vulnerabilities to make your story more relatable to prospects.

3. A-ha Moment

This is basically the climax of your story. It is the major turning point that gives a sense of hope or change for the character in the story. Ideally, this is where you insert your pitch and offer it as a solution for your prospects. This is the part of your story where you tell your prospects that their pains and struggles have a solution – and that is with your networking business.

Successful selling entails a successful form of storytelling. If you are not sure how to start, stop thinking about the “selling point” first. Just focus on how to tell a good story. Once you are done drafting your story, you have to review and revise it until you can add your selling point or “a-ha moment” smoothly.

Find out how you can build your business by signing up for our FREE 10-day online recruiting bootcamp.

Watch this video and learn how you can turbocharge your sales through the art and science of storytelling.

P.S:
Be sure to join our Facebook Page and subscribe to our YouTube channel.