Nghệ thuật bán hàng bằng câu chuyện

by Paul Smith, Phúc Chi (Translator)

Câu chuyện là vũ khí bán hàng quan trọng nhất của người bán hàng. Tuy nhiên rất nhiều nhân viên quản lý kinh doanh và nhân viên bán hàng thường kể chuyện rất dở. Rất dở! Các câu chuyện của họ nhàm chán, lộn xộn, thường vô nghĩa, và hầu hết luôn hướng về bản thân. Trên thực tế, như bạn sẽ đọc được trong Chương 1, nhiều câu chuyện thậm chí còn thiếu các thành phần quan trọng để có thể được xem là một “câu chuyện”.

Một câu chuyện bán hàng tuyệt hay sẽ thay đổi tất thảy. Nó khiến người mua gỡ bỏ hàng rào đề phòng. Nó giúp họ thư giãn. Nó chiếm được lý trí lẫn tình cảm của họ bằng cách lôi cuốn được trí tuệ và cảm xúc của họ. Một câu chuyện hay xây dựng được uy tín và định vị bạn trong mắt người mua một cách chuẩn xác. Thay vì chỉ được coi là một người chào hàng (bằng những kiến thức quý báu Smith đã đúc rút từ người làm nghề thu mua vật tư), một câu chuyện hấp dẫn sẽ giúp bạn trở thành một người tạo ra giá trị, người giải quyết vấn đề một cách chuyên nghiệp, và là nhà tư vấn mà bạn mong muốn trở thành.

Thậm chí, có lẽ còn quan trọng hơn, câu chuyện đầy sức mạnh của bạn cho phép người mua mở lòng và chia sẻ câu chuyện của chính họ. Chẳng gì có thể khích lệ khách hàng tiềm năng trả lời cho những câu hỏi mang tính chất thăm dò của bạn, tiết lộ vấn đề, nhu cầu, kết quả họ muốn, tâm tình, thất vọng, và những cơ hội hơn là năng lực kể được một câu chuyện liên quan, đúng cách và đúng lúc! Thường thường, chúng ta làm hỏng chuyện rất nhanh ở giai đoạn tìm hiểu, bởi lẽ người mua chưa sẵn sàng chia sẻ thông tin. Điển hình là sự thăm dò của bạn không hiệu quả vì chúng ta chưa “hâm nóng” được khách hàng tiềm năng, thiết lập lòng tín nhiệm, hay giành được quyền nêu lên những câu hỏi gợi mở mạnh – tất thảy những gì một câu chuyện tuyệt vời có thể thực hiện cho chúng ta.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Communication, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development, Self Help, Psychology

488 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2016

About the author

PAUL SMITH is director of Consumer & Communications Research at The Procter & Gamble Company and a highly rated leadership and communications trainer for P&G’s management training colleges. He is the author of Lead with a Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives that Captivate, Convince, and Inspire.

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makers, especially those of us who sell online, are always getting bombarded with the message that we need a story but rarely does someone actually sit down and tell us in small digestible chunks what that actually means. This book does that. While not targeted specifically to makers, I do I think that makers might find this valuable.

An advanced reader copy of this ebook was provided to me through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Rodney Royden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi,

I rated this 5 stars both for the book, and the after sales service!

I had some questions for Paul and he kindly took the time to answer them.

As someone who worked in procurement over ten years, I appreciated Paul's tips to salespeople. Little things like asking people to tell you about their experience (instead of saying 'tell me a story') can make the world of difference.

The difference between sleepy time and sale time.

Enjoy the book everyone

[Prashant Ghai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sell with a Story is an interesting book which focuses our attention to the art of selling a product or service with a well crafted story which engages the buyer and creates a much better opportunity to convert.

A must read for everybody, because believe it or not, we all are in the business of selling.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well the strapline for this book - “How to capture attention, build trust, and close the sale” - was stunningly accurate and boy did this book capture this reviewer’s attention and sell itself very well indeed!

Essentially the central message of this book is to make your sales approaches story-based, forming a personal connection to the recipient. This is quite a different kind of sales book too; hyperbole and faux inspiration are eschewed in favour of really setting your mind on fire and getting you to think about what you may be doing and pushing you to want to change how you communicate.

The author helps you consider what story may be suitable for your sales needs before looking at how to develop and communicate it. Not everything will be plain sailing, there may be challenges, conflict and other problems and here you get counselling about overcoming these and moving forward in line with your original objectives. Of course, prospective customers are not stupid; they can often sense a false approach with a weak, unbelievable story. Credibility counts and whilst a strong, personal and honest story can help form a connection, a blatantly false, untrue story can turn-off the prospect too, often with life-long consequences. A range of real-world examples are added into the mix to show the reader how story-based selling works and how actual companies implement such an approach.

When you are ready to start weaving a story then this book is at hand with a template to get you going that you personalise and build upon. The reader is guided through all the steps necessary, such as how to identify a story and articulate it, as whilst it might sound obvious to an outsider, often you can be too involved to clearly see the wood for the trees! Of course, a lot of other information is provided to help you manage your sales processes. Some might be familiar, some less so, yet it never hurts to get a refresher as even the seasoned old pro can learn new tricks.

This book felt as it kept on giving. It was one of those books that you could just keep reading and reading and then you wonder where the evening went! This was a very engaging, inspirational and considerate book that was very more-ish! Suitable for both beginner and the experienced alike, it will get you thinking about how you communicate and thus by extension how you may try and sell things too. In fact, even if you are not directly involved in sales, this still can be a book worth considering as many interactions we have in life could be arguably selling something, whether it is an opinion, a wish or a desire. You could use this book in the day time to sell your company’s products and maybe at night to “sell” yourself to get a date or to get others “sold” on something you have to say…

Considering the book’s price, what a bargain!

Autamme.com

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent exercises and appendices/online resources. My recommendation is read Part 1, the appendices, and the online resources. Part II seemed like filler content to round out a complete book.

[Darryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for what it's intended to do -- help the reader sell using storytelling.

[Mark Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical with heaps of homework.

Storytelling in an essential for all business communicators. What is covered in this book will allow you to follow a proven structure for success.

[Victor · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story wasn’t great. Good points. Not engaging

[Jimit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sale with A story

It is good read for sales executives, author has provided many stories and art of telling stories. I feel in many chapters same things repeat again and again.

[Trung Nguyen Dang · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author's earlier book, Lead with a story, is so so much better.

[Rómestámo · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 prolific lessons from the book, "Sell with a Story" by Paul Smith

1. The Importance of Storytelling: Understand why storytelling is such a powerful tool in sales, as it engages customers emotionally and helps them connect with the product or service on a deeper level.

2. Know Your Audience: Tailor your stories to resonate with the specific needs, desires, and concerns of your target audience, ensuring that they feel understood and valued.

3. Craft Compelling Narratives: Develop stories that are not only entertaining but also relevant and persuasive, illustrating the value proposition of your product or service in a memorable way.

4. Show, Don't Tell: Use vivid imagery and descriptive language to paint a picture for your customers, allowing them to visualize how your offering can solve their problems or enhance their lives.

5. Authenticity Matters: Be genuine and authentic in your storytelling, as customers can sense when a story is contrived or insincere.
6. Use Customer Success Stories: Incorporate testimonials and case studies into your sales pitches to demonstrate how your product or service has benefited real customers in the past.

7. Create Emotional Connections: Appeal to customers' emotions by sharing stories that evoke feelings of joy, excitement, or empathy, making them more likely to remember and respond to your message.

8. Practice Active Listening: Pay attention to your customers' needs and concerns, and use storytelling as a way to address their objections and build rapport.

9. Practice, Practice, Practice: Hone your storytelling skills through practice and repetition, refining your delivery and experimenting with different narratives to see what resonates best with your audience.

10. Measure Your Results: Track the effectiveness of your storytelling efforts by monitoring key sales metrics and soliciting feedback from customers, allowing you to continually refine and improve your approach.

[Vitaly Kirkpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a regional sales manager for FOSS North America, I have extensive experience in the field of Food and Agriculture equipment sales between 2015 and 2019. I can confidently say that "Sell with a Story: How to Capture Attention, Build Trust, and Close the Sale" is a must-read for anyone in sales. The book is packed with practical tips and techniques on effectively using storytelling in sales. The author provides valuable insights on connecting with potential clients, building trust and ultimately closing more deals.

The techniques shared in the book are easy to implement and have proven to be effective in my own sales career. I have seen an improvement in my ability to engage with potential clients and secure more sales due to applying the principles outlined in this book.

Overall, "Sell with a Story" is a well-written, engaging, and practical guide for anyone in sales. Whether you're just starting in the industry or looking to take your sales skills to the next level, this book will surely deliver valuable insights and tips to help you succeed. I highly recommend this book to all sales professionals!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a book on business storytelling for a while. To my good fortune this one came up on an Audible daily deal.

In his book, Paul Smith persuasively puts forward the case for telling stories to sell. He identifies different types of stories and the different elements that go into a great story.

Throughout the book he gives great examples and then analyses them.

I've been training business storytelling for a while now. Paul's book consolidated a lot of what I aleady knew but also gave me lots of fresh ideas.

I highly recommend this book not only to those in sales but to anyone who wants to get a message across persuasively.

[Suzanne Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome. Paul Smith also has a class on LinkedIn Learning that covers similar content in a video series. The frameworks are easy to remember, easy to use, and incredibly effective. Put your favorite story up against this framework and it’s all there already. If not, then you can make them even better.

[Amal Albaqshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with really good examples on how to tell stories to sell products/ services. The fact that it concentrates on all the details of story telling content is great. I wish it focused more on the emotional/ psychological aspect of the consumer to understand how the stories affect the way the consumer thinks and processes the information.

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book but probably not the best in its field

The book has some good practical ideas for improving story telling. However, the author’s writing style (sentence structure and thoughts) can be a bit convoluted and wordy at times. I could recommend this book, however, not highly recommend. I’m reading about 2 books a months, therefore I have a good idea of what a good writer/author should sound like.

[Brian Thorson · Rating 4 out of 5]

While written with sales in mind, the advice given in this book is applicable to any public speaker that intends to enhance their presentations and conversations with stories. The book is very practical, provides examples, and most helpful were the structures and framework for the composition of various types of stories. Very helpful.

[Daniela D · Rating 3 out of 5]

a great introduction to storytelling with a purpose, has very good steps and tips to organise yourself and keep track of all the stories either from your life or others that you can use on sales calls.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. It bored me after the initial chapter where he introduced the pig island story.
Overall it is an ok book to learn something from.
But I rushed to finish it because I knew it would not be.., so enjoyable after all.

[Hanna Pliasetski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories sell, they're easy to remember and they influence your audience.
This book is brilliant! The author takes you hand in hand through the principles of crafting a good story that easily sells and makes you stand out.

[Logan Streondj · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book full of useful examples, and in depth explanations of sales stories and what makes them effective and how to put them together. Definitely worth reading, studying, practicing and archiving.

[Tracy Elman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to keep going back to. A sales manual. Filled with stories that help you not to be boring and be more interesting to your buyers.

[Dan The Creator · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much content and easily written.
Work + Theory book!

[Lorenzo Carreón · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that teaches on how selling something it's just telling a story!

[George Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Core sales skill

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

a lot of example here. maybe not that structured for there is no visual framework, but the things here truly made sense.

[Siim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you have a good story about why you do what you do?

[Carlos G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente libro con muchos ejemplos y guías prácticas. Te lleva de la mano paso a paso para crear las historias que puedes aplicar en tu trabajo.

[Wat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a book with useful tips I can use and not just random BS. You will find step by step how to make your story

[Barlara Valenzuela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic and somehow predictable, but a great reminder of the power a good story has in connecting with others on a more human level. Good book!