One of the greatest ways to sell, one of the greatest techniques, is your ability to tell a story. Everyone loves a good story that they can relate to. The story has to be told with feeling, enthusiasm, and good power words, so it has impact on the person on the receiving end. Great salesmen are good storytellers.

While in the field making cold calls, as I normally did, I noticed an American flag folded in a glass encasement hanging on the wall in one office. It was the one of those large flags that drapes a coffin. I made a remark about it to my prospect. He confirmed that the flag had draped a coffin and told me the brief story behind it, revealing that he had served in the military. His story reminded me of a neat experience that I then shared with him.

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When my daughter was attending Boston University, I took her and my youngest son to tour the battleship USS Constitution during one of our visits. My son was a Boy Scout at the time and I was Scout Master. We arrived on the ship around retreat time, which is when the crew lowers the flag for the day. Hesitant at first, I figured I had nothing to lose by asking the Captain if my children and I could help fold the flag. I told him that we knew the proper routine because of our Scouting involvement. To my surprise and delight, he said yes.

So there we were, my daughter, my son, three navy sailors, and myself folding the massive American flag that flies over the USS Constitution ever day. They fired the cannon when they lowered the flag. I felt like I was putting the nation to bed for the night.

My prospect looked up at me and said, “Wow. What a great story.”

“Yea,” I said. “It really was cool.” I continued to describe the chills I got just thinking about all the guys who sailed that ship for our country.

My impulse to ask the captain if we could fold the flag, my impulse to share that story at that moment—these things hang by a thread. The significant point here is that the conversation about American flags tremendously increased my stock with the prospect that day. It may have simply been the phrase, “Putting the nation to bed.” No doubt, as a military man, my prospect could relate. That’s what happens when you speak from the heart. That is storytelling.

When you’re young and just starting out, you may feel that you do not have stories. I went through that in the beginning. So, I used someone else’s stories and experiences to relay things about the company and what it had done for other clients. Eventually I had my own incidents to share.

Storytelling also prevents your day from becoming mundane. If you are trudging around all day giving rote presentations, there’s no fizzle for you. Telling a story gives you some spunk and it makes your day fun, especially when you see other people light up because of the story you told.