The superpower you need to build lasting client connections
In a world flooded with information, the one superpower that can truly set you apart is the ability to tell stories that connect.
A few days ago, I had the privilege of speaking at a Philippine Daily Inquirer event for Ovialand. During my talk, I shared a thought that I often revisit: sales today is drastically different from what it was years ago. How much has sales truly evolved?
Evolution of sales
I got my start in sales at 18–at a time when online shopping didn’t exist and you had to physically go to a mall to buy anything. Around this time, an alternative way of shopping began to rise: tiangge or flea markets.
This sparked an idea for what I called “house-to-house tiangge.” The idea was simple: visit the homes of wealthy individuals, who often didn’t have the time to shop, and offer them a selection of over 100 items. My biggest sale back then was P80,000 to a business owner and P50,000 to a celebrity.
But it wasn’t just about the product. I had to be resourceful—sourcing products from different suppliers to get the best price possible.
One product I’ll never forget was the “unbreakable chopping board” (spoiler: it wasn’t unbreakable). It was sold on Home Shopping TV for P2,150, but I got it for just P150. Ahh, “the good ol’ days.”
Changing landscape
Today, the sales landscape has changed dramatically. Apps like Shopee and Lazada can scan products and instantly compare prices from various sellers.
Real estate has followed suit. Gone are the days when salespeople held all the knowledge. Now, clients are often more informed than the sellers themselves due to information asymmetry, thanks to the vast amount of information available at their fingertips.
With this shift in knowledge, the role of the salesperson has evolved from being the expert to becoming an advisor and a curator of information.
This evolution has transformed the old sales mantra of ABC, “Always Be Closing”. into a new one: “Always Be Connecting.”
So, what’s the one key skill that can set you apart in today’s sales landscape? It’s the superpower of story selling, where sharing authentic stories helps you build meaningful connections with your clients. Notice how I started with a story?
Story selling: ‘Facts Tell, But Stories Sell’
If you’ve ever heard of the infamous duct-taped banana, you know that a simple object can sell for outrageous amounts if there’s an engaging story behind it.
In 2019, someone sold a banana duct-taped to a wall for $120,000 as a prank, and in 2024, the same concept by artist Maurizio Cattelan sold for $6.2 million (P361 million). Insane, right? The takeaway here: the banana didn’t sell because it was a banana—it sold because of the story behind it.
The same principle applies in sales. Stories make products and services more relatable and more valuable. By sharing stories that resonate with your audience, you’re able to create emotional connections that facts alone can’t achieve.
And I’m not talking about spinning wild tales or exaggerating for the sake of a sale. Genuine stories rooted in authenticity can differentiate you from the competition and help you build long-term relationships.
Integrity is key. People will see through fake stories, but when your stories are real and compelling, they’ll last.
Any story can become a business story—as long as it has a business point
I once taught presentation skills to top performers at a direct-selling company. I asked each of them to share a personal story, and many were surprised by how even the most mundane stories could be turned into compelling business lessons.
One participant shared an experience where he almost crashed his car because he fell asleep for a second. At first, it seemed too personal to be relevant for his business, but we transformed it into a powerful business story.
Here’s the process:
- Opening statement: “We can miss opportunities if we are caught sleeping.”
- Story: “If I had slept for one more second, I would have crashed. It’s the same in business—one second can make all the difference.”
- Business lesson: “Now is the time to wake up to the opportunities around you. The decision you make today–whether to act or not–could change your life. One second: to crash or rise.”
- The group was floored and I could hear gasps by the impact of that story. The lesson is that you can turn any personal story into a lesson with a solid business takeaway.
Be YOUniquely you
Here’s a concept that might surprise you. The stories you think won’t resonate with your clients are often the very ones that will help you build the strongest connections. Embrace your uniqueness. Share your personal experiences and quirks–they make you memorable.
To master this skill, practice your stories on family, friends, and colleagues. Get feedback, adjust, and refine. Soon enough, story selling will become your superpower. Authenticity is magnetic, and when you show up as your true self, people will connect with you on a deeper level.
The author is a top-ranked speaker and the creator of YOUnique Styles, a program designed to help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of the four personality types. He also teaches presentation skills through his program, “Never a Dull Moment”
