How Storytelling Helps Sales

Approximate reading time: 2m 58s

How telling emotional stories helps sales

Experienced salespeople know that  telling good stories can greatly help in the sales process. This technique can be used in all kinds of sales: real estate sales, car sales, house sales, services, and even consulting and software services. It is a commonly used technique for attracting and persuading potential customers. But why does this happen and what lies behind this fact? How can one story be so convincing?

According to scientific research, a well-told story affects both the brain and the body chemistry of potential buyers, putting them in the right mood to buy from us.

Two psychology professors at a university in Ohio conducted an experiment to show how storytelling can change beliefs and tip the scales in the seller's favor.

The scientists told several highly emotional stories to a group of volunteers. One was about a physical assault on a person in a large shopping center. Then they asked the volunteers to answer test questions. The questions aimed to determine how much the audience was drawn into the story and how much the story affected their beliefs. So, did these stories convince the people in the experiment that malls are not safe.
The scientists found a strong connection between "transportation" into the world of stories and changes in people's beliefs and attitudes. In other words, the "good story" turned out to be a very effective way to change people's minds.

But what kind of story can influence people? According to the scientists, the main things in it are two things: vivid characters and interesting situations in which they are placed. Almost everyone has impressions of shopping centers and has shopped in one of them, so each participant could identify with the assault and experience it personally.

The researchers found that it does not matter whether the stories are true or not. Some of the volunteers were told that the stories were made up, while others were told that they were true. In both cases the reactions were largely the same.

So, why then do good, engaging stories have such a strong effect on our minds? This is because they have a powerful effect on our bodies. This idea is the result of the work of Paul Zak, a leading neuroeconomist at Claremont University, California.

 Academy “Techniques for Personal Sales”.

Emotions and chemicals in our bodies

Zak conducted a series of experiments in which participants watched two types of clips. One set had a dramatic tone and emotional impact. The clip showed a father whose son is playing in the background, while the father speaks to the camera. We learn that the son is seriously ill....

The other clip presents almost the same information, but in a more neutral tone. The boy and his father are at the zoo. The video mentions the illness and that the child is not well.

After watching the clips, blood tests were taken from all participants. The scientists found that the more emotional clips triggered a surge of oxytocin, the trust hormone, which facilitates social bonding and creates a feeling of closeness. 
Emotionally neutral clips do NOT have a significant effect on oxytocin levels, even though they essentially convey the same information.

Three key elements

Clearly these experiments are very important for sales. No matter what you are trying to persuade the buyer of, here are 3 things you can do to create emotional stories that will influence buyers.

Relatability

Introduce a character and situation that listeners can connect with or identify with.
If your buyer is, say, an older and experienced IT specialist, think about what challenges they or their organization are facing. Perhaps it is employee turnover, struggling with new technologies, or concerns about the progress of current projects. Then tell a story about a former client in a similar position who was helped by your product offering.

Raise the stakes.
Make the story about something with potentially serious consequences - a company facing major layoffs, a manager constrained by a limited budget, an employee struggling to keep their skills relevant in a changing work environment.

Use emotional language.
Paul Zak's experiments show that passionate language makes you more convincing. So, for example, when trying to influence the decision-maker, do not just talk about your product. Talk about retaining key players on the team of your potential client, gaining an advantage over competitors in the industry, or avoiding feelings of frustration when teams miss deadlines.

 Academy “Techniques for Personal Sales”.

The best part of all this is that you do not need to be a born storyteller who knows how to captivate an audience with words. If you simply learn to include the three key ingredients - relatability, high stakes, and emotion - in your stories, you will be able to create a sense of identification with the story and influence your buyers' behavior.