# StoryBrand Sales Conversations

Applying the SB7 framework to sales calls, discovery questions, and objection handling.


## Table of Contents
1. [Sales Philosophy](#sales-philosophy)
2. [The Discovery Call Structure](#the-discovery-call-structure)
3. [Discovery Questions Library](#discovery-questions-library)
4. [Objection Handling](#objection-handling)
5. [Presenting Price](#presenting-price)
6. [Follow-Up Sequences](#follow-up-sequences)
7. [Scripts for Key Moments](#scripts-for-key-moments)

---

## Sales Philosophy

**The salesperson is the guide, not the hero.**

Traditional sales puts the rep center stage: "Let me tell you about our company, our features, our awards..."

StoryBrand sales puts the customer center stage: "Tell me about your challenge. Here's how we help people like you succeed."

---

## The Discovery Call Structure

### Opening: Establish the Problem (5 min)

**Goal:** Confirm the customer has a problem you solve.

```
"Thanks for taking the time. Before I tell you about us, I'd love to
understand your situation. What prompted you to take this call today?"
```

**Follow-up questions:**
- "How long has this been a challenge?"
- "What have you tried so far?"
- "What happens if nothing changes?"

### Exploration: Understand the Job (15 min)

**External problem:**
- "What's the tangible problem you're trying to solve?"
- "What does this cost you in time/money/resources?"

**Internal problem:**
- "How does this situation make you feel?"
- "What's frustrating about dealing with this?"
- "What keeps you up at night about this?"

**Philosophical problem:**
- "Why is it important to you to fix this?"
- "What do you believe should be possible?"

**Example:**
```
Customer: "We're losing too many leads."

External: "About how many leads are you losing? What's that costing?"
Internal: "How does your team feel about this? Frustrated? Demoralized?"
Philosophical: "What do you believe a good lead process should look like?"
```

### Positioning: Present as Guide (5 min)

**Show empathy:**
```
"I hear this a lot. The feeling of watching good leads slip away is
incredibly frustrating, especially when you've worked so hard to generate them."
```

**Establish authority:**
```
"We've helped 200+ companies solve exactly this problem. On average,
they see a 40% improvement in lead conversion within 90 days."
```

### The Plan: Show the Path (10 min)

**Three-step framework:**
```
"Here's how we typically help companies like yours:

1. First, we audit your current process to find where leads are falling out.

2. Then, we implement our system that ensures every lead gets the right
   follow-up at the right time.

3. Finally, we optimize based on data, so you continuously improve.

It's straightforward, and we handle most of the heavy lifting."
```

### Stakes: Paint Success and Failure (5 min)

**Success:**
```
"Imagine 90 days from now: your team isn't chasing leads manually anymore.
Every prospect gets followed up with automatically. Your conversion rate
has jumped 40%. How would that change things?"
```

**Failure (light touch):**
```
"On the flip side, what happens if you keep doing what you're doing?
Where will you be in a year?"
```

### Call to Action: Clear Next Step (5 min)

**Direct CTA:**
```
"Based on what you've shared, I think we can definitely help. The next
step would be a 30-minute demo where I can show you exactly how this
would work for your team. How's Thursday at 2pm?"
```

**Handle hesitation:**
```
"I totally understand wanting to think about it. Would it help if I
sent you a case study from a similar company while you consider?"
```

---

## Discovery Questions Library

### Understanding Their World

| Category | Questions |
|----------|-----------|
| Current state | "Walk me through how you currently handle [process]." |
| Pain points | "What's the most frustrating part of that?" |
| Attempts | "What have you tried to solve this?" |
| Failures | "Why didn't that work?" |
| Impact | "What does this problem cost you?" |

### Understanding Their Goals

| Category | Questions |
|----------|-----------|
| Desired state | "What does success look like for you?" |
| Timeline | "When do you need this solved by?" |
| Priority | "How important is solving this compared to other priorities?" |
| Stakeholders | "Who else cares about solving this?" |
| Decision process | "How do you typically make decisions like this?" |

### Understanding Their Constraints

| Category | Questions |
|----------|-----------|
| Budget | "Do you have budget allocated for this?" |
| Resources | "Who would be involved in implementing a solution?" |
| Technical | "What systems would this need to work with?" |
| Timing | "Are there any deadlines driving this?" |
| Past experience | "Have you worked with vendors in this space before?" |

### Emotional Probes

| Category | Questions |
|----------|-----------|
| Frustration | "What frustrates you most about this situation?" |
| Fear | "What are you most worried about if this doesn't get solved?" |
| Aspiration | "What would it mean to you personally to fix this?" |
| Pressure | "Is there pressure from leadership to address this?" |

---

## Objection Handling

### Framework: Acknowledge → Explore → Reframe

**Step 1: Acknowledge**
"I hear you. That's a fair concern."

**Step 2: Explore**
"Can you tell me more about what's driving that concern?"

**Step 3: Reframe**
"What I've seen with other clients is... Would that address your concern?"

### Common Objections

#### "It's too expensive."

**Explore:**
"Help me understand—too expensive compared to what?"

**Reframe options:**
- Cost of the problem: "What's this problem costing you now?"
- ROI focus: "If this saved you $X, would the investment make sense?"
- Flexibility: "We have different options. What budget were you considering?"

#### "We need to think about it."

**Explore:**
"Of course. What specifically do you need to think through?"

**Reframe options:**
- Identify blocker: "Is there something I didn't address that's giving you pause?"
- Add urgency: "What would happen if you wait another quarter?"
- Offer help: "Would it help if I sent you materials to share with your team?"

#### "We're looking at competitors too."

**Explore:**
"Smart. What are the most important factors in your decision?"

**Reframe options:**
- Differentiate on job: "Most companies focus on X. We focus on Y because..."
- Invite comparison: "Happy to show you how we compare on those factors."
- Ask directly: "What would make us the clear choice?"

#### "Now isn't the right time."

**Explore:**
"I understand. What would make it the right time?"

**Reframe options:**
- Quantify delay: "What happens if you wait six months?"
- Find trigger: "Is there an event coming up that would change timing?"
- Stay in touch: "When should we reconnect?"

#### "I need to talk to my boss/team."

**Explore:**
"Absolutely. What do you think their main concerns will be?"

**Reframe options:**
- Arm them: "What information would help you make the case?"
- Offer to join: "Would it help if I joined a call to answer questions directly?"
- Create materials: "Can I send you a summary to share?"

---

## Presenting Price

### Frame Around Value First

**Bad:**
"Our service is $5,000 per month."

**Good:**
"Based on what you shared, you're losing about $20,000 per month in
unconverted leads. Our solution typically improves conversion by 40%,
which for you would mean an additional $8,000 per month. The investment
to make that happen is $5,000 per month."

### The Anchor Technique

Establish the cost of the problem before presenting price:

```
"You mentioned this problem is costing you about $50,000 annually in
lost revenue. To solve it and capture that revenue, the investment
is $12,000 per year—less than 25% of what you're currently losing."
```

### Payment Options

Offer choices that make "yes" easier:

```
"We have two options:
1. Annual: $10,000/year (saves $2,000)
2. Monthly: $1,000/month

Most clients choose annual because [benefit], but monthly works too
if that's easier for budgeting."
```

---

## Follow-Up Sequences

### After Initial Call (No Decision)

**Day 1:** Thank you + summary email
```
Subject: Great talking about [their problem]

Hi [Name],

Thanks for the conversation today. Based on what you shared:

- Your challenge: [specific problem]
- Impact: [what it's costing them]
- Solution: [how you help]
- Next step: [what you proposed]

Let me know if you have any questions.

[Your name]
```

**Day 3:** Value-add content
```
Subject: Thought you might find this helpful

Hi [Name],

Given our conversation about [problem], I thought you'd find this
[case study/article/resource] interesting.

[Company name] had a similar challenge and [result].

Happy to discuss how we could achieve something similar for you.
```

**Day 7:** Check in
```
Subject: Following up on [topic]

Hi [Name],

Wanted to check in on your thinking about [solution].

Any questions I can answer? Happy to schedule another call if helpful.
```

### After Demo (Pending Decision)

**Day 1:** Recap + materials
**Day 3:** Address likely objection
**Day 7:** Create gentle urgency
**Day 14:** Long-term nurture (if no response)

---

## Scripts for Key Moments

### Opening a Cold Call

```
"Hi [Name], this is [You] from [Company]. I know I'm calling out of the
blue—do you have 30 seconds?

[If yes]

We help [target customers] solve [problem]. I noticed [trigger/reason for calling]
and thought it might be relevant. Is [problem] something you're dealing with?"
```

### Asking for the Meeting

```
"Based on what you've shared, I think a 30-minute conversation would be
valuable to see if we can help. Are you open to that?

[If hesitant]

No obligation—worst case, you get some ideas you can use regardless.
How's [specific time]?"
```

### Closing the Deal

```
"Based on everything we've discussed, it sounds like [solution] would
solve [their problem] and help you [desired outcome].

I'd recommend we get started with [specific package/plan].

Should I send over the agreement so you can review it?"
```

### Handling "Send Me Information"

```
"Happy to. So I send you the right thing—what specifically would be
most useful? Is it [pricing/case studies/technical specs]?

And once you've reviewed it, would you be open to a quick call to
discuss? How's [specific time]?"
```
