How to structure a persuasive 45-second story

The stories you tell your prospects can either win you deals or cost you money. And with the fourth quarter here, you don’t have time to get crushed by objections. That’s why I’m bringing back storytelling expert Matthew Pollard. He shares a practical framework and proven tactics to help you move deals forward faster, avoid the pitfalls of group decision-making, and position yourself as a trusted advisor to your clients.

Meet Matthew Pollard

·  Known as the Rapid Growth guy, Matthew Pollard is responsible for five multimillion-dollar business success stories. 

·  Today, Forbes calls him “the real deal,” Global Gurus lists him as a Top 30 Sales Professional, and Selling Power Magazine just named their 2023 Sales Kickoff Speaker of the Year. 

·  He’s also the founder of Introvertu.com and the bestselling author of The Introvert’s Edge book series, which has sold over 100,000 copies and been translated into 15 languages.

Why Deals Stall & How to Accelerate Them

·  We start off the episode about why so many deals stall out in today’s market. Since COVID, buyers have gotten way more cautious, which means more people are involved in every decision—and sales cycles keep dragging on. 

·  Matthew breaks down the real problem: sellers overwhelm prospects with too much jargon and detail, and that just pushes them to bring more decision-makers into the mix.

·  He shows us how to flip the script by giving buyers a clear, personal reason to champion you and move forward now, instead of letting fear and red tape slow everything down.

Storytelling: The Ultimate Sales Tool

·  Rather than relying on dry case studies or testimonials, Matthew emphasizes the power of emotive, client-centered storytelling. He breaks down his story framework:

o   Focus on a real individual (not just a company or title).

o   Highlight the emotional and opportunity costs of inaction.

o   Paint a vivid transformation, showing personal and professional wins.

o   Explicitly state the moral, inviting the listener to see themselves in the story’s success.

Implementing the Framework

·  Matthew demonstrates how stories can turn hesitant prospects into proactive champions determined to advance their own careers—while making the organization look good. 

·  He provides practical, memorable examples, and explains how even small details (like missing a family event) can make your narrative resonate.

“Nobody cares what you do until they see that you care. And then they actually care far less about what you do. They just want you to do it.” - Matthew Pollard.

Resources

·  Find Matthew’s storytelling framework in his books, downloadable PDFs, or connect via LinkedIn. He also shares a bonus tip: use LinkedIn voice notes to break through stalled deals with empathy and personalization.

·  Be sure to check out my past episodes with Matthew: ep 1426, ep 1246, and ep 193. 

·  If you like more guidance with improving your sales skills, join my LinkedIn Prospecting Course.

Sponsorship Offers

1.  This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

2.  This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

3.  This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.