Make ethical, valuable sales your mission

A sales mission statement is your affirmation, philosophy, and purpose … your personal challenge and what you seek to do each time you try for a sale

DOES your company or business have a mission statement? Of course it does.

Do you know what it is? Chances are your response in this case would be ‘no’.

What drives you into the sale? And drives you out with the order?

Why is this? It’s your ‘mission’. It’s what is supposed to drive you into the sale – and, create an atmosphere of success.

The reason you’re not following your company’s mission statement is because you had nothing to do with its preparation. It’s some bull about being the number one company, global positioning to be the best, exceeding customers’ expectations, and building shareholder value. Blah, blah, blah.

It’s a mission statement you’ve seen 500 times – but you can’t recite one line of it.  Pretty pathetic huh? The reason you can’t relate to it … is that you don’t relate to it. And it has little to do with making a sale.

So here’s my challenge, my sales challenge, to you, my sales friend: make your own mission statement – a sales mission statement.

A sales mission statement is your affirmation, philosophy, and purpose rolled into one. It’s your personal challenge and what you seek to do each time you try for a sale. It’s an opportunity to bring your goals into focus and transfer your ideals into the real world. It is your success plan. And you have a built-in outcome – make the sale.

Here are the ground rules, and the format to write your sales mission.

• Say who and what you’re dedicated to. Are you dedicated to your profession, your customers, your success, your business?

• Define yourself. What kind of a person are you, what do you do, what is your character?

• Define your service to others. Where do you specialise, where is your expertise, who do you serve, how do you help them?

• Affirm that you will strive to get better, do new things, and help others. What do you want your customers to achieve? What do you want to achieve?

• Tell how it will get done. How will you employ your enthusiasm, your attitude, your best efforts?

• State the outcome as though it has already taken place. Affirm what will happen, and how it will lead to other positive actions.

Use your goals and visions to define your mission.

• The examples you seek to set.

• The ideals by which you live or seek to live.

• The goals you set out to accomplish at each sales opportunity.

• The affirmations that you can use every day to make you a better person.

Your sales mission is your purpose for walking in the prospective customer’s door. It’s your purpose while you’re in the sales presentation. And it’s your purpose when you’re walking out the door with the order. It should be your objective, and your philosophy, all rolled into one. Your mission.

Looking for what to say in your sales mission state? Do you think it’s about making lots of money, or do you believe it’s about the value you provide?

Here’s the mission statement that I use: ‘make an ethical sale that’s so value packed and memorable that the customer is compelled to buy again, give a testimonial, and tell everyone else how great I am’.

The process takes time. Write a first draft. Let it sit for a few days. Re-read it slowly and make changes that you feel better express your true feelings. Describe the things you think you are, and the things you seek to accomplish or become.

Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to flatter yourself. You’re writing this for yourself, not others. Affirm everything you think you are or think you want to become. Do it with a sense of pride and a spirit of adventure.

Ask your mentor(s) and associates for help. If they offer constructive criticism, thank them.

As salespeople and business leaders we each have a responsibility to do our best. I know I do. By writing a mission statement you have affirmed that responsibility. And carry it with you mentally wherever you go. It is your mission.

I urge you to write yours. It builds your character at the same time it lays it bare. It serves as a beacon of light in the fog of life. It is a path to take that you build on every day. It is your mission.

If your sales mission statement is deep, and honest, then your sales results will be incredible.

Post yours on the wall where you can see it every day. Sign it in big bold pen.

Live it. Live it every day. You’re certain to make more sales as a result. It is your mission.

Jeffrey Gitomer is an American author, professional speaker and business trainer, who writes and lectures internationally on sales, customer loyalty and personal development.

© 2015 All rights reserved. Don’t reproduce this document without written permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.