In his book Pitch Anything Oren Klaff writes about the value of tapping into a mission or higher sense of purpose in a pitch or sale. (Set aside the irony of the Win Without Pitching guy quoting the Pitch Anything guy for a minute, please.)  

Among other things, says Klaff, tapping into a larger mission gives you moral authority in the sale, allowing you to claim the high ground.

I can articulate my value proposition to you in language that explains my expertise, who I help and how. But I can also express it as a mission.  

Blair Enns is on a mission to change the way expertise is bought and sold around the world. 

This mission-based positioning is the language I give to conference organizers who want to know how to introduce me as a speaker. These words are not for the audience. They’re for me. 

They help me tap into something bigger than trying to convince the audience of my point of view.

If I’m headed into a large sale that’s got me nervous and I want to center myself so I’m not behaving like a needy vendor, I’ll take a few calming breaths and recite to myself The Expert’s Mantra. 

I am the expert, I am the prize

I am on a mission to change the way expertise is bought and sold around the world

I can only do that if you let me lead

I accept that all will not follow

Each of these four lines serves to remind me of who I am and why I am here. 

“I am the expert, I am the prize” reminds me that this isn’t about me winning a client, a contest or some money. It reminds me of my own value and the fact that the client will also win if we do business together. (This phrase “I am the prize” is also lifted from Klaff. His book is chock full of great ideas.)

“I am on a mission to help…” is the broader version of the statement that you will want to tailor to your own mission as I have. It is what allows me to transcend the transaction and raises me above the need to sell anything to anyone. 

I am on a journey of higher calling, looking for the next person I can help on this mission of mine. This person may or may not play a role. It’s up to them to decide. It’s not my job to talk them into hiring me. 

“I can only do that if you let me lead” speaks to the idea that the sale is the sample of the engagement to follow. If the client does not let me lead in the sale then it’s unlikely they will let me lead in the engagement. I will lead, driving the next steps, and see if they follow.

“I accept that all will not follow” reminds me to detach from the outcome and focus on the process. My process is The Four Conversations model of frameworks and principles that lets me see the sale as a series of conversations, allowing me to bring my expert self to the sale instead of my salesperson self. 

Can you articulate your own mission in a way that grants you moral authority in the sale and empowers you to drop the clichéd sales tactics and behave like the expert you are?

-Blair