| In today's business world, boring facts and empty stats | | | | stories to help overcome common objections you |
| simply won't make the impression on customers that a | | | | receive, such as cost. You don't want to compete on |
| story about someone "just like them" will. True stories | | | | price but on customer experience and your unique |
| are much more compelling and better-remembered | | | | ability to solve customers' problems. In life insurance |
| than other information. So to get coveted | | | | and financial services, for example, many people |
| word-of-mouth advertising, start by telling your | | | | haven't done what they should do in terms of planning. |
| company or product story. When you do, you'll find | | | | In this case, smart advisors tell their customer's, "Don't |
| that story-telling is a powerful tool that differentiates | | | | feel bad. Last week I met with someone just like you |
| you from your competition.Story-telling your way to | | | | who had that same problem. Here's how we worked |
| greater profit is based on the idea of "social proof." | | | | together to solve it."7. Keep 'em coming. Dog-eared, |
| When people are unsure what to do, they look at | | | | over-copied success stories from seven years ago |
| others' behavior and ask what others have done | | | | won't do the trick. Document everything and keep it |
| previously in the same situation. A behavior seems | | | | current! Develop a system to follow up with satisfied |
| more correct to the degree that we see others doing | | | | clients because you can't have too many stories at |
| it, and the more people doing it the better. Social proof | | | | your disposal. Utilize the Web, phone calls, letters, and |
| comes into play in all buying decisions, from the most | | | | e-mail to generate new stories, and then put them on |
| basic to the most expensive. This includes everything | | | | your website in the form of written, audio, and video |
| from what movie to see or restaurant to eat at, to | | | | testimonials. Have them organized and ready to send |
| what car to buy or contractor to hire.Whatever your | | | | out with e-mails to prospects.8. Use pictures. A picture |
| industry, you can essentially get your customers to | | | | is worth a thousand more words. A testimonial with a |
| write your best stories for you by documenting your | | | | photo shows that there is a real person behind the |
| successes through testimonials and pictures. Do what | | | | name, enhancing your credibility. Build your testimonials |
| your competition fails to do effectively. To develop | | | | one at a time, asking clients, "If I can exceed your |
| powerful stories that sell your customers, follow these | | | | expectations, get the work done in time and at the |
| ten simple steps:1. Identify your positioning. If you don't | | | | budget we set, would you give me a testimonial so I |
| position yourself advantageously, your competition will | | | | can share your success with other customers?" The |
| position you and your product in a way you do not | | | | majority of your customers will happily say "Yes!" |
| want. What is your unique selling proposition (USP)? | | | | Then you can create a Raving Fan book that will let |
| What added value do you deliver that your | | | | you select the jobs you want to do. Home |
| competition won't? Get your customers say "wow!" | | | | improvement contractors, for example, can fill it with |
| Maybe it's your unique expertise, free installation, or | | | | before-and-after pictures plus testimonials saying that |
| free delivery. Whatever you offer, it should be | | | | they showed up on time, stayed within budget, etc. On |
| low-cost but have high perceived added value.2. | | | | future jobs, other bidders will show up with no social |
| Define your ideal customer. Contrary to popular belief, | | | | proof, just a napkin with an estimate on it, but the |
| your customer base isn't "everybody." While you may | | | | smart contractors will have ten success stories, |
| have customers across all spectrums, who's going to | | | | impressive photos, and raves from past customers. |
| be the most profitable customer for you, and how can | | | | Even if their price comes in 10 - 20% higher, if they've |
| you attract more of those? You don't want to be | | | | proven that they can meet the customer's needs, the |
| always selling to everybody. Be proactive, and let your | | | | customer is likely to pick the professional who provided |
| competition suffer the consequences of giving their | | | | social proof! You can easily add streaming video to |
| sales force too broad of a brush.3. Identify what's | | | | document your success too.9. Utilize product reviews. |
| different about you. Different is good. Create a point of | | | | Vendor ratings and product reviews such as you find |
| differentiation between you and your competition with | | | | on eBay, Overstock.com, and can tell your story and |
| a story. You may have noticed this recent trend at | | | | offer social proof even without personal contact. The |
| retail when you're looking for a BBQ sauce or a bottle | | | | combination of customer rants and raves is highly |
| of wine. To get customers to pick their product off the | | | | believable.10. Create a personal marketing sheet. Tell a |
| shelf, companies use their product packaging and web | | | | good story about who you are, especially if you're |
| sites to tell an intriguing story.4. Draw them to you. If | | | | self-employed. It should feature a picture of you and |
| you've done the first three steps well, the customers | | | | your product and tell who you are and what your USP |
| you want will be attracted to you. Rather than pursuing | | | | is. On it, list some of your customers and include the |
| customers, learn their key issues/pains/problems and | | | | right quotes as well as detailing your number of years' |
| how you can solve them. For example, top mortgage | | | | experience, special training or certifications you and |
| brokers work to build a good reputation and thereby | | | | your team have, and any community involvement.Tell |
| attract a lot of the business. They don't have to go out | | | | Yourself a New Story About StoriesMany people are |
| and pursue clients; people come to them. Do the little | | | | hesitant to sell themselves and their product or service |
| things that make for a great story so your customers | | | | with stories because they don't want to feel "pushy," |
| will sing your praises and bring the business to you. | | | | as if they're forcing their clients to do their marketing |
| Ideally, you'll be able to choose your customers, instead | | | | for them. A simple paradigm shift is all you need to see |
| of begging them to choose you over your | | | | the benefits of this practice, for you and for your |
| competition.5. Show, don't tell. One of the main | | | | customers. Consider this: you're cheating people if you |
| principles of story-telling is to show the details of the | | | | don't share what a great experience you offer |
| story, and let those details speak for themselves. | | | | customers. They'll go somewhere else and get an |
| Effective story-telling is in the details, and the more the | | | | inferior product and experience.In the end, it's simply a |
| better. Leaving out a minute detail, which you feel may | | | | matter of utilizing the power of social proof: Tell your |
| not be important, could turn out to be the deciding | | | | story, attract customers to you, deliver what you do |
| factor from the customer's point of view. Paint a | | | | best, and you won't be able to stop them from talking |
| picture with your words to bring your story to life for | | | | about their "lucky find," sending others to you and |
| the reader or listener. You don't have to be a master | | | | coming back again and again. Remember: A good |
| fiction writer to tell a powerful story. Set up a problem, | | | | story can change the way people think. A great story |
| then work through and resolve it by offering specific | | | | can change the way people behave.As a speaker, |
| benefits to the customer. Create powerful case | | | | Chip has a magical ability to generate enthusiasm, |
| studies of the specific problem you and the client were | | | | contagious energy and results. Former Tony Robbins |
| facing, why they hired you, what your strategy to | | | | international point-man. Clients include IBM, ADP, |
| solve it was, the terrific result and what the thrilled | | | | Century 21 and Bank of America. |
| client had to say.6. Feel their pain. You can use your | | | | |