How to Lead Into a Story During a Sales Conversation

Strong story — weak impact. The best stories can fall flat if the lead-in isn’t right. Learn more about how to introduce stories for impact.

Stories are a great tool to use in conversations with potential clients. Rather than simply describing how well your product works or what it can do, a story gives you the chance to show how it actually transformed someone’s life or business.

The frame around it — how you lead into and out of it — can make a big difference in how a story lands. This article focuses on what to say before you give the details of your story. I’ll talk about the best way to exit your story in a follow-up post.

Five Frames for Leading Into a Story

A story dropped into a conversation without transition can feel like an interruption. It can even be confusing to the listener. Here are five frames you can use to make sure your stories tie in smoothly and don’t feel abrupt or out of context.

1.     The Announcement Frame: 

Use a single sentence to “announce” your story, such as: “I’d like to share a story about one of our long-time customers,” or “Here’s an experience with a client who was in a situation similar to yours.” It’s simple and effective.

2.     The Permission Frame: 

The announcement can be phrased as a question, such as: “May I share a recent experience?” or “Can I give a brief example?” While you’re not really looking for verbal consent from your counterpart, I recommend a short pause after the question before you tell the story.

3.     The Time-Stamp Frame: 

You create relevance and interest by pointing to something that happened recently. For example, you start by saying: “We had a similar situation just last month,” or “That reminds me of a conversation I had just last week.” This type of lead-in is usually followed by a very concrete account of something that happened.

4.     The Stakes Frame: 

You point to the stakes involved, telling your listener to pay attention not just to the plot, but to the lesson that can be learned. You can say, “Here’s an example of what can happen if this issue gets ignored.” This frame is useful when you want to highlight the risks or implications of inaction.

A word of caution: Do not over-explain the moral of the story before you’ve shared the details. If you reveal the lesson too early, your counterpart has no reason to keep listening.

5.     The Imagination Frame: 

This frame works well for pitches where you talk about a big idea or vision. It points to what’s possible with your idea or product: “Imagine what this could look like...” The story may, at this point, still be hypothetical and not a real customer experience. You want your listener to see a future situation that is better than the now.

As you read through these options, you may have noticed that many lead-ins don't actually use the word "story". In business, talking about an "experience" or "something that happened" can sound smoother and more natural.

Can I Go Straight Into a Story?

My recommendation is to always announce stories that happen in the middle of a conversation. Stories are not decoration but a strategic tool to use with purpose. A brief but explicit lead-in will give your story an anchor in the conversation.

The situation is different at the beginning of a pitch. That’s when you can apply the “surprise frame”: Rather than starting with an announcement like “I’d like to start off by telling you a story”, you dive right into the story. The surprising start is a great way to captivate your audience. Just make sure, though, to have your audience’s attention when you begin. If your listeners miss important information, they may not be able to understand the story.

Read more about the benefits of storytelling when presenting in this post and about the danger of oversharing in stories in this post.

Need help crafting and delivering effective stories from start to finish? Let’s talk.

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