The worst AEs use customer stories that sound like this
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⛔️ Amateur AEs: “I talk to _____ every day”
We don't mean it. But we say things all the time to buyers that make us look and sound generic:
"I talk to business owners every day who run into this challenge..."
"We help thousands of security professionals every month..."
"I've spoken with hundreds of Safety Directors who tell me..."
It's not that any of this is bad.
It doesn't accomplish the ultimate goal of a customer story: building credibility.
✅ Top AEs: “I was talking to a ______ yesterday and..."
Great AEs use SPECIFIC customer stories. They tell stories that sound real. And that help the buyer see themselves in the story.
This sound like:
"You know—what you said reminds me of Jim over at ABC MANUFACTURING. They have two dozen locations and he wasn't able to see safety incidences as they happened. Everything was reported after the fact so it was hard to be proactive. Oh, and to report on the dozens of facilities he managed? Tons of paperwork, guesswork, and errort. He was constantly misplacing physical documents. Does any part of this resonate?"
✅ Pro tips
Use this to open up discovery conversations. It shows the buyer instant credibility and helps get the conversation going.
Be specific.
Use customers in similar industries and size of company.
And use names of real people when you tell stories. Keep it to the first name if you need to be anonymous.
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Upgrade your customer stories and your deals will move way faster.