How much of your employee development is focused on by-the-book skills practice
and operational learning, and how much is devoted to telling stories? I’m
serious. Storytelling is a great way to communicate not only the functional
aspects of your employees’ jobs, but your company’s culture as well.
Psychologically and culturally, regardless of our individual learning style, we
are wired to better comprehend and remember lessons when they are presented to
us as allegories or anecdotes. Think of the lessons you learned as a child that
were taught to you through storytelling. I’d wager many, if not all of them, are
still with you today and have quite possibly shaped your personality.
When I was
training employees for Bose it was imperative to communicate the elements of the
company’s unique culture, since so much of what had built the organization was
based on anecdotal experiences as opposed to conventional wisdom. The best way
to do this was to relate stories from the company’s past. Over time these
narratives had become the foundation for the company’s philosophy, and nearly
every employee was able to understand and convey the company’s differentiation
via several true stories. For example, every retail employee who attended
orientation training walked away able to tell the story of how Dr. Amar Bose
started on the path to founding his company. This set the stage for much of the
learning they would later receive, and it was invaluable in their engagements
with customers.
Likewise, by
hearing several different customer-based stories, the retail sales talent was
able to appreciate how their customers would be using the products once they got
them home. As trainers we found that we could spend countless hours drilling
technical facts and sales methodology into our employees heads, resulting in a
typical retail sales staff. However, when we related product features and
benefits into real-life scenarios, there was greater understanding, retention,
and the employees were able to successfully apply their knowledge on the sales
floor without overwhelming their customers with technical jargon.
Take a look at
this description of a feature found in a high-end home theater system.
“This system features Digital
Dynamic Range compression which, as a variable of volume, adjusts the center
channel to make sure dialog is intelligible while maintaining high impact
effects.”
Huh? I think I get it, but the real-life benefit is lost on me.
“A couple with two young children asleep in the next room can still enjoy the
full impact of their movies’ soundtracks thanks to Digital Dynamic Range
compression.”
The first approach is techno-speak and does a good job of defining what the
technology does. It’s a good way to show the customer how smart you are, but a
lousy way to sell a product. The second approach is more human and relates a
benefit of the technology, one that can be readily appreciated by customers,
especially if they have young children.
How do you get
your sales talent to convey features and benefits in a real-world manner? You
train them using real-world scenarios. It’s perfectly acceptable (and in some
cases, necessary) to explain a feature in explicit technical terms, especially
if it’s unique to that product. However, it’s crucial that your employees are
able to speak about that feature’s benefits to their customers in real-world
terms. Therefore, part of your training should focus on the story (or stories)
around the feature. Here’s what it is, this is what it does, and this is how a
customer can use and appreciate it. All too often training stops after
explaining what it does.
Storytelling can also reinforce important points about the customer experience.
Here is a story I used to tell my trainees at Bose to drive home the ultimate
impact of what we sell to our customers.
“It
was a quiet Monday morning in March. My colleague Rick and I were the only
ones on staff until noon, and we hadn’t seen a customer all day. Around 10:30
the door opened and in walked an older man and woman. They weren’t elderly by
any stretch of the imagination, but they were most likely retired and into the
late autumn of their lives. It was evident by looking at the woman that she
was stricken with an affliction of age; her face was gaunt and her movements
were slow and cautious. The gentleman had opened the door for her and held her
hand as they walked into the store.
Like
most customers their age, they made their way to the Wave® radio display. Rick
engaged them and answered their questions and demonstrated the product. After
the demonstration, the couple began to talk between themselves. It was obvious
that the gentleman wanted to buy the radio, but his wife was resistant.
“Please, let me buy it for you,” gently pleaded the man
“We
can’t afford it,” sighed the woman.
“I
really want you to have it,” said the man.
“With
my bills,” lightly argued the woman, “we can’t afford it.” This went on for a
little while, their voices never rising to anger or frustration. It was
obvious that the woman wanted her husband to buy the radio, but was concerned
with the financial impact it might make.
Eventually she relented with a smile and the man turned to Rick. “We’ll take
one,” he said with a tone of excitement.
While
Rick proceeded to ring up the sale I ran to the stock room and picked out a
radio. When I returned, the woman had stepped outside while her husband was
handing over his credit card.
“Isn’t
that always the way?” Rick said to our customer. “Even when you want to buy
her something nice, she doesn’t want you to spend the money.”
The
old man nodded his head. “It’s been that way for fifty years,” he said with a
smile that quickly vanished. “But not much longer,” he added, almost to
himself.
Rick
and I both stopped what we were doing and looked at the man, an expression of
pained resignation on his face. “She’s going into the hospital the day after
tomorrow,” he explained. “And we both know she’s not coming out. For most of
her life my wife taught music to elementary school children. She loves music.
Sometimes I think she loves it more than she loves me.” He smiled, then he
sighed. “So when she goes into the hospital we’ll bring this with us and put
it beside her bed so she can hear that music she’s loved all her life. Even as
she draws her last breath.” The old man patted the white box containing the
radio. “And after she’s gone I can listen to this and think of her.”
After the
story was told, there’d inevitably be a few teary eyes in the room. I’d then
explain, in a soft voice, the moral is that our customer isn’t buying a box, or
even the product that’s inside. What they’re buying is a possible lifetime of
future experiences. The product in the box is merely a tool to help them
punctuate those experiences. It’s what the customer does with the product that
defines its true value. I still have folks I trained 10 years ago tell me they
remember that story and how it moved them and shaped their approach to their
customers. More than a few make it a point to tell it to their new employees.
Like a lot of
what you do as a retailer, storytelling is an art. While everybody can do it
with some degree of success, it takes consistent practice to do it well. Which
stories of your own experience can you share with your employees to add value to
their work, or improve their morale? Which of those stories can they pass on to
your customers to help differentiate your business from the competition? Have
you ever told your employees how and/or why you started your business? How about
telling them what past experiences or individuals inspired your businesses
values? The stories should be truthful, relatively brief, inspiring, and
(perhaps most difficult) interesting.
Once you’ve
decided on your stories, share them with your employees. It doesn’t hurt to tell
them more than once; the words will come to you more naturally the more you tell
them. Encourage your employees to share their own stories. After a while you’ll
find that storytelling will be an important part of your culture. Your employees
will have a clearer picture of your ambitions, and better understand the role
they can play, and your customers will be able to differentiate you from the
competition.
And you’ll all
live happily ever after.
- Matt
About the author:
Matt Norcia has over 20 years of experience in all facets of retail and customer
service. For the past 10 years Matt served in the training and development
department for Bose Corporation's sales organization.Matt was instrumental in
developing and delivering some of the company's most innovative, dynamic, and
successful training programs in a variety of areas including customer service,
selling, and operations.
Matt is a member of the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD), the
Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), and the American Film Institute (AFI).
As a training specialist, Matt has earned a reputation as an effective,
entertaining, and personable presenter. His unique approach also applies to the
materials he has created to support his training solutions. His use of video,
music, and alternative media to reinforce key points has earned accolades from
clients as well as students. Learn more at
www.dynamicexperiencesgroup.com or call Matt at 866-535-6331.
