Communicating with Purpose | The Unfair Advantage

How often have you heard sales professionals say, “Sales is all about relationships”? It is likely the most over-quoted line in any sales department, along with “Show me the money” and “Always be closing.” I am a strategy guy; I love finding the blue water and crafting a competitive advantage. I am the kind of guy that shows up early to an all-day strategy meeting, which leads me to the question, “What makes great sales organizations: strategy or relationships?” I would suggest the answer to this question is both and more!

The Perfect Plan teaches us the importance that emotion plays in decision-making in life and business. Don Barden, the author of The Perfect Plan, writes, “85% of all decisions are made on emotion.” So, what does this mean for business? Emotion is a key component of every business transaction; it is essential to human interaction. However, most organizations like to ignore it because it cannot be tracked in an Excel spreadsheet and, let’s face it--it's messy. What if emotion could be harnessed and multiplied to give your organization an unfair advantage? I would have your attention then, right? Don Barden's "Perfect Plan" teaches people and organizations to communicate in a way that allows them to connect on an emotional level.

Now, think about the impact people and organizations could have if they could scale this type of communication and integrate it with their strategy. This is the “sweet spot.” However, it is not enough to just communicate compellingly and align strategy; this communication must focus on supporting a PURPOSE.

Companies with a defined purpose and a defined strategy can communicate in a way that connects with their clients emotionally and wins. They win on all levels of profitability, engagement, and market share.

"Relationship" is the safe word people like to use when referring to what makes communication impactful. Yet, impactful communication is truly about harnessing the power of emotion. The ability to tap into emotion creates an UNFAIR ADVANTAGE and changes lives!