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Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell
How do the best salespeople connect, influence and persuade? With stories. 'Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell' takes you on a high-stakes sales journey, using stories to establish rapport and trust, deliver insight, inspire action and close the deal, and in doing so win new friends and collaborators. When you share purposeful stories in your client conversations, you'll create more new business than you thought possible. Sharing more than 50 stories from around the world, Mike draws on his diverse international sales career to teach and demonstrate the power of storytelling -- from first hello to signed contract. You'll learn stories to help - establish rapport and trust - present challenging insights - differentiate your solution - share your company values - unstick negotiation stand-offs - and create better business . This book will change the way you think about selling. Rather than seeing your role as that of a transactional deal closer, you'll become a story master, creating new stories for your clients.
- GenresNonfictionBusiness
295 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2018
231 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 14, 2019
Mike writes an interesting book, which is all about how to use stories in sales. Now I, as well as you, have probably used stories so what's there to learn here? Well Mike explains how different stories can be used throughout the selling / buying cycle and how to use them programmatically. His view, and I agree that if you invest in this, you will increase your win rate. The book explains (with case studies) the structure of stories, in other words what makes a great story and how as a business you should have a story library that all sales, marketing in fact all people can use as part of their sales campaigns. Well worth a read.
October 26, 2018
I really find Mike Adams'Seven Stories book interesting and helpful. It helps me remember some of the things I learned in most of the sales training, seminars and conference I have attended in the past.
Mike Adams is right, most salespeople don't forget the storytelling skills because humans love and remember good stories. I like telling stories to most of my clients, it establishes rapport and helps me gain my client's trust.
Kudos to Mike Adams for writing this brilliant book!
Mike Adams is right, most salespeople don't forget the storytelling skills because humans love and remember good stories. I like telling stories to most of my clients, it establishes rapport and helps me gain my client's trust.
Kudos to Mike Adams for writing this brilliant book!
February 4, 2021
This book was a mind-opening read. Thanks to Mike's awe-inspiring work journey and his storytelling powers.
I started reading Seven Stories because I recently switched gears on the work front, intending to offer my innovation & design strategy services to larger company teams as opposed to younger companies earlier. And while I'm confident of being able to offer value to them, I had no clue on how to first approach them.
Previously, I didn't have the highest of regards for sales people, simply because I had heard a lot about the messier side of sales: people distorting data, lying and bribing to make a sale; all of which seemed to tarnish my idea of the profession. Mike's perspective restored that respect and added admiration and importance to it.
I've just started applying the learnings from the book, but my outlook already feels matured from being previously attuned to scope and specifics, to now seeing the impact of relevant stories.
I wouldn't just recommend this book to people in the marketing and sales professions, but to everybody. Storytelling is a huge part of what makes us humans, and also what has pushed us to achieve the impossible, either alone or by bringing people together.
Simply put, anyone's habit of reading would be incomplete without this book.
I started reading Seven Stories because I recently switched gears on the work front, intending to offer my innovation & design strategy services to larger company teams as opposed to younger companies earlier. And while I'm confident of being able to offer value to them, I had no clue on how to first approach them.
Previously, I didn't have the highest of regards for sales people, simply because I had heard a lot about the messier side of sales: people distorting data, lying and bribing to make a sale; all of which seemed to tarnish my idea of the profession. Mike's perspective restored that respect and added admiration and importance to it.
I've just started applying the learnings from the book, but my outlook already feels matured from being previously attuned to scope and specifics, to now seeing the impact of relevant stories.
I wouldn't just recommend this book to people in the marketing and sales professions, but to everybody. Storytelling is a huge part of what makes us humans, and also what has pushed us to achieve the impossible, either alone or by bringing people together.
Simply put, anyone's habit of reading would be incomplete without this book.
November 14, 2018
A Fish(ing) Story that Rings True
Mike Adams is a highly effective sales force trainer and a successful salesperson in his own right. His secret? Stories. But not just any stories. Adams proposes the seven stories everyone involved in sales needs ready at hand to close the deal.
Adams uses a fishing metaphor around which to structure his book, describing how the “angler” first hooks the client’s attention, then fights for the client’s interest, and finally lands the sales contract. There are stories for each stage, and Adams carefully explains how to collect and deliver each type of story.
Strengths of the book include: (1) a helpful discussion on why stories are important and how they function in the thinking process of clients; (2) useful examples of true stories to illustrate the author’s points; and (3) a list of books for further reading not only in the area of sales but also in the areas of business and psychology.
I encourage you to read Adams’ book even if you’re not in sales (I’m not), and here’s why. Everyone has a message that others need to hear. This book will help you clarify and refine your message in a way that lead to greater impact for the good of those with whom you communicate.
Mike Adams is a highly effective sales force trainer and a successful salesperson in his own right. His secret? Stories. But not just any stories. Adams proposes the seven stories everyone involved in sales needs ready at hand to close the deal.
Adams uses a fishing metaphor around which to structure his book, describing how the “angler” first hooks the client’s attention, then fights for the client’s interest, and finally lands the sales contract. There are stories for each stage, and Adams carefully explains how to collect and deliver each type of story.
Strengths of the book include: (1) a helpful discussion on why stories are important and how they function in the thinking process of clients; (2) useful examples of true stories to illustrate the author’s points; and (3) a list of books for further reading not only in the area of sales but also in the areas of business and psychology.
I encourage you to read Adams’ book even if you’re not in sales (I’m not), and here’s why. Everyone has a message that others need to hear. This book will help you clarify and refine your message in a way that lead to greater impact for the good of those with whom you communicate.
December 11, 2022
Epic. Insightful. Real. Fun. Deploying now!
There are two kinds of books. One is about the subject, written by an observer sitting in the stands (along with hot dog vendors), “know about” books. The other is the subject in the sparse, efficient language of action on the field or pitch of play, “know how” and, if lucky, “learn how” books.
Either you’ve “carried a bag”, closed huge life-changing deals, and sweated blood getting it done AND delivered, OR you have not.
Mike not only carried a bag but taught, coached and mentored coaches on how to their own bags and those of whom they managed
This one fact eliminated 95% of BS fluff, oration and time-wasting setups and transitions that represents 80% of the propositional content of “know about” books authored by hot dog vendors and journalists.
Mike Adams demonstrates the power of “narrative intelligence”, the power of storytelling to inspire, reassure, and motivate buyers and their remote, never-gonna-meet decision influencers.
I will probably invest the next 3 weeks in operationalizing this book within my startup.
There are two kinds of books. One is about the subject, written by an observer sitting in the stands (along with hot dog vendors), “know about” books. The other is the subject in the sparse, efficient language of action on the field or pitch of play, “know how” and, if lucky, “learn how” books.
Either you’ve “carried a bag”, closed huge life-changing deals, and sweated blood getting it done AND delivered, OR you have not.
Mike not only carried a bag but taught, coached and mentored coaches on how to their own bags and those of whom they managed
This one fact eliminated 95% of BS fluff, oration and time-wasting setups and transitions that represents 80% of the propositional content of “know about” books authored by hot dog vendors and journalists.
Mike Adams demonstrates the power of “narrative intelligence”, the power of storytelling to inspire, reassure, and motivate buyers and their remote, never-gonna-meet decision influencers.
I will probably invest the next 3 weeks in operationalizing this book within my startup.
January 30, 2021
I've read a lot of sales books. This one has a different take. Instead of focusing on tactics, metrics, or the changing sales environment the focus is on stories. Specifically the book is about how stories can be used at every stage of the sales process to build strong relationships and earn new business.
In order to implement the learnings of this book I'm going to need to build a repository of stories that can be used at various stages of the sales cycle. We reflexively use these stories already but by refining the ideas and delivery I think they can be more pointed and effective.
In order to implement the learnings of this book I'm going to need to build a repository of stories that can be used at various stages of the sales cycle. We reflexively use these stories already but by refining the ideas and delivery I think they can be more pointed and effective.
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May 6, 2022Stories are narratives that help others put pieces together, and while many of the stories we encounter in the media and in the movies are fictional, the kinds of stories you’re implored to tell in Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell are non-fictional. They’re the stories that allow you to connect, differentiate, and ultimately close the deal.
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February 16, 2019
This book is a must read for not only for every seller, sales manager/leader but also for those who are involved in sales enablement or presales, client delivery to understand the 'significance' and 'effectiveness' of 'sales stories'. Mike has articulated the entire book in a very easy to read and grasp the key essence of story telling.
June 26, 2019
Great book ! with business insight how to use the story to convince your stakeholders and drive change within the organization. Highly recommended to those who want to pitch solution and new idea to management.
December 6, 2021
Experiential treatment of advanced concepts. Any serious sales professional looking to go to the next level will find the 7 stories framework easy to consume and apply to their sales. Sales management that introduce this to their Account Managers can anticipate better results in 90 days.
January 1, 2023
Twice as long as it needs to be. Interesting and helpful topic about using storytelling in sales but there’s only so many ways you can explain the same thing. There’s probably a YouTube video on this topic that would be quicker and easier to learn from.
April 7, 2019
An awesome read for any salesperson and any sales team! Highly Recommend!
July 9, 2022
I wish I’d had these insights and structures years ago.
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January 19, 2026Very interesting book
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews