The medical industry presents one of the most challenging arenas to be a successful sales rep. Selling to
highly educated buyers with limited time to spare means you must make the most of your
opportunities.

There are countless books and articles that have been written with tips how to succeed in medical sales, each helpful in perfecting your game.

However, the most effective way to become successful is to make people WANT to listen to you. Science has proven the best way to accomplish this is through STORYTELLING.

Why Use Storytelling?
Storytelling is hard-wired into our DNA. For thousands of years before written language, storytelling has
been used as an effective method to pass information down from generation to generation. Humans are
storytelling creatures.

As Simon Sinek showed in his famous TED Talk, “Start With Why,” people will not buy into an idea unless
they know the WHY behind it.

Effective storytelling taps into that why, filling in the gaps with logic to validate their emotions and get a
point across.

As a result, it leaves a much more meaningful impression with your audience. Studies have shown that
people retain 65-70% of information shared through stories, while only 5-10% retain information
presented in the form of data and statistics.

In medical sales, storytelling is helpful because it can extend your time with your audience. In general,
people do not like sales pitches but the love stories.

Also, doctor’s chose their profession because they want to help people. Stories can help your customers
better visualize the benefits for their patients.

Tips for Effective Storytelling
 Start with a hook point. A hook point is anything that gets your customer’s attention quickly, like
a bold statement.

 Consider your audience, balance their pain points with the idea you want to get across.

 Structure your story as a hero’s journey: Who is the protagonist and what is their roadblock?
What was their turning point (what new thing did they implement)? What was their resolution?

 Try to avoid meandering. Your stories should be structured around a theme. Avoid anything
superfluous that does not drive the narrative.

 Practice makes perfect! Great standup comedians are excellent storytellers. However, even the
best comedians must practice their new material for months to figure out the right way to
deliver it that is going to connect with their audience. The more you tell your stories, the better
you will be at delivering it in an impactful way.