Passion Sells, Indifference Smells

Several years ago I found myself having one of those father-to-son talks, hoping to instill some insight and maybe some wisdom in that teenage, know-it-all head of his. There were things he wasn’t doing that needed to be done, and after wishing & hoping myself to death, I finally approached him directly. “What is keeping you from doing the things you know need to be done?” I asked. Without any hesitation at all he replied, “I do all the things I like to do and don’t bother with the rest!” For just a moment I thought he might on the track to becoming a typical average salesperson. Then I came to my senses and expressed a bit of frustration. There are things we may not want to do, but no matter how much we don’t want to do them, they still must be done. There are also things we have passion for, and regardless of the difficulty, we pursue the task until it is completed.

Average salespeople go through the motions and just do those things they like to do and those things that are easy to make the sale. The most successful of all sales people have passion that radiates through their being. I’m talking about passion for their products, company, prospects, discovering needs, problem solving, closing the sale, passion for people, passion for learning all they can about their prospects business, passion for living and passion for all that life has to offer. Passion is powerful medicine for any problem that confronts a prospect. Passion can overcome the lack of many sales skills, but I don’t know of anything that can replace passion. Passion might be considered the “secret sauce” of salesmanship. Passion is not something that can be taught or learned, it is acquired. People in all different trades and occupations can have passion; it is not just limited to sales.

Let me list ten essential keys to understanding if you have passion for selling and hopefully the application of these ideas will help you acquire the passion that is so essential in becoming the best salesperson possible.

1. You believe in the products you sell. You know for yourself that they offer the value and quality you are proud to represent.
2. You feel comfortable about the reputation and performance of your employer and know they care as much about the customer as you do, and that they will support you in serving and meeting the needs of each customer.
3. You must love dealing with and interacting with people. You don’t have to be an extrovert, but you must enjoy people and communicating with them.
4. You should have a bit of the “Lieutenant Columbo” curiosity that is necessary to discover the needs of your prospects. The unquenchable desire to discover the pain of a prospect is an essential element of passion.
5. You need to find joy in providing the solution to someone’s problem. Through experience and practice, knowing that you have the answer that will relieve the prospects pain, is one of the most gratifying aspects of sales, and a key indicator of passion.
6. Jumping out of bed early in the morning and looking forward to the challenges of the day is indicative of passion. When you find yourself thinking, talking, reading, dreaming, and anticipating sales activities, you have passion.
7. When no amount of money could wrestle you away from your current employer, you have the necessary passion to represent him well.
8. When you find yourself learning all you can from books, magazines, Internet, and personal conversations about the products and services you represent, you have passion.
9. Leaning all you can about your industry and the companies involved in your industry is a sign of passion.
10. Feeling confident and secure in your ability to earn an excellent income is the result of finding passion in selling.

Passion sells and indifference smells, this is the telling difference between salespeople. If you don’t have the passion, you will never be as successful as those who do. If you sell with indifference, the prospect will sense your attitude and if possible, chose to buy from the salesperson that passionately demonstrates the ten characteristics listed above. Acquire the passion and watch your sales increase!