Better Selling Through Storytelling: The Essential Roadmap to Becoming a Revenue Rockstar

by John Livesay, Tim Sanders (Foreword)

The old way of selling is to push a message or product. The new way of selling is to pull people in with a compelling story—one that is magnetic to clients.Better Selling Through Storytelling helps people become master storytellers so they can truly love what they do and get off the self-esteem roller coaster of only feeling good if their numbers are up. John Livesay encourages readers to give up selling—and become storytellers instead! He teaches sales representatives and entrepreneurs alike how to become irresistible to their clients and what the best storytelling strategy is to get a yes. From learning how not to take rejection personally to overcoming the 3 faces of fear, readers learn to embrace disruption with new tools that prepare them for any unexpected waves that come their way and get the sale.

193 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 2, 2019

Reviews

[M. Saxton]

This book is chock full of great ideas for pitching anything

First, I loved the practical advice with great examples. One of my favorites was to think like your buyer - “What gives them joy?” This is a great lens to use when communicating with anyone.

Some other aspects I especially appreciated:
- Sometimes have to stick your foot in door as long as not barging in
- How to sell benefits instead of features
- What being empathetic really looks like
- Flip “we” statements to “you” statements
- How to create a warm introduction for your own teammates
- How to handle objections by creating space in the conversation and closing a loop

Several frameworks are hidden throughout:
- Key components of a story
- Four story genres in business
- The ladder from Invisible to Irresistible
- 5 principles to getting to Yes
- Objection handling through “feel, felt, found”
- Slide deck template for startups to pitch investors
- Presentation Dos and Don’ts
- Body language and how to be a great presenter

And, the Quick Reference Guide at the end summarizes the key takeaways from each chapter.

Bonus feature is that John shares insights from a myriad of his podcast guests. Feels like you get the best ideas from a wide range of people.

[Amit Verma]

John Livesy is a keynote speaker and podcaster who has focus on Salesperson and how to be an above average salesperson.
Book is written in interesting and engaging narrative except maybe a little overuse of personal biography.
If we consider, will it be useful then I will certainly recommend this to any person related to advancing sale of a product or service.
In simplified prise all key things which cannot be missed by seasoned salesperson are introduced slowly to the reader.
It has lot to do with body language, emotional intelligence and dealing with fear of rejection.
Part describing how to face rejection, objection or an angry client is particularly useful.
Story of Alison turning herself into a keynote speaker is interesting.
Overall very good and recommendable book.
Particularly useful if you are a salesperson but lessons are universal in their application to almost every profession related to dealing with customers.
Thanks netgalley and publisher for the book.

[Vanessa Vicente]

Being in the sales industry and a business graduate, this is exactly the kind of book that I needed to continue to self-develop in my professional and personal life. It is the updated and modern version of our strategies with an emphasis on genuine human empathy and authenticity..

John Livesay delivers an engaging conversation where he leads us through the blueprint of telling stories to make connections with others. It is not conceptual but concise with examples through personal stories, customer testimonials, quotes, and case studies. Break out your pens because this is definitely note-taking book to reference as you take action.

He really manages to unpack the power of storytelling through this entertaining but very educational book.

[Cheryl Basile]

I thought this was a very informative book for anyone who is interesting in "upping" his or her sales skills. Livesay shows how using storytelling can help you build a rapport with your potential customer, and then gives plenty of examples and ideas on how to apply this technique. He also gives numerous case studies on how he used story telling to sell high-value, high cost services and products. Definitely a great read for anyone who has to sell his/her company or services, whether you're doing that as a salesperson for the company or as the owner whose pitching for a bank loan or investor funding.

[Rebecca]

This book was very enlightening. As a business owner, I struggle with pitching partnerships. the author made pitching sound so much easier when putting forth as a story.

his tips for storytelling and the advice he gives to business owners trying to move forward is priceless. I came away feeling renewed, energized and ready to take on the world of partnerships and pitching.

[Anita]

Overall it was a nice and easy book to read. The author does a good job describing what types of relevant questions one should ask the team/themselves when building the messaging of a business, whether you are selling or having a pitch presentation. I gave it a four-star, just because there were a lot of things that we're constantly repeating throughout the book without a new conclusion.

[Darya]

The book is exactly what is says and tells stories about different sales situations, how those situations were handled. There is no better way to learn how to make sales deals than learning from others.

[Matthew Banever]

Short easy read. Storytelling while selling is a crucial skill. I’m always looking for ways to enhance my communicative abilities and this book gave me great tools. I recommend purchased the physical copy for notes!