subject: The 5 Secrets Of Exceptional Whiteboard Story Selling [print this page] Never tried to sell your products and solutions at a whiteboard? One thing is certain. If you dont try out visual story sellingyou are guaranteed not to improve.
Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Samuel Beckett
In whiteboard story selling, youll have to test the edges. There simply is no other way to determine what will work, what wont and how to excel. Along the way, sure youll make some doozy mistakes. Thats how youll learn.
This method of experimenting, making mistakes, testing again, and making new mistakes is a recipe for success. But it is the road least traveled. Many professionals shy away from making any mistakes.
If that sounds familiar, this could be the root of what is holding you back.
Here are 5 secrets to unhinge the glue that could be keeping you from being a whiteboard story selling super star.
1. Perfection Is A Myth
If you had to put all the secrets into one, this would be it. Many sales reps try to impress their clients with the perfect speech, perfect whiteboard display and perfect moves. Guess what happens? It backfires.
People dont see all your hard work and effort. They just know that it feels slick and comes across as unbelievable.
Trying too hard to be perfect is a surefire recipe for disaster.
2. Fail On Purpose
Go the opposite direction. Be the contrarian. Fail on purpose. Push yourself to do something imperfect. Recover. Try again. That quote from Samuel Beckett is a wonderful inspiration. Where could you fail today?
The funny thing about failing on purpose is it crosses the wires in your brain. You cant take yourself so seriously. After allyou just did the unthinkable. You tried to fail. While trying, youll find out all kinds of fascinating, juicy and important things. And your skills will improve.
3. Test The Edges
If all your colleagues are perfecting their skills in animation and slidestest the envelope. Push the edges. Bring in a low-tech flipchart or whiteboard.
Try this once and you may never go back. When Ive drawn and sketched out a project or solution, people fight to keep the chart. Do you ever get people fighting over your slide? Not likely.
Test the edges. Youre in for some delightful news. Your boss is a visual thinker. Your client prefers a one-page visual map. Your prospect loves the sketch you did. Hey, if you dont test ityoull never find out.
4. Innovate New Solutions
While youre exploring, failing and testing, new ideas pop up. Youll start to perform at a higher level than your fellow sales reps. Youll stand out because of your creativity and innovation.
What new solutions will you discover? A way to whiteboard the exact thing that everyone has trouble explaining. How to show strategy in a simple sketch. How to teach everyone on your team this sketch. How to use this sketch in your website, marketing materials and client interactionsthe sky is the limit.
Only you can find out.
5. Your Story Is Your Brand
When you use whiteboard story selling in client meetings, team meetings, and strategy sessionsa curious thing happens. The lights go on. The bell sounds. It feels right.
You see, your story is your brand. The way you communicate sends a powerful message to customers, prospects, employees and investors. Its not just a little cool thing you do in a locked meeting room. It becomes who you areand what you stand for.
What happens when your story is your brand? People recognize you for your strengths, creativity, innovation and ability to solve problems. Youre not just pitching a product or service. Youre sharing value with the people you serve.
Exceptional whiteboard story selling starts today. How are you sharing your business value? By using these 5 secrets, youll become recognized as a professional who consistently adds value, simplifies complex problems, and is irreplaceable.
