Storytelling Is the Real Sales Engine

In sales and marketing, storytelling is everything. It’s the difference between a pitch that sounds rehearsed and one that holds attention. Your personality is an important part of storytelling.

Throughout my career, I’ve built stories during meetings / presentations that shaped how companies or products were seen, to build brands even — as the originator, the manufacturer, or the expert who saw the problem before anyone else. That story becomes the backdrop to every product and every sale. The more you share the story, the more natural, less rigid.

The mighty Steve Jobs understood this better than anyone. Apple didn’t sell features. They sold a belief that life could be simpler, cleaner, and more enjoyable. People didn’t realise they needed the product until he told the story behind it. The Iphone 3G was the first generation i owned, released in 2008, a year after the first ever version in 2007 in the US. I cant imagine life now without an Iphone( obviously i understand that some will feel the same about Androids).

Marketing Storytelling vs Sales Storytelling

Marketing and sales share the same foundation, but their roles differ.

Marketing storytelling creates interest before contact. It gives people a reason to look twice. It frames the brand within a bigger idea — why it exists, what problem it addresses, and what it stands for. The goal is to make someone curious enough to seek you out.

Sales storytelling happens once that interest exists. It turns attention into action. Instead of running through a list of specifications, one in sales sets a scene the buyer can step into. The current state, the challenge, and the better outcome once the solution is in place. It helps them picture success in practical terms.

Marketing opens the door. Sales closes it. Both are equally important!

Every Company Needs Its Origin Story

If you don’t shape your own story, the market will do it for you.

Every company has a reason it started. Maybe someone saw a gap that others ignored. Maybe there was frustration with how things were done. That beginning matters because it gives context to what you do today.

When I work with or for a business, I find try to find that core story — the moment that defined the “why.” Once that’s clear, everything else follows naturally. Buyers respond to belief. They want to know there’s depth behind the logo.

Apple did this when it repositioned itself in 1997. The company stopped describing what it made and started talking about what it believed in. That belief gave meaning to every product that followed.

What Steve Jobs ( legend) Got Right (in my opinion)

Steve Jobs’ storytelling style worked because it was simple and human.

1. Identify the problem clearly. He always started with frustration — what wasn’t working in people’s lives. Once that was clear, he introduced the solution. The story made sense because people felt the problem first.

2. Keep the message clear.“1,000 songs in your pocket.” That’s how he sold the iPod. One sentence, instantly visual. Did you have an Ipod? I didnt but wanted one immediately when i was told what it was and how cool it was by a friend.

3. Appeal to emotion. He didn’t just sell devices. He sold confidence, independence, and ease. With a product, particularly visually attractive its easier to appeal to emotion

4. Remove distractions. Every presentation was stripped back. Fewer words, more meaning. It’s a reminder that clarity persuades faster than complexity. Think about a slide deck, we dont write large paragraphs, to then read to an audience, we have bullet points to then elaborate with.

Where Companies Lose Their Story

Too many businesses hide behind generic claims.They say things like “we care about quality” or “we put customers first.” Those lines don’t build interest because anyone can say them.

A real story has a structure:

• The situation as it was.

• The moment of change.

• The person or team who made it happen, or made a difference that stood out.

• The risk if nothing changes.

• The outcome that proves it works. Success stories are powerful.

Only after that story do you talk about the product. By then, the listener is ready to connect the dots.

One example i can share relates to a mosaic tile. The abbreviated story was that a singular retailer presented a sheet to attract the client, from one sheet, a display was erected to appear to consumer desire. small sales began, a trickle became stream, sales were more frequent, the retailer then bought stock, sales became even larger and more freqent. This story of success was then shared with other retailers, nationally and internationally. The result; a best selling mosaic tile that sold more singularly than all others combined, making money for retailers and , offering inspiration for consumers, who wanted to include the mosaic within their bathroom decor renovations, ultimately loving how their living space looked.

How I Help Businesses Tell Better Stories

When I work with clients, I focus on three things:

1. Clarifying the company story.Together, we define what makes the business worth paying attention to — what happened, why it matters, and how to express it in plain language. That story shapes everything from the website to the pitch deck.

2. Building stories for/with sales teams. I/we write sales narratives that create impact in and for meetings. They follow a clear flow: situation, challenge, change, result. The buyer can visualise success from the first few sentences.

3. Developing the founder message. Every business has a voice that represents its purpose. When the founder speaks, that voice should come through with consistency and confidence.

The outcome is always the same: a story that people remember.

Final Thought

Storytelling isn’t just a sales or marketing tool. It’s how businesses get heard, understood, and trusted. Its important to constantly evaluate the story and update as neccessary.

People don’t just buy what something does. They buy what it means to them.

That’s why I focus on the story first — because once people believe in that, everything else becomes easier to sell or market. If you find this articule interesting, please share, like or follow. And if you would like help, please do reach out. rbaconsultingltd@gmail.com or +44 7951596112