In episode 675, Rob Walling interviews Stephen Steers, author of "Superpower Storytelling." They discuss Stephen’s experience in selling and teaching startups how to sell better. They cover Stephen’s storytelling “AREA” framework and the concept of the problem stack. They also talk about when founders should consider delegating sales, the importance of documenting successful sales processes, and using humor in the sales process.

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Topics we cover: 

• 1:36 – Start Small, Stay Small
• 3:21 – Stephen’s book, Superpower Storytelling, and how to tell the story of you and your company
• 4:30 – Why is storytelling important for startups
• 7:47 – A valuable background in sales consulting
• 10:35 – The AREA mental framework
• 13:21 – The “problem stack”
• 18:42 – When to outsource sales in your organization
• 22:37 – The four reasons that businesses buy, consultative selling
• 28:01 – Using humor to your advantage when selling or as a founder

Links from the Show: 

• Stephen Steers | LinkedIn
• Steers Sales Consulting
• Superpower Storytelling by Stephen Steers
• Start Small, Stay Small by Rob Walling
• Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
• Taki Moore (@takimoore) | Twitter
• Scott Sambucci (@scottsambucci) | Twitter

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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