Why Storytelling Is One of the Most Underrated Sales Skills

You can be a good communicator without being a good storyteller.

We all know people like this: clear thinkers, precise speakers, strong writers, organized in their follow-up. In business, that’s already a huge advantage.

But storytelling is different, and in sales, it’s a superpower.

People remember stories long after they forget statistics, charts, or product specs. Stories create emotional connection, context, and meaning in a way bullet points never will.

In creative writing, they call this:

“Show, don’t tell.”

In sales, it looks like this:

Telling:

“Our product increases efficiency by 18%.”

Useful, but forgettable.

Showing:

“One of my clients, Mary, was facing a major efficiency problem. If she couldn’t fix it, she would have to raise prices on long-time customers and lay off valued employees. She implemented our solution in just 15 days, and the results changed everything.

She kept pricing stable for two more years, retained every employee, and even freed up enough budget to modernize equipment and expand into new markets.

She did all of this because she increased her efficiency by 18%.”

Which one sticks with you?

For salespeople, I look for storytellers, people who can turn information into something memorable. There’s real cognitive science behind this: stories help the brain encode and retrieve information more easily, and they trigger emotional engagement that pure facts never will.

If you want to be more influential in sales (or in leadership, or in life), learn to tell better stories.

Your message will land deeper, last longer, and make you far harder to forget.