Stories Sell - Whether You Believe It Or Not

Back in March of ‘04 I travelled from Pensacola Beach, Florida, where I lived at the time, to Greater Cincinnati, Ohio.

I was paid mileage, meals and hotel fees to drive all that way. I went after many, many emails and telephone conversations with those potential employers.

I was highly referred by their most prestigious supplier, who told them that I was ” The Man “. They were told that, if they wanted to dominate the market they were looking to move into, they HAD to hire me.

Believe me, getting me to drive all that way wasn’t easy. I went out of respect for the supplier, who is still a great friend to me today.

I studied their product base, their sales area, their workforce, their methods of operation. I knew that I was “The Answer”. All they had to do was make me happy and I would have made them millions.

I had done it before, because I love challenges. I worked for another company in their industry for the previous 7 years and sold over $18 million worth of product.

After all that we went thru, the deal was ruined in less than 15 minutes.

My first interview was with their fairly new Sales Manager. He had been the one I had spoke with and emailed.

He asked me a few simple questions like, How was the trip ? Was the weather okay ? Sleep okay at the hotel ?

Then he asked me why I thought I was the one he should hire. I told him and I told it all in one big long story.

Here’s what I’ve done, where I’ve done it and why I can repeat it at will.

His response was what killed the deal. He said I’d have to learn to get to the point a lot quicker to be able to sell. Said I didn’t need to tell a story every time I answered a question.

I asked him how many brick and concrete block he had sold before being made Sales Manager. He said he had not actually sold anything before, that he was an Electrical Engineer.

Imagine that, and engineer hired to teach sales people to sell. To teach me, someone who has sold over $33 million worth of product.

I told him that since he didn’t know anything about selling, that he shouldn’t try to tell me how to answer a question about selling. We had agreed on an amount of compensation for my trip and I asked for the check. He went and got it and gave it to me. My next interview was not for 45 mioniutes, so I ran to the bank listed on the check and cashed it before he could put a ” Stop Payment ” on it.

Since the first of 4 interviews went so poorly, I figured the next 3 were worthless, but I had agreed to 4 and was willing to stay for the next 3.

I interview with the Comptroller next. We had played on the same team at an industry golf scramble, so we were familiar with one another. Our hour flew by.

The next was with the VP. We had never met and he had never heard of me, but I knew from the gossip in the industry that he was a business killer extroidinaire. They gossipers were right on target. He was clueless. Unfortunately, he was married to one of the owners daughters.

The last interview was with the President. He, too, was married to a daughter. He, too, was a business killer. He had heard of me and was impressed with my credentials and with the buzz that came with me. I unimpressed him when I told him that he had made a colossal mistake in hiring an engineer to run his sales division. Should have promoted from within or hired within the industry I told him. ” I won’t work for the goober “, were my exact words.

That’s too bad he said. You’re right, I said. Too bad for you. See you around.

Fast forward 11 months. I’m at an industry awards dinner. We’re at the corporate offices of the supplier who told them to hire me. I’m seated back-to-back with the President who hired the goober. The goober is at his table, too.

As I get up to accept an award for the company I went to work for when the goober lost his chance at hiring me, I have to bump against Mr. President himself. ” Excuse me, ” I say, ” I have to go accept an award for setting a new record of sales for my new employers. In only 6 months, too. I must be pretty damn good. ”

They came up to me afterwards and congratulated me. Too bad we didn’t get together, they said. Yeah, too bad for you. Things change, the goober says. Maybe some time in the future….I cut him off there saying I’ll see you back here next year when I set the bar even higher with a full year to sell.

Stories sell and learning how to, when to where to and who to tell them to will make a lot of sales for you.

” Stories have power. They delight, enchant, touch, teach, recall, inspire, motivate, challenge. They help us understand. They imprint a picture on our minds. Consequently, stories often pack more punch than sermons. Want to make a point or raise an issue? Tell a story. Jesus did it. He called his stories parables. ” ~Janet Litherland