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Sales & Marketing

Selling with Stories and Referrals

Use stories and referrals to boost your sales pitch.

 Selling_Stories

Telling a story about helping another customer is a great sales strategy. It not only demonstrates your willingness to be a good Samaritan; it also proves that “this is not your first rodeo.” Besides, it feels great to be able to tell a prospect, “We do this all the time, and we can do it for you as well.”

Having a list of referrals to provide is ideal. It reduces your prospects’ perceived need to perform elaborate due diligence themselves. They take it for granted that the customers on that list already performed their own due diligence, and it’s even more reassuring that they already used your product or service successfully.

Think about all the purchases you make – everything from cars to makeup to food to movie tickets. Think how comforting it is to hear someone else whose opinion you trust say, “I had a positive experience with that product.” On the flip side, imagine for a moment what your life would be like without Consumer Reports, J.D. Powers, Yelp, or Amazon reviews.  How much more difficult would your selections be if there were no five-star ratings? Without all of that proxy due diligence at your fingertips, could you even buy 10% of the stuff you now buy with confidence? Do yourself a favor. Assemble a large repertoire of positive stories and references to share with your prospects. It’s a great way to help your prospects reach their own affirmative decisions with confidence.


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Mark Jewell

Mark Jewell

Mark Jewell is the President and co-founder of Selling Energy. He is a subject matter expert, coach, speaker and best-selling author focused on overcoming barriers to implementing projects. Mark teaches other professionals and organizations how to turbocharge their sales success.

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