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Sell with a Story: How to Capture Attention, Build Trust, and Close the Sale
Despite all the high-tech tools available to salespeople, the most personal method still works best.
Storytelling packs the emotional punch to turn routine presentations into productive relationships. It explains products or services in ways that resonate; it connects people and creates momentum. Stories speak to the part of the brain where decisions are made.
Paul Smith, author of the acclaimed Lead with a Story, shifts his best-selling formula to the sales arena. In Sell with a Story, he identifies the ingredients of the most effective sales stories and reveals how to:
● Select the right story
● Craft a compelling and memorable narrative
● Incorporate challenge, conflict, and resolution
● Use stories to introduce yourself, build rapport, address objections, add value, bring data to life, create a sense of urgency, and more
Complete with model stories, skill-building exercises, and enlightening examples from Microsoft, Costco, Xerox, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hewlett Packard, and other top companies, this powerful and practical guide gives you the tools you need to turn your experiences into stories that sell.
Storytelling packs the emotional punch to turn routine presentations into productive relationships. It explains products or services in ways that resonate; it connects people and creates momentum. Stories speak to the part of the brain where decisions are made.
Paul Smith, author of the acclaimed Lead with a Story, shifts his best-selling formula to the sales arena. In Sell with a Story, he identifies the ingredients of the most effective sales stories and reveals how to:
● Select the right story
● Craft a compelling and memorable narrative
● Incorporate challenge, conflict, and resolution
● Use stories to introduce yourself, build rapport, address objections, add value, bring data to life, create a sense of urgency, and more
Complete with model stories, skill-building exercises, and enlightening examples from Microsoft, Costco, Xerox, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hewlett Packard, and other top companies, this powerful and practical guide gives you the tools you need to turn your experiences into stories that sell.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published September 8, 2016
About the author
Paul Smith
7 books43 followersPAUL 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 20, 2016
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.
An advanced reader copy of this ebook was provided to me through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 4, 2017
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
February 12, 2017
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.
A must read for everybody, because believe it or not, we all are in the business of selling.
October 11, 2016
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
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
May 17, 2017
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.
August 31, 2022
Great for what it's intended to do -- help the reader sell using storytelling.
February 19, 2018
The story wasn’t great. Good points. Not engaging
August 28, 2018
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.
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.
January 12, 2019
The author's earlier book, Lead with a story, is so so much better.
February 3, 2023
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!
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!
September 24, 2021
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.
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.
December 28, 2019
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.
January 27, 2022
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.
May 18, 2023
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.
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.
June 4, 2018
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.
March 15, 2021
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.
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.
April 9, 2022
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.
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.
October 11, 2017
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.
February 26, 2019
So much content and easily written.
Work + Theory book!
Work + Theory book!
April 28, 2019
A great book that teaches on how selling something it's just telling a story!
June 8, 2019
Core sales skill
October 29, 2019
a lot of example here. maybe not that structured for there is no visual framework, but the things here truly made sense.
February 8, 2020
Do you have a good story about why you do what you do?
February 22, 2020
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.
May 9, 2020
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
September 15, 2020
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!
January 29, 2021
Very interesting read, I have to work on the stories suggested and hopefully up my game!
February 17, 2021
Lots of fluff
March 1, 2022
The Best Marketing Book Everyone Should Read
June 21, 2022
This book has everything that you want to know about telling stories in your sales pitch.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews