Creating Attention-Grabbing Stories to Establish Your Credibility

Creating Attention Grabbing Stories
to Establish Your Credibility
Presented by Julie Thomas
President & CEO, ValueSelling Associates
Complimentary Webinar
August 22, 2018
This document contains proprietary information of ValueSelling Associates. Its receipt or possession does not convey any rights
to reproduce or disclose its contents or to manufacture, use, or sell anything it may describe. Reproduction, disclosure, or use
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“Stories are powerful because they transport
us into other people’s worlds but, in doing
that, they change the way our brains work
and potentially change our brain chemistry
— and that’s what it means to be a social
creature.”
Paul Zak “The Business of Story”

Creating Attention Grabbing Stories to
Establish Your Credibility
• How to engage executives in
high-level conversations
• How to create value-based stories
that captivate and create interest
• How to deliver any story with
confidence
What we will
learn today

What percentage of sales meetings do executive buyers
consider to be valuable?
What do you think?

Surprisingly, only 20% (2 out of 10) executive buyers
What do you think?
Source: Forrester Research

How do we
get in door?
Prospects are
constantly
protecting
themselves

Barrier to
Executive
Access
who you are.
your company.
your company’s product.
what your company stands for.
your company’s record.
your company’s customers.
your company’s reputation.
I don’t know…
Now – what was it you wanted to sell me?

Relevant
Messaging:
Story
Research
and Business
Acumen
Value Based
Stories
Practice with
Confidence
Source information on
prospects and their
industry from partners,
past customers and
business journals. This
produces an educated
sales team and
consistent rigorous
sales approach that
links using the
prospect's business
acumen.
Articulate a compelling
value proposition by
telling the story of past
successes of when you
solved similar business
issues and problems
with measurable
outcomes.
Elevate your
confidence by
practicing the Value
Based stories and
delivering in a
compelling way
enticing engagement.
1 2 3

What percentage of the buying decision have executives
already made before having a conversation with a supplier?
What do you think?

“B2B customers today progress more than 70% of the way
through the decision-making process before ever engaging
a sales representative.”
What do you think?
Source: Demand Gen Report, 2017 B2B Buyer’s Survey

Sales Leader
Buyers:
Engagement
Level by Phase
42 43 47
39 38
23
13 17
11
6 2
12
6
EARLY - EDUCATION PHASE MIDDLE - SOLUTION PHASE LATE - DECISION PHASE
Fully Significantly Moderately Not At All Slightly
Understand Current Issues
Establish Objective Set Strategy
Set Vendor Criteria
Explore Options
Selection
Implement Plan
Measure Results
Level of Involvement in the Purchase Decision Process

Senior
Executives:
Factors by
Relative
Importance
Criteria
Average Score
(1-5)
Demonstrated
accountability/responsibility
4.48
Understood business goals/objectives 4.40
Listened before proposing solutions 4.36
Worked well with your staff 3.76
Structured agenda for meeting 3.48
Source of information about
competitors
2.72

What would
you like
them to think
about you?
• Experienced
• Knowledgeable
• Professional
• Value their time
• Credible
• Candid
• Likeable
• Trusted Advisor
• Understands how
to martial resources

Research –
Identify
Source of
Information
Local Information
Business Journals
Industry Information
Associations, Trade Press
Partners
Co-marketing opportunities,
Other local sales people
Internal Data
Marketing campaigns,
Past customers
Customer
Clients
Networking
Past Client
Relationships
Social Networking
LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook,
Google+, and endless more
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

What’s the
best way to
do that?
Value Based Stories
(Credibility Introduction)
For the right contact level
1. Understanding of high
level Business Issue (BI)
or drivers
2. Problems in addressing
the BI
3. Value / Result / Impact /
Outcomes
Credible
Experience
Professional
Trustworthy
Knowledgeable

What makes a great
Value-based Story?

What makes a
story that
sells?
Blend facts and narrative
Create an emotional connection
Their decision creates the value
The story is not about you
The issues and problems become the villain
Your solution and partnership is the path to
value
End with a call to action
Relevance
Client is the
hero
Issues and
Problems

Credibility • Earning the right to warrant the listener’s time
• First few minutes of meeting (after
“pleasantries”)
– 2 to 4 minutes
• Creating interest in both you and your offering
– You have something worth their time
– You can add value to their organization
– You can add value to them

Credibility
Introduction
Outline
• Call objective (agenda, time allotment)
• Relevant background information
– Other conversations (if applicable)
• Brief overview of your company
– High level snapshot (15 to 20 seconds)
• Reference story (if appropriate)
– Similar situation, Business Issue, Problems
– Required Solution
– Result/impact/Value (of partnering with
Toastmasters)
• Transition (to begin discovery)

The Reference
Story: A key to
credibility
Ideally includes:
• The buyer’s Business Issue
• The Problems they faced
• Their partnership with YOU
• How your Solution uniquely matched that
vision
• The Value realized/achieved
– BI/Problem: “Our clients tell us they face challenges,
including…”
– Solution: “One in particular said what they need is…”
– Value: “By partnering with us, they able to…”are

22© ValueSelling Associates, Inc. 2018. All rights reserved.
End with
Transition and
call to action
• Can we discuss your situation?
• Can you share what is going on here
to determine if we can add similar
value?
• Create your own call to action

OPEN PROBE CONFIRM
P R O B L E M S O L U T I O N
V A L U E P O W E R
P L A N
•
© 1993-2016 ValueSelling Associates, Inc.
OPEN PROBE CONFIRM OPEN PROBE CONFIRM
OPEN PROBE CONFIRM
OPEN PROBE CONFIRM
CUSTOMER’S
BUSIN ESS ISSUE
Customer high level problem set:
•
•
•
1.
2.
1.
2.
CONTACT NAME
INDIVIDUAL & TITLE
Value/Result realized by partnering with you: (#’s, $’s, %’s):
•
•
•
Capture Your Personal Reference
Story to Establish Credibility
1
2
3
4
Building
Credibility

Is it Worth
the Effort –
You Be the
Judge
Value
Stories
After a presentation
63%
of attendees
remember stories.
Only 5%
remember statistics
Research
71%
of sales leaders
say their reps
lack ability to
connect solution to
business issues
Training
& Practice
High performing sales
teams are
2.5x
more likely
to receive
outstanding sales
training
1: SiriusDecisions 2: Chip & Dan Heath 3: https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2017/11/15-sales-statistics.html

1%of salespeople don’t pitch,
they ask the right questions.
Source: Inc.com
The top

“If I were given one hour to save the
planet, I would spend 59 minutes
defining the problem and one minute
resolving it.”
-Albert Einstein

Individually
Capture One
Thing You
Will…
… over the next 10 days as a result of today’s session.

Confidence (con·fi·dence)
noun
the feeling or belief that one can rely on
someone or something; firm trust.
• the state of feeling certain about the truth of
something.
• a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's
appreciation of one's own abilities or
qualities.
Deliver Value-
based Stories
with Confidence

Plan of Action
© 2018 ValueSelling Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.
• Find a client win and gather the details for
the story
– Leverage the ValuePrompter as a
template for content
• Establish your credibility – create a “Value”
based story
– Leverage examples and build your own
personal stories
• Practice telling the value stories with
confidence
– Practice the story, make it a conversation
not a pitch

At the end of
today’s webinar
Go to valueselling.com > resources > webinars
to download today’s slides

Let’s meet in Las Vegas!
Join me at Sales 3.0 Conference
October 25 – 26 | Caesars Palace
Email webinar@valueselling.com
to receive a free conference ticket
(valued over $800)

Follow and engage with us!
ValueSelling-
Associates
ValueSellingAssoc ValueSelling
Associates
@Valuselling

Thank you!
Julie Thomas
julie@valueselling.com
+ 1 858 945 5824

Creating Attention-Grabbing Stories to Establish Your Credibility

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