Story-selling: Creating and sharing authentic stories that persuade

• Published in: Journal for advancement of marketing education 2018-04, Vol.26, p.11-17
• Main Author: Spiller, Lisa D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Audiences; Business schools; College students; Communication; Customer satisfaction; Customer services; Empowerment; Marketing; Salespeople; Skills; Storytelling; Study abroad; Success
• ISSN: 2326-3296; 1537-5137

Purpose of the Study: To present "story-selling" as a valuable teaching innovation for adoption in any sales course. Method/Design: This paper presents a brief overview of the problem/situation that sales representative are facing regarding communicating effectively and memorably in today's busy over-communicated world. The paper provides an overview of the need for storytelling and the rationale for the story-selling teaching innovation. The paper explains the teaching innovation itself, reports on assessment findings, and describes how the innovation solves the sales representative's communication problem. In addition, it provides a brief summary of the challenges encountered when using the innovation in the classroom, along with suggestions on how to overcome those challenges. Finally, comments on the versatility and adaptability of the innovation for teaching sales courses are provided. Results: By completing the story-selling project, students now have the knowledge and skills to write persuasive stories, weaving them into almost any aspect of the sales process. Value to Marketing Educators: Storytelling is a sought-after skill used by salespeople to effectively communicate, establish a rapport and build trust. Empowering students with skills in writing and sharing persuasive stories via this story-selling innovation will better prepare them for success in the real world, regardless of whether they are personally selling themselves or selling a product or service.