What do you do if your sales coaching creativity needs a boost from storytelling?

Be vulnerable and do not be afraid to tell stories of loss, defeat, failure, go ahead, tug on those heart strings. People want you! They want to know they are not alone with a certain struggle, always relate it to the topic, know where you are going with it, have an outline and be sure to summit up with a moral or lesson of the story. Feel your audience, know your audience, be your audience, and demonstrate to them that you and them are one and the same.

Story telling is the best tool to convey any message or motivate the audience. Jot down the message you want to give through your stories, look into your past experiences and craft stories that fit in perfectly with your goal. Look for more resources like podcasts or story books to craft compelling stories. Make sure to add elements like people, place, purpose & plot in your story. Every story should evoke emotions in the audience.

Utilizing your experience, gather real-life narratives that portray positive and motivational resolutions to tough situations. These stories should speak about the obstacles encountered, the actions taken to overcome them, and the individuals or teams who contributed to achieving a successful outcome. Remember, sharing stories of failure can also yield valuable lessons, providing your team with insights on what pitfalls to steer clear of.

A good framework when trying to tell engaging stories that provide a clear message for people to grab on to if you’re not a natural storyteller is the STAR method. - Situation: Set the scene. - Task: Describe your necessary responsibilities - Action: Explain the steps that were taken to achieve a result. - Result: Share the outcomes of that result.

Memorize at least 5 relevant stories that open doors to teachable moments/lessons, relatable to any industry, vertical or segment of business. As you grow, add more, start with 5. Become the leader known for driving impact by telling great stories.

ABP! Always be prepared! How do you prepare? Practice! How do you practice? Often. I often rehearse talks/presentations 30 times prior to taking it live. Use your peers, your boss, the sr. Team, the mirror, whatever it takes to help you build a good cadence, rhythm and comfort ability with the topic. Make sure to not leave anything out, especially your stories. These will be the moments in your presentation that everyone remember, everything else will be forgotten. Preparation ensures that you do not leave out the critical parts of your talk.