Called the real deal by Forbes, Matthew is a small business advocate, Rapid Growth® Coach, and keynote speaker. Responsible for five multimillion dollar success stories before the age of 30, today Matthew is an internationally award-winning blogger, author of The Introvert’s Edge, and founder of Small Business Festival, an INC Top-5 national conference. His work has transformed over 3500 struggling businesses to date.
Master the Art of Storytelling in Sales: 7 Structures That Work
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Have you ever listened to a salesperson and felt underwhelmed, even though you could tell they were actually offering something valuable? Or have you yourself ever tried pitching a prospect on your product or service – which you know is amazing – only to see their eyes glaze over and hear the dreaded words, “I’ll think about it”?
Chances are, these pitches focused on features, product details, and jargon, forgetting the one thing that truly resonates with human beings: a compelling story.
Done right, real-world stories can be a powerful tool. When leveraged as part of your overall sales strategy, they build an emotional connection and help prospects envision themselves in your world. If you’re competing in a noisy market – especially when people only seem to care about price – a good story can go a long way towards addressing a customer’s needs, overcoming objections, and setting you apart.
Of course, stories aren’t a new phenomenon. Humans have told them around campfires, in theaters, in books, and in casual conversation for millennia. Mythologist and author Joseph Campbell popularized the idea that many stories follow a “hero’s journey,” but there are several other common archetypes that pop up across cultures.
Whether you’re a business owner or a sales professional, you don’t have to be Shakespeare or Spielberg. You simply need to tap into these story structures in a straightforward, authentic way that lets your audience see themselves in the narrative and instantly understand why you’re the only logical choice.
Let’s take a look at seven timeless story archetypes that work exceptionally well when adapted for business storytelling.
1. Storytelling in Sales: The Hero’s Journey
What It Is Popularized by Joseph Campbell, the Hero’s Journey is a classic narrative arc that appears in myths worldwide. It begins with an average person (the “hero”) who receives a call to adventure – something that disrupts their normal life. They resist at first, then meet a mentor or guide who offers help. Once they accept the call, they face trials and tribulations, learning and growing at each step. Eventually, they overcome their greatest challenge, gain a valuable reward or insight, and return home transformed.
Why It Works in Sales Your customer is always the hero. They have problems to solve, goals to achieve, and fears to overcome. You position yourself (or your product or service) as the crucial resource – the wise mentor – that helps them navigate through confusion, frustration, or setbacks to achieve meaningful transformation.
For example, if your client feels overwhelmed managing their business operations, your software or service could be portrayed as the mentor that empowers them to overcome chaos, restore control, and emerge stronger, more efficient, and poised for growth.
2. Use Storytelling for Sales Performance: Overcoming the Monster
What It Is The protagonist must face down and defeat a formidable foe – think David vs. Goliath or Luke Skywalker vs. the Empire. The “monster” could be anything: an industry giant, internal inefficiencies, or even a daunting market shift.
Why It Works in Sales Customers love the drama of triumph against adversity. When you frame a common challenge as a monstrous enemy, you create immediate emotional buy-in. Prospects quickly understand and relate to that struggle.
For instance, if you offer a marketing solution, the “monster” could be your prospect’s established competitor dominating market share. Your solution is positioned as the weapon that equips your client to not just survive, but thrive despite fierce competition.
3. Build Trust: Rags to Riches
What It Is A character rises from humble or difficult circumstances to achieve significant success (often financial or social) through hard work, perseverance, and a bit of outside help.
Why It Works in Sales Almost everyone dreams of dramatic improvement, whether it’s higher profitability, market recognition, or simply escaping persistent struggles. This archetype naturally appeals to ambitious prospects who want to picture themselves succeeding similarly.
For instance, if your service helps struggling small businesses become profitable or rapidly scale up, your stories should highlight exactly how past clients went from barely surviving to thriving and respected industry leaders. These transformations become believable examples prospects can imagine themselves replicating.
4. Storytelling for Sales: The Quest
What It Is A hero embarks on a challenging journey in pursuit of a clear but difficult-to-achieve goal or reward. Along the way, the hero faces obstacles, discovers allies, and ultimately achieves their objective through persistence and strategy.
Why It Works in Sales Prospects relate strongly to goal-oriented narratives because they reflect their own situations: revenue targets, customer growth, or operational milestones. Position your solution as a crucial tool that supports and guides them through the hurdles they’ll inevitably face.
For example, your CRM platform helps sales teams facing complex, long-cycle deals. The “quest” is closing high-value contracts consistently. Your tool provides the roadmap and crucial insights they need at each step, turning a daunting journey into achievable success.
5. An Effective Sales Process: Voyage and Return
What It Is A character ventures into an unfamiliar environment, endures challenges, gains valuable insights, and returns fundamentally changed or wiser.
Why It Works in Sales Change is difficult. Prospects often hesitate to adopt new technology or methods, fearing complexity or risk. This archetype addresses these fears head-on by emphasizing growth and learning that leads to clear benefits.
If your business involves guiding clients through digital transformations or implementing new technologies, your stories can highlight customers who initially feared or resisted the change, but ultimately emerged empowered and confident with dramatically improved outcomes.
6. Storytelling Makes It Fun: Comedy
What It Is In storytelling, a comedy isn’t necessarily humorous; it simply involves misunderstandings, confusion, or chaotic situations that ultimately resolve positively.
Why It Works in Sales Many industries involve situations where confusion and miscommunication cause pain. If your solution brings simplicity, clarity, or order out of chaos, this archetype works nicely. You can tell relatable stories about prospects stuck in frustrating confusion, who finally found clarity and relief through your product or service.
For example, an IT company might use comedic stories about a customer whose disorganized technology setup caused humorous (but relatable) mix-ups, finally resolved through their streamlined approach.
7. Tell a Story, Not a Sales Pitch: Rebirth
What It Is A character faces stagnation, loss, or failure but experiences a profound transformation, often triggered by an outside influence or revelation, allowing them to find renewed purpose or success.
Why It Works in Sales Prospects often come to you feeling stuck. They’ve tried everything and are still not seeing results. This archetype taps into their desire to break out of stagnation, clearly demonstrating that significant, lasting improvement is achievable with your help.
Consider a consulting business helping leaders stuck in outdated management styles. Your sales stories could show clients who struggled until they embraced your fresh perspective, ultimately leading to revitalized teams, happier employees, and increased profitability.
When you frame your product or service within a compelling narrative, you shift your prospect’s perception. Your offer becomes more than just another option among many; it turns into a critical part of their own story of success or transformation.
Additionally, when you use stories in your sales presentation, you’re helping your audience picture exactly what success looks like. People naturally imagine themselves in stories; they mentally step into the shoes of your characters and scenarios. This vivid visualization lowers their defenses, makes your message stick, and motivates them to take action.
In short, storytelling moves beyond facts and features to forge emotional connections, build trust, and inspire action. Becoming a good, authentic storyteller is an essential skill for anyone wanting to increase sales.
See It In Action
In the below clip taken from a recent speaking engagement, I share my simple storytelling formula, along with real-world examples of each story element. Please note, we’ve muted all mentions of the client’s name and company referred to in the story.
Ready to Use Storytelling in Sales?
Storytelling doesn’t have to feel complicated or intimidating. To help you get started with this key element of sales training, I’m giving away a free chapter on sales storytelling from my bestselling book, The Introvert’s Edge. You’ll get deeper insights into crafting persuasive business narratives and practical strategies to help you turn prospects into clients.
Master these story structures, and you’ll see a difference in the way prospects react: Fewer glazed eyes, more genuine engagement, and ultimately more deals closed. That’s the power of storytelling!
About Matthew Pollard
Called the real deal by Forbes, Matthew is a small business advocate, introvert champion, Rapid Growth® Coach, and keynote speaker. Responsible for five multimillion-dollar success stories before the age of 30, today Matthew is an internationally recognized sales and networking expert, author of the bestselling Introvert’s Edge series, and host of two top-ranked podcasts. His work has transformed over 3500 struggling businesses to date.
