The Focused Objective

One of the strongest messages that I got from reading the self empowerment best seller, Thing and Grow Rich was the concept of a “definiteness of purpose.” Though the explanation in the book focused on life’s general pursuits, I immediately made a connection to the specific pursuit of sales success. There is no doubt that when your sales pitch, goal and efforts are geared towards one particular goal you heighten your chances of achieving it. When you approach a prospect do you always know exactly what you are trying to achieve?

I recently received marketing materials in the mail from a local contractor wanting to offer me services related to my home. The leaflet rambled on about the nature of his company, a family business, the years he had spent working in the area, over twenty, and the reputation his company had in his community, apparently excellent. He never touched on one subject I actually cared about. Like many people in sales, this professional entered a selling situation without a clear goal. This lack of focus resulted in leaflets that lacked a specific purpose and were unlikely to inspire action. As obvious as it may seem, before you enter any presentation you must ask yourself what it is you hope to accomplish.

Take the following example: Don starts his new network marketing venture with a great deal of enthusiasm. He wants to excel in both areas, sales and recruiting and so begins an aggressive campaign to recruit as many as he can and sell to those he can’t recruit. This divided objective causes him problems along the way.

When trying to sell an idea, recruit an associate and create a new customer, it is natural to want to give people as many options as you can to get them involved with your opportunity. Don figures, if I cannot recruit them into my group then I will get them as customers instead and pitches everyone he talks to with both opportunities. With so many choices, people are conflicted, do I join up as a member and get rewards for everything I buy or do I just buy and save myself the recruiting fee? For a prospect, it takes time to come up with answers to so many questions.

Don’s efforts will be greatly improved with more focus. If he sets a singular goal when he approaches a prospect he will find a more responsive audience. Rather than approaching a prospect with both possibilities, Don could craft a more effective message by approaching prospects with the first goal of joining his team. Only after establishing that his prospect does not wish to become a new recruit should Don scale back in his proposal and offer the sale of product only.

When you approach a prospect with the wrong objective you hurt your chances of getting the sale. Break your sales process down into essential steps that move you closer and closer to the sale each time. Even a small ticket item that can lead to an instant sale can be presented in a series of steps each with their own objective. You will become more effective in your sales efforts when you know how to tailor your pitch, your language and your presentation around a single powerful goal.