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When I give storytelling workshops, salespeople are often surprised when I tell them it's beyond ok to use personal stories in their pitches. In fact, when done right, personal stories are one of the *most* powerful ways to build rapport with prospects.

After all, we are all humans. We share a multitude of universal experiences. Talking about these experiences connects us, and connection builds trust. And as we all know — whether you're buying or selling — trust (or lack thereof) can make or break your sale.

That said, it's important to curate and craft personal stories very intentionally to maximize their impact in a sales context.

Here are some factors to consider as you build your arsenal of personal stories to use with prospects and customers:

1) Choose stories wherein the main point is a metaphor for the value proposition for what you're selling. For example, say you're selling a disaster-recovery (DR) solution. It would make perfect sense to share a story about the time you lost all of your precious family photos because your hard disk crashed. Who among us hasn't had a similar, devastating experience? It's universally relatable (and the reason why I give so many of my hard-earned dollars to Dropbox every month!). Sharing that story prompts the listener to identify with you and and actually *feel* the emotions you felt when you realized your daugher's baby pictures were gone forever. From there, it's a smooth, logical transition to talking about your awesome DR solution.

2) This may seem obvious, but make sure that you have enough emotional distance from your story that you can tell it without without losing your composure. Ugly crying during PowerPoint presos is highly discouraged. 😊

3) Make sure your story is authentic and that it's your story to tell. Otherwise, you risk triggering your prospect's BS meter and losing the sale.

4) Use as many specific sensory details as possible. Studies show that sensory details evoke emotion and aid retention.

5) Create a tight story arc. Ensure that your story has a beginning, middle, and end so that you stay focused and don't ramble. Keep it short.

Storytelling is an fascinating nexus of art, craft, and neuroscience. (But I'll save the neuroscience part for a different time.)

If you want to learn more about using stories to amplify your pitches, DM me! I also invite you to run your story by me if you want a impartial opinion.

Check out the curriculum of our two-day storytelling workshops here.