Positive Intent in Sales & Marketing

Last week on The Digital Download we were talking all about Positive Intent. And while we primarily looked at what this can do in teamwork and leadership capacities, it made me think about how we can use it in Sales and Marketing.

A Definition

You know how I love to start off with a good ol' definition. So let's do it.

I like the definition I read in Share on Purpose: assuming Positive Intent means always starting from the idea that a person meant well or was doing their best, no matter what they say or do.

Now, at face value, you might not think this is relevant in sales and marketing. And that would be because a lot of people see sales and marketing efforts as one-directional: OUT. We tell people things. And people either buy or they don't.

Our intent is to SELL. And somehow, that doesn't fit into the definition.

Or does it? Or maybe the better question is...or COULD it?

Intent In Sales & Marketing

When I look back at a lot of the sales and marketing efforts I've experienced in the past, generally there's a LACK of intent. Besides trying to sell something of course.

But, as with all human interactions, there's more to it than that.

So let's break down the above definition and see where the principles COULD come into play in a sales and marketing strategy 💡

Idea #1: People Are Doing Their Best

I think this one is pretty easily extrapolated to support your marketing or sales TEAM members. We all make mistakes, but at the end of the day, we're all trying our best to do the best things for the company.

But what if we extrapolated it to our potential clients?

There are people orbiting our brand who are making their own decisions about when and where to engage with things. I mean, I think for most businesses that run a social media program, clients have shown up seemingly "out of the blue" because they have been observing, but haven't been ready to act.

That's probably even been you 😉

Our potential clients are the same. And their inaction has more to do with their readiness then it has to do with our solutions. So, if we assume Positive Intent, as in, they are hanging out for a REASON (even if that reason is private to them), we can give them a PLACE where they feel safe to just hang out.

I'll be honest, this is why I'm a big fan of LinkedIn Live shows.

Because it's a place where people can hang out, consistently, without having a requirement of doing business.

When I assume you're hanging out because you WANT to hang out, I can explore those relationships (through conversation), and create places for them to be nurtured towards being champions of the brand (not JUST customers).

And how about from a sales perspective?

Sales people talk to people. And every person has different experiences and different filters. So, let's look at a couple examples here to see what it might look like to assume Positive Intent in the sales process.

I recently had a Discovery Call on the calendar that was cancelled last minute.

Now, I could assume that person didn't like me. Or didn't think I have the right expertise. Or that they are jerks I wouldn't want to work with.

OR, I could assume something more urgent came up, or it wasn't the right time for the conversation.

Which one FEELS better to you?

It turned out it wasn't the right time for the conversation. Something that is 100% out of my control. And the opportunity to work together is still open.

And to me, that's only beneficial from a sales perspective 😊

Idea #2: People Assume WE Are Doing Our Best

So let's say our sales and marketing teams are all out in the world assuming Positive Intent of others. Now what if our potential clients extrapolated it to US?

You see, I believe that there are people in the world who assume positive intent and those who assume negative intent. And while this is absolutely a spectrum, if you're a brand that assumes positive intent INTERNALLY, it makes sense that - if you're SHOWING that to people - you would attract similar people.

But HOW do we show it?

Of course this will be unique for each company based on their brand, so let's look at an example.

I remember getting stuck on a WestJet flight once because someone on the plane had a heart attack. Between the emergency response, evacuating the passenger, and getting a new flight plan, we were on the tarmac for 3 hours. Sitting. On the tarmac. For 3 hours. Of what was supposed to be a 4.5 hour flight.

What did the airline do? They gave all the passengers free snacks. They broke their safety protocols to make sure people could go to the bathroom. They did everything in their power to make an unfortunate situation (over which they had no control) comfortable for as many people as possible.

They were doing their absolute best. And in accepting that about them, it built a strong brand relationship. I still fly with WestJet if at all possible. And that was almost 10 years ago.

Now, sure. There were equally people on that flight who probably never flew with them again; because they DIDN'T assume Positive Intent. And those people migrated out of the brand orbit.

But when you show your brand values like that, there are inevitably people who match and people who don't.

In marketing, we WANT to find people who match.

And while it's easy to get distracted by numbers to forget that and just try to go for anyone, I've never actually seen that work.

And if we can create this relationship starting in marketing, then:

• If we miss something in the sales process, we are more likely to be forgiven (and still stay in the running);

• If we make an operational mistake in a project, we are more likely to be forgiven (and it might even make the relationship stronger);

• If we break something during delivery, we are more likely to be forgiven (and keep the client long term);

• If we give a client a recommendation, they are more likely to trust it (and are more likely to recommend us as well).

Marketing benefits. Sales benefits. Customer Experience benefits. Leniency. Customer Lifetime Value. Who knew that all these things could be impacted so heavily by Positive Intent?

Well, I did. Which is why this article exists 💖

Bringing Positive Intent to LIFE in Your Marketing

The ideas mentioned above? It's possible to ignite any of them TODAY.

But only if you know WHY you want to do it.

A good logical argument is one thing. But NO strategy (no matter how logical it sounds) will work for you if you don't know why YOU are doing it.

I assume Positive Intent in my business for a variety of reasons. It keeps my spirits high. It helps me connect with awesome people. It keeps my funnel growing. It allows me to build stronger relationships.

All of these things add business value. TO ME.

Now, if you read that and thought, "Yeah! Those things add business value to me as well!" Then it probably makes sense for us to have a conversation.

And if not, that's OK. Your intent isn't WRONG. It's just different. And just as I mentioned above, marketing is all about ALIGNMENT.

Find the people who are fixing the problems YOU have.

Or if you aren't sure what problems you have, talk to the people who can ask you good questions to help you determine the real problem. And not the people who just want to SELL you something.

Because a Positive Intent person? They are doing their best to do what's best for YOU. Not JUST what's best for them 💖

So, are you team Positive Intent? If so, I'd love to see your comments about what value assuming Positive Intent has brought to your business!