What South Park Knows About Selling That Most Reps Miss

Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park, have a simple rule for telling stories that actually keep people interested: avoid “and then.”

Instead, they use “but” and “therefore.” It sounds small, but this approach makes stories flow naturally and keeps the audience engaged.

Here’s how it works in their world:

A boring story goes like this: “This happened, and then this happened, and then this happened.”

A good story sounds more like: “This happened, but then this happened, therefore this happened.”

Every step either introduces tension or moves things forward. It makes the story feel alive.

So what does this have to do with sales?

Most Bad Sales Conversations Are Just “And Then”

You’ve probably sat through one of these. Maybe you’ve even delivered one yourself.

“We offer this service, and then we work with companies like yours, and then we help you grow, and then we provide training.”

It’s just a flat list. No tension. No clear logic. No reason for the person listening to care or react. Nothing is really happening.

Great Sales Conversations Use “But” and “Therefore”

Let’s take the same pitch and rework it using Matt and Trey’s method:

“We offer this service, but what we often see is that companies like yours don’t have time to use it fully. Therefore, we’ve built in support to make sure it actually gets implemented.”

See the difference?

Now there is:

• A clear obstacle

• A reason this matters

• A logical next step

That rhythm creates tension and resolution. It feels more like a real conversation and less like a brochure being read out loud.

Try It in Your Next Call

Instead of listing features or walking through your deck slide by slide, try this:

1. Introduce a point.

2. Add a “but” to highlight a common challenge, assumption, or objection.

3. Follow with a “therefore” that shows how your offer addresses it.

You’ll find it helps you tighten your story, make it relevant, and turn your monologue into an actual dialogue.

Credit Where It’s Due

This isn’t some fancy sales technique. It’s a screenwriting rule. Matt Stone and Trey Parker aren’t sales trainers. They just understand how to keep people’s attention.

You might not be a fan of the show, but their success and longevity are hard to argue with. South Park is going into its 27th season and they are only an Oscar away from an EGOT.

In a world where attention is often the hardest thing to earn, it’s worth borrowing a page from their script.