What’s your ‘end game’ – to make a sale, collect a check or to make a difference? If you are not selling with a purpose other than to just make the sale and collect a check, you are getting it wrong!
Defining Selling With Purpose
Today’s selling environment is much more challenging and complex than it has been in recent history. Buyers are highly educated and the Internet has opened up vast reservoirs of online information to consumers and corporate decision makers which enables them to make better informed purchase decisions. Consequently, they want to work with sellers who have a track record of long-term success and are committed to delivering tangible, purposeful results, not ‘fluff’.
To be effective in selling to a more sophisticated, well-educated and informed buyer you must be able to match or exceed the buyer’s level of knowledge of the product and service you are selling. More importantly, you must be able to clearly articulate how your product or service will directly benefit them and their organization in meaningful ways. In other words, you must sell with purpose in order to peak the decision-maker’s interest.
Doing anything “with purpose” implies that you have a specific goal or clear intent in mind. In the broader sales vernacular it means to strive for something bigger than just the next sale. We all want to make our mark on society, or make a difference in the lives of others. Selling with purpose is a clear-cut way to accomplish this in the context of your sales activities, while building enduring partnerships with customers. There are numerous examples of companies that sell with purpose.
What Makes Companies Selling With A Purpose Different From Their Competitors
- They are engaged at all levels in their customer’s organization.
- They invest the time to learn about the customer’s business.
- They are in it for the long-term, not just the initial sale.
- They are difference-makers and their value is well-recognized.
- They are viewed are strategic partners, not vendors.
- They are part of the DNA of these companies.
You reach this level within your customer base, but just having this as a goal is not enough. You must:
- Recognize that every business owner is waging a daily battle for mind share, wallet share and market share.
- Demonstrate a sincere desire to be a resource and a difference-maker by getting in the trenches with them.
- Focus on value creation, solving ‘real-world’ business problems and growth to help address the customer’s requirements.
- Be in it for the long-haul to build those strategic relationships the right way.
“Making money is like breathing. It’s essential to life, but it’s not the reason to live.” – Brian Bacon
Finally, don’t focus on the numbers. The numbers are a reflection of how well you live your values and embrace your purpose. Put the customer’s needs first and focus your energy on what you can do to enable them to achieve their short- and long-term objectives. By doing so, you’ll be making a difference and the numbers (and money) will take care of themselves.
In what ways are you selling with purpose? Anything you are going to do different now?
