Trot out the same old tired sales pitch and watch the competition eat your lunch.
Meaningful business stories sell because they engage customers to buy. But sales and marketing folks often fail to create them – even though stories are used in every sales outreach, such as emails, ads, proposals, decks, etc.
It’s a big problem when sellers’ stories fail because customers ignore the noise and tune out. Goodbye customer engagement, goodbye understanding, goodbye sale.
Now, add the fact that customers are struggling with their own confusion and chaos — and that’s a perfect storm for sellers.
Here’s a quick look at the rough seas we’re in.
Customers’ State of Uncertainty
B2B customers are drowning in uncertainty and complexity as their businesses struggle with:
Today, when customers buy outsourced services, they can be full of fear and doubt. They may repeat pre-pandemic buying as if COVID-19 didn’t happen — Ever see RFPs with 2019 specifications and NO changes for the new normal?
Or customers may ignore sellers, shy away from new suppliers, and/or innovative solutions. In this state, customers choose the status quo, which means more of the familiar, even staying with less than stellar suppliers or outdated solutions.
Sellers’ Story Failures
Sales and marketing folk are part of the problem. They’re failing to tell a better story, one that guides B2B customers through today’s uncertainty.
This is because sellers often regurgitate stories that are inept, clichéd, or no longer meaningful.
Be honest, do you really think customers care when they read these lines?
- “We’re the industry leader in XYZ”
- “Our service is second to none”
- “People are our greatest asset”
Tell Better Stories Everywhere
The work of sales and marketing is to spark customers’ interest and bring them along the journey of Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action (AIDA).
From first contact to a winning proposal — sellers must tell meaningful stories in the customer’s reality today, not in hypothetical realms customers don’t recognize.
A seller’s story must come from a singular customer-facing story as threads of this story are used in emails, ads, talk tracks, proposals, etc.,
Otherwise, disconnected sales’ thoughts and ideas are thrown at customers, ultimately confusing them, and losing their attention. Game over.
Sellers’ Big Engaging Story
For meaningful customer-facing stories, sellers hold a mirror to their customers’ world and narrate an engaging story with customers as heroes — and where sellers’ contributions help customers avoid dangers — and support customers along a safe and successful path towards their winning future.
Now, that’s a story customers buy.
And when is the best time for improvements?
