The Power of Story in Sales

From the desk of Roy Furr, Thursday, 6:20 am

Do you know the selling power of stories?

Here’s my personal experience — buying a used car.

When I was in college, I’d just totaled my previous car (icy Christmas Eve night and a huge snow pile blocking my view as I tried to cross a busy street). And I was out shopping for a new car.

I’d looked at a few options, but then I came on this pristine condition ’78 Chevy Nomad van… with the U-shaped couch in the back that converted into a bed… yeah, I suppose that says something about me in college!

So I’m talking to the car dealer about it, and he could have just told me it was a good condition, single-owner vehicle.

But no…

He told me how it was owned by a trucker/Harley-Davidson fanatic who was in pain just to get rid of it. (After 20+ years his wife was making him get ditch it for a mini-van, of all things!)

And here’s how he loved that van.

He only used it 2 times a year. Once a year to drive with motorcycles in tow up to Sturgis, and once a year to drive with motorcycles in tow down to Daytona.

Every other day of the year, he kept it in an enclosed garage.

No wonder it had survived 20+ years in Nebraska with minimal rust!

No wonder it looked so damn good!

But that wasn’t all…

Whenever that van needed any work, he wouldn’t take it to some hack mechanic to get it fixed. As a long-haul trucker and Harley dude he knew how to work on vehicles. And he took care of all the maintenance — he kept it running smooth like the day they first took it home.

…

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it. A lot better than good condition, single-owner vehicle.

Because… it had a story.

…

I bought that van. I loved that van. I no longer have the van. But I still remember its story (plus a few others I added to it — but that’s for another time).

How can you use story to multiply the selling power of your sales and marketing?

To your success,

- R

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