When we train with the Consultative Conversation eight-step framework, people often share how much they love it. Why? Because it provides them with a structure in asking their customers valuable questions, learn more about their customers’ businesses, and uncover additional sales opportunities.

Yet, no one can easily remember and recite all eight steps (except right after writing their CSP Designation!).

At Teneo, we did some creative brainstorming and came up with an acronym, PURPOSE, to easily remember the consultative framework when meeting with customers.

The PURPOSE acronym is easy to remember so you can focus on the customer conversation, not remembering the next step!

When you follow the PURPOSE formula, you’ll have a more productive and purposeful sales conversation each and every time.

Are you having PURPOSE conversations with your customers? Share on X

By following P.U.R.P.O.S.E. you will:

  • Plan more and plan better  (P-Prepare)
  • Make fewer assumptions about your customers’ current state (U-Understand)
  • Build trusting relationships by communicating with individuals in their preferred manner  (R-Rapport)
  • Identify the compelling reason you are meeting and state that reason at the start of the meeting (P-Purpose of the meeting)
  • Ask more questions, and better ones that get to the heart of the business reasons to buy (O-Open-ended Questions)
  • Summarize, prioritize and collaborate on possible solutions  (S-Summarize & Solutions)
  • Ensure you have clear next steps with date and time (E-Execute)

PURPOSE Sales Conversation

The chart below outlines the simple “purpose” for each step in the consultative conversation.

The PURPOSE of each step Questions to ask
P – Prepare For Your Meeting Take 7-10 minutes to prep for your meeting by using the back-side of the PURPOSE template. It helps you be more strategic, proactive and brave! What are my objectives for this meeting?

What do I hope to accomplish?

Is there any more information
that I need to be fully prepared?

U – Understanding Your Customer Think like your customer – what’s most important to them in their role, personality style, generation, and decision-making process to make them and their business prosper. Do I know my customer or prospect as well as I should?

What are their goals?

What’s most important for them to accomplish in this meeting and their business?

R – Rapport With Personality Style Identify their personality style and quickly adapt.

Begin to build trust and connect with them.

Personal or business question to establish a common bond.

Nice building, how long have you been here?

How’s business?

P – Purpose of Meeting  State the actual purpose of the meeting and agree on the agenda items.

Confirm the amount of time for the meeting, even if you scheduled a 30 minute meeting.

To make this meeting most effective, I would like to discuss…

Is there anything else you would like to get done to make this meeting worthwhile for you?

Do you still have 30 minutes?

O – Open EndedQuestions Ask open, clarifying and expanding questions to find out their current situation, challenges, goals, and their decision-making process.

When you ask intelligent questions in a coach-like and consultative approach, your customer/prospect will realize it’s worth spending time with you.

I would like to begin with asking you a few questions about your business to better understand your situation.

What are your challenges with…?

What are your goals for the coming year? What would you like to accomplish?

What is your criteria for selecting …?

How would you measure success?

S – Summarize Their Needs, Goals and Collaborate on Solutions Demonstrate you are listening to further develop trust.

Collaborate and co-create possible solutions based on their needs and business goals.

Typically, you may suggest a few solutions and schedule a second meeting to present your proposal with three options.

To recap, what I’m hearing you say is that…

Your priorities are…

I understand that you are ideally looking for…

To achieve your goals, have you considered…?

To give you the maximum ROI, could we…

What (time, productivity, increase in sales, output, save money) would this accomplish in your business?

E – Execute Next Steps Set the next meeting or call with a specific date and time to present the proposal. Shall we go ahead then?

Where do we go from here?

When will you be making a decision?
Let’s get together again on (day) and (time) to review the proposal and discuss next steps.

If you would like the PURPOSE template to help you prepare before, during and after your customer meeting, please email jasmine@teneoresults.com for your copy today.

Teneo Challenge: Request your own copy of the PURPOSE Conversation Framework template (email jasmine@teneoresults.com) and use it during your next customer meeting. Share your results by commenting on this blog, or by reaching out to us on LinkedIn @TeneoResults or @LisaLeitch.