Page 86 - Lighting Magazine July 2018

on the Mark
Mark Okun is Business Contributor to enLIGHTenment Magazine and President of Mark Okun Consulting & Performance Group. He has more than 30 years of hands- on retail experience training and coaching sales associates in the lighting and furniture industries. Mark@bravo businessmedia.com
Now, the story you tell is not one of products, features, or bene ts. It is one about people and involves happiness or sorrow; it is a story of warn- ing and direction. This is why storytelling is an advanced skill to develop for those members of a sales team who have experiences to share. This is why the story is a way to share details, messages, and information that only experience can tell with validity.
The other bene t of good sales stories is that they grab the clients’ emotional a ention, taking them away from logic for a moment. Stories help you build rapport with the people you interact with, and trust stems from there. It is also a way to make information stick in people’s heads.
BuIlDInG THe sTory
There are many types of stories to develop, and the rst is the “Showroom” story. It contains all the reasons why this is the best showroom in the area and online. Most of the details in this story are ones the client would not know about through regular advertising and marketing methods.
Showroom stories need a “gotcha” moment, something the client will either remember or be moved by. For example, in the showroom story, it is the showroom that is the “hero” that en- counters an issue also known as the “stimulus,” which gives rise to a “con ict” that the “hero” has
provided a “resolution” for and gives credence to the “moral.”
Now let’s build a story that can be told during the walk to a display.
“Our showroom has been around since 1972, and we have experienced a lot in that time and also have developed a reputation as being a great asset to our clients. I remember when the Smiths were building their new home, and they were short one lighting xture to get their CO. The xture was delayed by only a few days, but it was a major inconvenience for the Smiths since they were ready to close. Our showroom provided them with a loaner xture that could be swapped out a er their closing. The Smiths closed on time, got their new lighting xture, and just came back in to do their landscape lighting. This is the kind of service you can only get from us, a local lighting showroom.”
Building stories are the best way to turn down the logical brain of the client and light up the emotional side. The goal of all advanced sales development is to build those critical interper- sonal skills. It is a sure bet the results will be an increase in overall performance. Whether it is strengthening your salespeople’s mindset or skill building, take the time to invest in their profes- sional development.
And of as always, happy selling.  www.enlightenmentmag.com
84 enLIGHTenment Magazine | july 2018