Conversations and Stories: Ideas to Increase Your Sales

Everyone has a story, and top sales performers are master storytellers. They don’t pitch — they have conversations. They listen, uncovering hidden opportunities through thoughtful, strategic questions. And when they speak, it’s not a sales pitch — it’s a conversation.

They paint vivid pictures of how their company has solved problems, weaving stories that resonate deeply with their audience. Their tone is natural, their pacing effortless, and their timing impeccable — like two old friends chatting over coffee.

How well do you tell your story? It’s a skill that can always be sharpened. Telling a great story means knowing your audience, shaping your message to their needs, and presenting it in a way that captures their attention. It’s not just about what you say, but how you say it.

Listening and Situational Awareness

Being a good listener goes a long way to becoming a good storyteller. Listen with intent – not just to reply. Listen like it’s your 4-year-old telling you about their day. Listening skills can show empathy and understanding and more importantly provide insight into what the other person really cares about. Listen to what they say, and how they say it, as well as monitor their body language. As an aside, I think interpreting body language has become a lost art. As more of us use video conferencing and remote work we may have lost touch with this a bit. Building trust with someone you’ve just met is the first hurdle, and quite frankly table stakes if you want to get your story heard.

Solving Problems

Good sales storytellers don’t make up fiction. They add context to different situations where they have been able to make a positive impact to a client’s results. They’re able to connect the dots through their storytelling and relate what they have done to an issue this client is facing, making it meaningful and relevant to them. They use the power of their tonality and voice control to seek affirmation from the people they’re speaking with. Again, this is not a speech it’s a conversation. Use these tactics to make sure that you stay on track and remain relatable to that person.

Let’s Get Coffee

So, here’s an idea, why don’t you reach out to your customer or prospect with an invitation to get a coffee. Take them out to their favorite coffee joint, or if they really can’t get out of the office, offer to bring coffee to them and the two of you sit in a quiet place and talk. Yes, talk, you know, an actual face to face conversation. Ask them how they are doing, let them know that you’ve been thinking about how to make it easier for them to reach their goals by working with your company. Have a plan, have some ideas, tell a story and show that you are genuinely interested in them, and don’t forget to show them the petite scones that you brought with the coffee!

Sharpen Your Skills

There are no shortcuts here. It’s about putting in the time and doing the work. It’s about working hard today to be better tomorrow than you were yesterday. It’s about not taking no for an answer. It’s about being resilient, being gritty and being creative. It’s about having good street smarts as well as being able to think strategically. It’s about waking up every day wanting to be the best at what you do. That’s how winners win, and how top performing sales reps continually lead the pack.

If you’re looking to improve your success, it begins by asking yourself why you do what you do — why are you in sales? The easier it is to answer this question, the easier it will be to begin getting better at what you do. Make a commitment to learning something new – read a book, listen to a podcast, or find a coach or mentor to work with. Create your 30-60-90-day goals of the things you’ll do to either become, or remain, a top performer. Take a positive step towards propelling yourself to the lead lap using your storytelling and listening skills.

If you’re working on these things now or have tried in the past, let me know what’s worked and what hasn’t worked for you. Maybe I can shed a little light on your efforts and provide some feedback to you. Good luck and stay at it.

Mike Philie can help validate what’s working and what may need to change in your business. Changing the trajectory of a business is difficult to do while simultaneously operating the core competencies. Mike provides strategy and insight to ambitious owners and CEOs in the Graphic Communications Industry by providing direct and realistic insight, not being afraid to voice the unpopular opinion and helping leaders navigate change through a common sense and practical approach. Learn more at www.philiegroup.com, LinkedIn or email at mphilie@philiegroup.com.