Summary of Paul Smith's Sell with a Story

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 Not all collections of words constitute a story. A story is something special. It is a series of words that have meaning, and it is up to you to determine what that meaning is.

#2 The six identifiable features of a story are a time, a place, a main character, an obstacle, a goal, and events. Stories typically have a time indicator, a place indicator, a main character, an obstacle, a goal, and events.

#3 The four narratives below are examples of stories that may or may not be worthy of being called a story. You are to decide which are and which are not stories, and why.

#4 The first three narratives are not stories. They do not meet all six criteria. The fourth narrative is a story about something that happened to somebody. It has a time, a place, a main character, an obstacle, a goal, and events.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jun 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822537576

IRB Media

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Book preview

Insights on Paul Smith's Sell with a Story

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Not all collections of words constitute a story. A story is something special. It is a series of words that have meaning, and it is up to you to determine what that meaning is.

#2

The six identifiable features of a story are a time, a place, a main character, an obstacle, a goal, and events. Stories typically have a time indicator, a place indicator, a main character, an obstacle, a goal, and events.

#3

The four narratives below are examples of stories that may or may not be worthy of being called a story. You are to decide which are and which are not stories, and why.

#4

The first three narratives are not stories. They do not meet all six criteria. The fourth narrative is a story about something that happened to somebody. It has a time, a place, a main character, an obstacle, a goal, and events.

#5

A sales story is any story that’s used in the process of earning a sale and maintaining a customer. Stories can be used in any phase of the sales process, from stories you tell yourself prior to the sales call to building rapport with the buyer.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

storytelling is a powerful sales tool that can help you connect with your buyer, build trust, and increase the value of your product. It is a unique form of communication that is fun to use, and your buyers actually want you to tell them stories.

#2

The same principle applies to sales storytelling. It doesn’t sound like a sales pitch, just like a story doesn’t sound like a lecture. Both buyers and students open up their minds and just listen.

#3

Storytelling is the most reliable way to get the buyer to open up and tell you their stories. It is like extending your hand for a handshake. It would be rude not to respond in kind.

#4

The human mind is a story processor, not a logic processor. We make subconscious, emotional, and sometimes irrational decisions in one place in the brain, and then justify those decisions rationally and logically in another place.

#5

Facts are easier to remember if they are embedded in a story rather than delivered in any other form. Stories create scenes, while facts don’t. Also, you know that stories