I have been asked so many times what separates the Status Quo from the good, and what separates the good from the great. No matter what industry you are in, but especially in direct sales to consumer like Financial Services, Insurance Real Estate, etc., the great ones always speak with PASSION.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not discounting knowledge because I know that is crucial, but I feel strongly that Passion is more important. After all, you can always find someone with specific knowledge when needed and/or you can always learn.
My wife and I wanted to remodel our kitchen. we interviewed several kitchen designers. They all were ok. The last one stood out. As soon as he walked in to our home he had a smile on his face and greeted us warmly. He then proceeded to speak with such passion about why he does what he does and the ideas he had to make our kitchen look beautiful. After he left my wife and I looked at each other and we knew he was our guy.
Passion cannot be taught; it must come from deep inside you. Steve Jobs said it best
‘It [what you choose to do] has got to be something that you’re passionate about because otherwise you won’t have the perseverance to see it through’.
Passion
Besides love and gratitude, passion is one of the most intense and powerful emotions we can experience. When my partners and I give seminars or speak in front of hundreds of people there is a common feedback that we receive; the passion we have for inspiring others.
There is no doubt we LOVE what we do. Heck, I wouldn’t be doing these blogs if I didn’t. When I write these posts hours pass in minutes simply because I have a huge passion for salespeople and for giving back.
Case in point, our Flagship You Have Infinite Power© Program is all about inspiring others to find their true passion and purpose in life.
When you are in front of your clients, you must show your passion and enthusiasm. I’m not saying you have to jump up and down on a couch like Tom Cruise did on Oprah. However, exhibit emotion. One of my favorite lines that I tell my coaching clients came from my partner Nick. He said, “People just buy from me because. Sometimes they don’t even know what they bought but they saw my passion and just wanted to be associated with me.”
Of course we all have challenging days and challenging clients. We all have things we do not like about our career or industry. Therefore, it is extremely challenging to be passionate 24/7.
But remember the most successful, happy and fulfilled salespeople LOVE what they do.
Yes, some salespeople might be in it for the money, among other reasons. I am not saying it’s wrong, but like I said in my ‘Who Is This For’ post, if you do not love what you do and/or have a passion for it, these blogs are not for you.
Tips from this article
- Learn or seek out the specific knowledge needed, but passion comes from within
- If you do not LOVE what you do, you will not happy and fulfilled
- Always show passion with clients
- Passion cannot really be taught or learned but it can be expressed and shown