I spent 10 years working as a Buyer for Tesco & Sainsbury's so have seen a lot of sales pitches. In that time consistently the most compelling pitches I saw were the ones based on Stories. Insight-driven stories which made me listen, and offered a new perspective of how my category could be grown. This article explains why, and how to start writing one... Growing the Category As many UK supermarkets continue to simplify their ranges & reduce sku count, its becoming ever harder to get the listing you need. As a small or scaling business, getting the meeting you need can be a skill in itself, but once you are there, what is it that will set you apart from all the other products the Buyer sees? Put yourself in the Buyer’s shoes and you will soon see that they are pretty agnostic about brands, and what any individual SKU will sell – its all about the category. Will your brand drive INCREMENTAL sales, rather than stealing from the competition, or attract some NEW Shoppers, and what proof do you have when you pitch? Any Buyer listing a new brand is taking a leap of faith, and the thing that is going to set you apart from the many other hopefuls is not your brand, its not some whizz-bang technology and its not a load of charts and data. Its your story. Stories are more persuasive Stories are consistently found to be more persuasive than more data-led approaches (Martin & Power 1982*) because they engage the listener in a different way. More memorable Stories can be up to 7 times** more memorable than facts alone because they act as mnemonic devices for facts. Mnemonics make something more memorable by organizing a group of different words or phrases into a meaningful structure – just think back to primary school and the rhymes you were taught to remember points on a compass or the colours of the rainbow to see how this works!
What makes a good story Structure All stories need a start, a middle, and an end. By setting the scene, showing you understand market conditions and consumer trends you are making your product relevant to the retailer and showing it addresses a shared opportunity. Only then should you go onto the main part of the story and the solution you may be presenting. Hooks Start with the most interesting bit of the story. For a retailer this is normally the size of prize, as every Buyer wants to know ‘whats in it for me?’ so make sure you make this as clear and credible as you can. As well as this, though, think about using additional hooks which grab the attention - for example something which challenges the Buyer's existing viewpoint, or goes against a received wisdom or category norm. This is where the real insight you are sharing starts to become the competitive advantage the Buyer is really looking for. Themes 5 themes which can work really well to engage the audience are …
Golden rules Make it a real story - If your story does not include some sort of change or learning between the beginning and the end, it’s not a story. Say something new - If your story does not share something new, different or unexpected about your brand, it’s going to be boring. Keep it simple - “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Albert Einstein, Physicist End on a high – finish on your best point. The last thing in your story is what people will remember most! Finally, deliver it with passion If you want people to be excited, you need to excite them! Present with passion, belief & humour and you will in turn inspire passion and action in your listener. Make them believe in you and remember you are not just selling the product. You are selling you, your vision, and a commitment to grow their category. About Optima Retail We are category management experts who provide expert support to help you better understand the consumer and category in which you trade. We have a proven track record of driving commercial performance by speaking the Retailer's language, and help you to identify new or unmet consumer & shopper needs, providing solutions which drive brand AND total category performance. For a free informal chat about how we may be able to help you grow your business please contact us here. Sources
* Martin J. & Power M.E. (1982). “Organizational stories: More vivid and persuasive than quantitative data.” ** Bower, G. H. and M. C. Clark (1969). “Narrative stories as mediators for serial learning.” Made to Stick (2007) , by Chip & Dan Heath
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