You don’t need to look far to see how stories fuel memorable marketing ads. “Legend of the Lizard,” “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” and “The Most Interesting Man in the World” are just a few examples, and you can probably name the brand associated with each one.
However, businesses that rely on face-to-face relationships, like NYC event planning, don’t often use storytelling in sales. In this article, we’ll tell you why neglecting storytelling in your marketing plan is a mistake and how you can craft compelling narratives to win event clients.
What Is Storytelling in Sales?
Storytelling in sales is the art of creating narratives in marketing that entertain, illustrate, and build trust. Narratives can be fictional, such as Geico’s “Legend of the Lizard,” or they can be actual, such as a case study of a successful client relationship.
Storytelling can also cast the prospect as the central character of the narrative. You can see examples of this kind of storytelling in sales when you watch realtors at work on HGTV. They sell homes by creating stories, such as “In a kitchen like this, you can have the entire family over for Christmas dinner…”
The Anatomy of Storytelling in Sales
As you can see, storytelling in sales looks very different depending on how you use it. However, each of these uses has several things in common.
Storytelling in sales has a protagonist. Just as in a good book or movie, the protagonist in sales stories is someone the prospect can root for or identify with. Almost always, the protagonist is likable. For example, Geico’s gecko is unassuming. Or, when a realtor paints a picture of Christmas dinner, the protagonist is the prospect’s idealized self.
Stories create an emotional connection. You may have heard it said that people don’t buy products (or event planning services); they buy emotions. For example, a bar mitzvah with hard-to-get entertainment makes the client feel high-class. A wedding ceremony on a yacht feels like an exclusive event, and so on. The facts surrounding your event plans are important, but they should always relate to the positive emotions they elicit.
The prospects can insert themselves into the story. If storytelling has a superpower, it’s the ability to get people imagining themselves using a product or service. Old Spice’s “Be a Man, Man” campaign accomplished this feat perfectly. Previously, Old Spice was languishing as a product for grandpas. Through its humorous campaign, it inspired a new generation to imagine themselves using the product.
How to Use Storytelling to Win Event Clients
You can use storytelling to win event clients in every medium and stage of your marketing strategy. Begin by identifying the core, key aspects of your story.
The hero of your story.
The hero’s challenge or pain point.
The solution within the happy ending.
You can use this basic structure to craft different stories as part of your marketing campaign.
Feature a current or recent client through a series of social media posts. Introduce the client (with the client’s permission, of course). Identify the challenge and describe how your event planning services succeeded in meeting the challenge. Remember to appeal to emotions and include photos.
In face-to-face meetings, create a narrative in which the client hosts a successful event. For example, don’t just say the proposed NYC venue has a state-of-the-art lighting and sound system. Tell them that their guests will be spellbound by thrumming sounds and pulsating lights. Throughout your presentation, paint a picture of the event as a resounding success and the client as the hero.
Storytelling is just as important on your website. Craft an About Page that tells the story of your journey to event planning. On the landing page, highlight common pain points and use storytelling techniques to paint a picture of how your event planning services solve these challenges.
Remember to sell emotions. You may be the “hero” on your website. However, your goal is to make the reader feel understood and to elicit feelings of trust. For that reason, your story always circles back to the protagonist: your client. In other words, your story isn’t “I plan showstopping events.” Your story is “I help you plan the event of your dreams.”
Tell Your Story at The Event Planner Expo 2024
Now you know that storytelling in sales is all about making an emotional connection. You can make hundreds of connections at The Event Planner Expo 2024, where more than 2,000 attendees will gather for a chance to hear your story. Showcase your event business at The Event Planner Expo 2024.
