Why do some giveaways end up on a desk for five years while others hit the junk drawer in a week? Brand strategist Jason Mages breaks down the real difference between a transaction and a story, and why the sales reps who lead with meaning close differently than the ones who lead with specs.
Takeaways:
The essence of storytelling in sales lies in its ability to connect emotionally with the buyer.
Sales professionals must focus on the meaning behind their products to ensure lasting impressions.
A successful sales conversation is characterized by the emotions it evokes, not merely the features presented.
Transformative experiences in sales are far more impactful than mere transactional exchanges.
The product's story is paramount; without meaning, it risks being relegated to the junk drawer.
Effective sales strategies revolve around enabling transformations rather than simply selling products.
What is the difference between a promotional item that ends up in a junk drawer and one that ends up on someone's desk for five years?
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It has nothing to do with the product.
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It has everything to do with the story attached to it.
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Team Walk any trade show floor and you'll collect a bag full of forgettable things.
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Pens, stress balls, tote bags, a thumb drive shaped like something clever.
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Most of it goes in a drawer.
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Some of it goes directly in the trash.
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A small fraction of it actually sticks.
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The difference between what sticks and what doesn't isn't quality or price.
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It's meaning.
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Does this thing have a story?
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Does it make me feel something?
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Does it connect me to a moment, a brand or a person I actually remember.
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Jason Mages, brand strategist and founder of Vital Signs media, has spent 23 years in promotional products and printing, asking a question most reps in his industry skip.
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What does this product mean?
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Not what does it cost, not how many units, but what story does it tell and.
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And what emotion does it trigger for the person holding it?
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That question is, what separates a commodity transaction from a brand experience?
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The same principle applies across every sales category.
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When a buyer remembers a sales conversation, they rarely remember the features or the pricing tier.
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They remember how the rep made them feel.
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Did they listen?
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Did they understand the actual problem?
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Did they.
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Did they bring something unexpected that showed they were paying attention?
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The product, the proposal, the pitch deck, those are all just delivery mechanisms for something more durable, the impression the rep left behind.
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Storytelling in sales isn't a soft skill.
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It's a conversion tool.
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A rep who can connect a product to a purpose, a solution to a real human outcome, or a brand to an emotion closes differently than one who leads with specs.
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The story is what the buyer retells internally to justify the decision.
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Give them a good one, and the close becomes their idea.
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My job is to make a smile happen before my giveaway ends up in a junk drawer and then to develop the relationship so I know the business well enough to help it grow.
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The best salespeople across industries, from promotional products to enterprise technology to healthcare, have figured out the same thing.
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Transactions are forgettable.
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Transformations aren't.
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When your product changes something for someone, when it solves a real problem or connects to a real emotion, they don't just buy it, they talk about it.
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That's the story doing its job.
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Three things for your consideration.
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First, what is the story behind what you're selling right now?
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Not the features or the price points.
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The human outcome on the other side of the purchase.
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If you can't answer that in one sentence, the buyer is going to struggle to justify the decision internally.
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Second, does your sales approach create a transaction or a memory?
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What are you doing in your sales conversations that a buyer would still be talking about a week later?
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Third, are you selling a product or a transformation?
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What transformation does your product enable?
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Lead with that.
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The product is just the vehicle.
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The junk drawer is full of things that had no story.
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Your product doesn't have to end up there.
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Give it meaning before you hand it over.
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The story is the sale.
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That's Road Notes from the Traveling Sales Lady.
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If you relate to this one, the full conversation that inspired it is waiting for you on the Traveling Sales lady podcast.
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Find it wherever you listen.
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See you on the road and Journey on Road Notes is a production of the Traveling Sales lady in partnership with Brilliant Beam Media.
