“Try one. They taste great.”
Or
“You know how Italy is shaped like a boot?
And the boot looks like it’s kicking an island?
That’s Sicily.
On the west side of Sicily is a small town called Castelvetrano that has the perfect climate conditions.
Warm days. Cool nights. Humidity is just right.
The town is blessed with the right combination of soil, elevation, heat, and water to make the perfect olives.
The olives are so good that they named them after the town itself.
Castelvetranos taste like no other olives that exist.
They’re the olive for people who hate olives.
They’re firm and buttery.
They’re bright green but have a tender and mild taste.
Perfect for snacking. Or for spreading.
Try one. They taste great.”
Stories sell everything.
They can sell someone on a product, service, or mission. They help salespeople generate more business and CEOs lead their teams.
They can even sell someone on tasting an olive.
How to use this mental model
Use a story whenever you want to engage or motivate your team, especially when the stakes are high. If you’re not a great storyteller, borrow stories and make them yours. Case in point: this book includes 13 different stories. Most of them aren’t mine.
This is an excerpt from “Mental Models for Effective Managers.”
