The Power of Sales Purpose (and Why It Matters Now)

Imagine two salespeople sitting in a lobby waiting their turn to speak to their buyer.?

They are both nervous as they thumb through the proposal in their folders. One salesperson, let’s call him Luke, spoke with his boss right before this meeting. His boss told him to close the deal NO MATTER WHAT. He told him that his only purpose is to close this deal. Period.?

The other salesperson, we’ll call her Christine, knows that her purpose is to improve the customer’s business.?

How will the two behave differently in the sales call based on their chosen purpose? Which sales rep is going to ask more engaging and better questions—the seller focused on closing the deal or the seller focused on the customer results??

Now flip the roles for a minute, what if you were the customer? Which sales rep would you like to work with? The sales rep who sees you as a way to hit their quota or the sales rep who truly cares about how their solution could positively change your business? I think we know the answer already.?

Of course, you want to work with the sales rep who focuses on helping you and your business.?

What is Purpose?

According to the dictionary, purpose is “the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.”?

Purpose reminds you that you can make a difference in your life.?

In business, people often assume that we can be profitable OR we can make a difference in the world. Why do we have to choose? Why can’t we have both??

When I sold life-saving products for pets, my purpose was clear and front-of-mind when I walked into a sales call.?

I knew the health benefits for pets up and down.?

I had pictures to prove it and a fire in my belly to help more pets.?

I ran my sales calls with a giving heart to serve my clients and their customers. I knew it, my clients knew it, and we were in alignment to help others. Everyone was winning and it showed in the customer results and the bottom line.?

I’m not the only one who’s seen greater sales success by remembering my purpose.?

Higher Purpose = Better Financial Performance?

In 2011, global research agency Millward Brown and Jim Stengel, a former marketing officer of P&G, researched the world’s 50 fastest-growing brands, which built the deepest relationships with customers and achieved the greatest financial growth from 2001-2011.?

Their case study establishes a cause-and-effect relationship between a brand’s ability to serve a higher purpose and its financial performance.?

“I have always believed that great brands are built on improving the lives of the people they serve; I wanted to prove that maximum profit and high ideals aren’t incompatible but, in fact, inseparable,” Stengel said.

Purpose is powerful for companies and their people.?

According to Forbes:?

“A study published by Harvard Business Review found when companies had a clearly articulated purpose that was widely understood in the organization they had better growth as compared with companies that hadn’t developed or leveraged their purpose. Specifically, 52% of purpose-driven companies experienced over 10% growth compared with 42% of non-purpose-driven companies. Purpose-driven companies benefitted from greater global expansion (66% compared with 48%), more product launches (56% compared with 33%), and success in major transformation efforts (52% compared with 16%).”

Your sales team will see greater success, too, as long as you remember to stay focused on your higher purpose.

Remember Your Purpose

So, today, I want to challenge you to take a step back and remember how you help people through the service you sell. How are your customer’s lives better after they work with you? How are you making a difference in the world?

If you keep the answers top of mind before every sales conversation, you’ll be unstoppable.?

What do you do to remind yourself of your purpose? Comment below and let me know.