Serve, Don’t Sell: How A Purpose Driven Sales Approach Can Drive Growth - And Social Impact
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
In today's marketplace, consumers are increasingly looking to align their purchasing decisions with their values. Purpose-driven sales — a sales strategy that emphasizes the purpose and social impact of a product or service — has become an essential aspect of many companies' marketing strategies. Purpose-driven sales prioritize the positive impact a product or service can have on society and the environment over purely profit-driven motives. This approach has gained significant traction in recent years as consumers have become more socially and environmentally conscious.
Research has shown that Organizations that embed a powerful and authentic Purpose at the core of their business and bring it to life through their sales teams are more likely to win the market. Sales teams that have a clear purpose to make a difference in the lives of Consumers are more innovative, more strategic, and have a better connection with their Customers (ie Retailers). This type of sales team can create products and programs that create a strong bond with consumers that will increase the likelihood of repeat purchases and build brand affinity.
In today’s hypercompetitive world, the sales role is unbelievably tough. Research has shown that approximately half of salespeople fail to achieve their targets each year - and sales jobs are often marked by high levels of stress, rejection, and burnout.
When salespeople are driven by their quota, they tend to view Customers as objects, leading to a lack of empathy and understanding of their needs. It is essential to put the brand purpose, what the brand stands for, into the selling process, including sales training and point of sale. This shift in focus puts creating Customer value ahead of the transaction, which is more effective in building relationships and gaining customers' trust.
Several studies have shown that sales teams operating from a place of Purpose outperform those that focus only on financial targets.
A study by Michigan State University shows that salespeople with a sense of purpose have better resilience and adaptability over time than those motivated only by financial incentives.
In another study behind the book ‘Selling with Noble Purpose’, salespeople who sold with a noble purpose, who truly wanted to make a difference in their customers' lives, outsold salespeople focused only on financial targets. Lisa McLeod, the author says ‘Most people believe that money is the primary motivator for top salespeople and that doing good for the world runs a distant second. That belief is wrong.’
This principle applies as much to B2B companies as to B2C companies. A recent Harvard Business Review article analyzed the elements most valued by B2B technology buyers and concluded that in a highly competitive and commoditized market, what made a difference was not the basic deliverables that every salesperson promised (product quality, price) but the higher order Purpose-driven elements that created greater differentiation and distinctiveness.
The B2B Elements of Value Pyramid | HRB
“At the top of the pyramid are inspirational elements: those that improve the customer’s vision of the future (helping a firm anticipate changes in its markets), provide hope for the future of the organization or the individual buyers (for instance, that they can move to the next generation of technology easily and affordably), or enhance a company’s social responsibility.”
Source: HBR
All of the above show why it is essential for leaders to ensure that their sales teams deeply understand the Organization’s Purpose - and are inspired and motivated to work with their Customers to create new products, offerings, and programs to engage with end consumers in ways that drive growth and profitability while contributing to societal impact.
Here are three examples of Purpose Driven Sales programs:
Chobani Operation Homefront
Chobani is a leading American next-generation food and beverage company that has become well-known for its commitment to social responsibility. One of the company's many initiatives has been the creation of the Chobani Veterans Program, which offers employment opportunities and support to military veterans.
Chobani created a limited-edition line of yogurt packs featuring the stories of five veterans and their transition to civilian life. The program was designed to support veteran organizations and raise awareness about the challenges veterans face when returning home. The packs were sold at select retailers, and Chobani donated a portion of the proceeds (around $4 million) to organizations that provide services and support to veterans. The program aimed to honor veterans and bring attention to their stories while also giving back to the community.
Sean Blackmore, Chobani’s Chief Customer Officer is a passionate advocate for Purpose in sales teams. He says “We believe in our purpose more than our competition believes in theirs. We need a galvanizing force to be able to outmuscle the bigger giants we compete with. The collective strength of the entire commercial organization focused against this unifying Purpose of ‘Better food for more people’ not only helps inspire and motivate the team: it fuels all the other good we do in the various programs that Chobani has.”
Chips Ahoy x Boys and Girls Club
Chips Ahoy, the popular cookie brand, partnered with The Boys and Girls Club of America to support and empower the next generation. Through this partnership, Chips Ahoy is making a donation of up to $100,000 to The Boys and Girls Club of America to help fund after-school programs and other activities for young people.
As part of the partnership, Chips Ahoy has also released limited edition cookie packs exclusively at Walmart, which was also a big supporter of the Boys and Girls Club. These cookie packs feature custom packaging showcasing The Boys and Girls Club of America logo, and for every package sold, Chips Ahoy will donate 20 cents to the organization, up to a maximum of $75,000.
This example shows the need for Sales teams to deeply understand the Purpose not only of their own organization - but that of their Customers too. By considering the fact that Walmart also supported the Boys and Girls Club, Mondelez was able to have conversations on a deeper level than just price and product features - and find a common cause with Walmart in supporting this incredible non-profit.
Lincoln Driven to Give
Driven to Give, a philanthropic program that began in 2011 as a way for Lincoln dealers to work with non-profit organizations and give back to their communities, has raised more than $6.2 million since its inception and $1.5 million last year alone. The program allowed Lincoln dealers across the country to give back to their communities by working with schools and charitable organizations.
This example shows how taking a localized and decentralized approach can have huge benefits. By adopting a model which allowed dealers to select local non-profits as partners, it drove a huge amount of local pride and passion that helped make the program a success.
In conclusion, a sales team with a clear purpose to ‘Serve Not Just Sell’ has a competitive advantage beyond just the product, price, or features. They can leverage the inspirational elements of the value equation: As the HBR article points out, ‘those that improve the customer’s vision of the future (helping a firm anticipate changes in its markets), provide hope for the future of the organization or the individual buyers (for instance, that they can move to the next generation of technology easily and affordably), or enhance a company’s social responsibility.’
They build deep relationships with their customers based on impact and value, and a desire to be of service to a common cause. They are more relevant, more resilient, and generate more revenue because they care about their customers more than the sale. They are also more innovative, strategic, and better performers than those who are solely focused on hitting their sales quotas.
If you’d like to learn more about what we can do for you, please contact us at purpose@conspiracyoflove.co.
