Storytelling

“Have you seen the Lion King?”

It’s a question I’ve asked thousands of salespeople in workshops, and only once did someone say “no” and everyone looked at him like he was mad.

It’s a story that resonated with its audience and one I refer to as a great example of storytelling.

Why? Because it has a great villain. Scar is essential to the film. Without him, Simba would not have had to leave his homeland or return to save his kingdom. Like any memorable villain, he’s essential to the film.

Storytelling in business is no different to the movies. The problem is most salespeople focus on the outcomes of their case studies with no context.

This may look like, “we helped a Fortune 500 client 5x ROI”.

ROI of what and why should they believe you?

So what’s the alternative? More on that next week. For now, ask yourself:

“Do you have villains and Scars in your customer stories?”