If you’re in business, you’re in sales. It’s true. Everyone in your organization is selling your business all the time. Yet, if you ask them, most people will admit they hate sales.
I will be honest I fall into that category. The act of asking someone to buy what you have isn’t easy. However, once I narrowed in on my purpose, things changed. I was no longer selling myself or my business but instead sharing my passion for my work.
If you follow Simon Sinek, you’ve probably heard him say: people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. As I developed my brand purpose, I noticed my conversations naturally making the shift from what to why.
Here are four steps I learned along the way to help you start selling your purpose:
First, know your purpose.
Whether you’re a solopreneur or a member of a large sales team, understanding your brand’s purpose is tremendously valuable. The key to creating an effective brand purpose is to make sure it is simple and authentic. The easier it is for people to understand and the more genuine it is to your organization, the stickier it becomes.
Second, show your passion.
The value of brand purpose is that it inspires and connects people. When you know why you do what you do, it taps into your passion for the product or service you’re selling. In sales, we spend a lot of time talking about what we sell – the attributes, the efficiencies, the unique value – and occasionally lose sight of why WE love it. The success behind TOMS wasn’t the actual shoe, it was the story behind it.
Third, find your tribe.
Knowing your brand purpose gives greater clarity to your ideal customer profile: who they are, where you find them and how to reach them. It also starts to identify who they are not. Brands, like Nike and Patagonia, have been successful because they have a deep understanding of both their purpose and their customer. Because of that, their customers are also fiercely loyal.
Fourth, be consistent.
As your purpose becomes more clear, so does your story. It’s easier to start a sales conversation because you’re not actually selling. When you believe in the purpose of your business, your energy grows. You light up when you talk and bring more creativity and ideas. You become more excited to tell the same story to everyone.
If you’re like me and sales doesn’t come easy, take a moment to reconnect with your organization’s brand purpose. Focus less on what you do and start sharing why you do it.
