A sense of purpose, to create a desire to accomplish something important.

It fills us with motivation, energy and an increased ability to solve difficulties and challenges. It makes us re-evaluate how things are done today and should be done tomorrow. It can make us completely change the way we think. When motivation and energy are strong, there is a will to take action immediately. When we forget the purpose, the why, we also lose the energy tp drive change. It happens to all of us.

The salesperson's role is to help the customer, through the entire sales process, to keep the purpose of the deal in focus.

Sellers who focus on the product's functions and subtleties, the computer program's various processes risk being met with yawns. The customer has heard it before. It sounds good but creates no sense of purpose, the resistance to change is too great. The offer is rejected and the deal goes down the drain.

When you get the customer to feel a sense of purpose, you have started a creative process, the question is no longer IF but HOW.

The purpose could be part of the visio of the organization, a personal mission or an outspoken strategy at a local office. Doing research on the web, linkedin and other sources can give you a clue of 22-3 potential purposes you could explore in the customer conversation.

When you take a starting point in the customers purpose - your way of reasoning, brainstorming and asking questions will be different than before.

An example: a seller of solar energy asked the customer if he wanted to go from being an electricity consumer to becoming an electricity producer: how it would be experienced, how we could get there together. The relationship changed.

Another example: in the final phase of a tough negotiation: the customer wanted to stop the negotiation because the price was perceived to be too high. They took a break. When the negotiation started, the salesperson reminded the customer: "The only reason we're sitting here is because you want to outsource your business. How can we find a way where you get good enough finances and we put together a mission that provides enough profitability to be able to deliver what you want?" After a few silent seconds, the customer said: "That's right, let's start over." The deal, a few hundred million, was completed a few hours later. The client regained his motivation and energy to solve the obstacles that remained, by remembering the purpose.

Pay attention to:
- The customer becomes more present at the meeting
- The energy level rises
- You discuss, not present

What purposes can your offer fulfill?

What questions can you ask to find the client's professional and personal purpose?
How can you create the feeling of motivation, desire to act?

Try phases like:

• It seems that XXX is important to you , atleast from the research I have done prior to our meeting: How does that relate to you and your role?
• From what I found on Linkedin regarding your background, you seems to engage in YYY. What are your ambition, purpose in your present role?
• One of the major trends at the moment, according to (credible source) seems to be ZZZ. How does this connects with your mission here? How does it engage you and your team?
• How can we have a fruitful, creative conversation about how our offer can support you in this area?

As you see the "how" question used in the right way, tuned in with the words of the customer is very effective. It is safe to answer and leads very often to honest answers and high quality sales conversations.

If you don't manage to create or find purpose in the client, don't worry!

You can ask questions, at any point in the meeting, to see if there is something else that can create motivation to talk further. Here are some examples.
- What makes you want to talk to me / us today?
- Of all the things you could do today, you chose to talk to us/me, guess you have a good reason?
- What can make this meeting your best this week?
- It doesn't seem like I/we manage to catch your interest, what does it take?