I just finished keynoting another sales conference and here is what I observed...

One speaker or sales trainer got up and did a wildly uninspiring Power Point presentation on sales closing techniques, handling rejections, and all the sales buzz words you can think of. The next keynote speaker appeared to have been drinking energy shots and testosterone for breakfast because he got up and tried to fire up the crowd with a buffet of swear words and intensity that attempted to get you to hate your present life so bad that your solution was to buy his extended sales training program to make life better. 

The president of the company got up and tried to open a can of whoop a$% to motivate everyone to sell more. It sounded more like a can of spam. It’s not my place to judge, but I remember thinking, not a single speech inspired me to want to sell more, do more, or be more. I am an observer by nature, and nothing moved me. Each speech was missing the one component that drives authentic change, motivation, inspiration and sales success. It all felt and sounded like you were getting hit with NOISE. NOISE. NOISE. And, more NOISE. And trust me, when you speak at as many sales functions as I do, you can easily discern what is authentic and works verse what is junk. 

And then it was my turn to give a speech. While I don’t focus on the tactics and techniques of sales, I focus on the one thing that drives everything – ATTITUDE. Without a doubt, attitude plays the most vital role that can determine success or failure. I think we can agree on that. I focus on how to steer your attitude ship, so you achieve more, do more and are more fulfilled. Most people never learn how to drive their attitude because they don’t see the value. How foolish can you be too think like that?  Don’t get on that ship!

I teach people how to use your attitude to work for you, your future you, your family, your organization and success goals. But, most never pause to learn this so they settle for swimming in the shallow end of the pool, while the results they seek are just a few feet away in deeper waters. But, you need to know how to navigate your attitude to get there.

Here is the one word that I have observed that great sales leaders use and lean on to inspire greater results – PURPOSE. Why do you do what you do? The value of inspiration is that it helps reconnect or strengthen the connection to our purpose. For example, the overly intense speaker asked someone what kind of car they drove. The attendee responded with his car type and the speaker ripped him apart because of that type of car. He said, “Man! That car is for SH&*! If you loved yourself, your family, and your kids, you would be driving this type of car!”

He was using emotional manipulation to motivate a room of people by letting everyone know, “Look at your life. If it’s not the way you want, it’s because you don’t love your family…”

I get what he was doing. It’s a pain and pleasure technique.  But, if you are a discerning sales leader, you understand when and how to use this effectively.  Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart used to drive around a beat-up pick-up truck that he mostly used for hunting. He was a billionaire and he didn’t care what he was driving. I am the same way. If he had asked me, the whole room would be unimpressed. I drive a Nissan Pathfinder. I love it…for now. It drives amazingly in the snow and being 6’7”, my legs fit great. And, it’s been a good safe car. I must have test drove 30 cars before I picked that car. My wife even likes driving it. My motivation is safety first, comfort, and then everything else. 

Our greatest motivation for change, improvement, and new results is how attached and connected we are to our purpose. Purpose is not a one size fits all. When I got up to give my speech, I shared how to get the right attitude, keep it, use it, and achieve better results with it. However, if you are not connected to your purpose and it’s a bad sales day, your attitude isn’t going to work for you. It will work against you. Because your attitude drives your skills, experience, and everything you have been trained to do. So, if you have the wrong thing driving you in the wrong direction, you are just defeating all that is right. This is why you see professional sports teams with so much talent not doing great, because they have the wrong attitude driving the ship. 

The true, authentic emotions that come from being connected to our purpose are what will drive us to work harder, try harder, and find a way to change our results. However, most sales leaders – well, the average ones, miss this one simple ingredient.  

Let me wrap things up with this story. I remember years ago applying for a sales job for a janitorial company that focuses on service and sales. This was way before I began my speaking career. The guy interviewing me was the sales manager and he was unimpressed by my energy because it wasn’t like his. He said, “Sam, I don’t think you have the motivation and energy to sell anything.” Interview over. 

Not once did he explore what I cared about, what moved me, what my goals were, or even try to find out what my purpose was. My energy is very different than others, but my sales success is a different story and the reason why is because of my connection to my purpose. My purpose motivates me to get up early, stay up late, do what I don’t feel like doing, be disciplined, learn more, grow more, find a way, and make something happen.  My purpose is so intense, I don’t have time for fantasy football, video games, or things that people do for leisure. My purpose doesn’t permit that. However, if I wasn’t connected to my purpose, it would be a different story. My results would be different. 

Long story short and many years later, the sales manager who didn’t hire me was a little more than shocked when the CEO of his company hired me to keynote at their annual sales conference and meeting. It was fun watching him take notes during my speech. My purpose took me down a path that had me do so well, that this company wanted to learn how to inspire a greater purpose in their people.  

The lesson is simple, connect people to their purpose, help them stay connected, and the results with be worthy of celebration and recognition.