Who Should be the Hero of the Story (9/5/14)

If you are looking to be successful in sales you better learn to become a good storyteller because nothing sells better than a good story. Lucky for you a story that sells isn’t too complicated. All you really need in a sales story is a major challenge, and a hero who learns something by overcoming said challenge.

However, there is one key point where most stories fall short; most storytellers pick the wrong hero when telling the story. Think back to any myth or fable that has stood the test of time. Achilles’ never wrote the stories of his exploits in the Trojan War, Homer did. The problem with most stories that are used in sales is that the storyteller either intentionally or inadvertently makes himself the hero of the story.

The telling of a great story in sales requires that your customer is the hero and you provided them with something  to overcome their adversity. That’s the story you need to tell your prospects.

You see Average Joe’s Story: Quest for Confidence and the book tour for the book are not stories promoting the author as the hero; they are tools for any would be readers. The real heroes of the story are people like Diane that I met at Safety Harbor Kiwanis Club, Peter of North Manatee Kiwanis Club, and the countless other people I met along the way that shared their stories and experiences. Average Joe’s Story and its book tour are just tools that permit me to connect with people who, in their day to day lives, are overcoming the adversity that life throws at them. Those tools provide the opportunity to develop a community for people who need a little pick-me-up during the tough times.

The real hero of the story is the reader who chooses to go on their own version of Average Joe’s Story.