A passion for selling is something that sales people can rarely fake, because a true passion for selling will come across in everything that a sales person says or does. Furthermore, sales managers will often find that sales people who begin their careers with a passion for selling are able to advance by any metric of success more quickly, since a passion for selling almost always serves to energize and motivate. This is why a passion for selling makes sales people great.

Passion Builds Trust with Prospects and Customers

There are no sales without trust, and a passion for selling can cement trust between a sales person and a prospect like little else can. When passion is genuine, prospects and customers know it, and will respond to it by placing their trust in the sales person and the organization he or she represents. A passion for selling also helps sales people build trust because:

• A sales person with passion truly wants to understand the prospect or customer and his or her unique needs and how an offering fits into that picture.
• When a sales person is fully invested in the offerings he or she represents, that passion can be contagious for customers and prospects.
• Passion permits a sales person to go after the best possible outcome – even if the best possible outcome for the prospect is not the offering he or she originally had in mind.

Passion Keeps the Sales Pipeline Full

One of the great things about a passion for selling is that it can help sales people maintain a full sales pipeline without as much effort as sales people who lack such a passion must contribute. Why? A passion for selling turns customers into advocates who will recommend the sales person and his or her offerings to others, providing word of mouth marketing that continually sends new sales prospects who are interested and ready to buy to the sales person. Having these “converts,” who are also willing to provide references for others, is priceless in any industry.

Passion Allows Sales People to Be Persistent

Persistence is always a watchword in sales, since prospects and customers will not always be quick to pick up the phone or return a call. Great sales people who have a passion for selling have an advantage here, because that passion helps them overcome such barriers and be persistent in pursuing the sale without becoming a hindrance to the prospect. With passion, great sales people can come up with creative solutions to reach their prospects and ultimately make the sale.

Passion Influences the Sales Team Dynamic

The ability to perform cohesively with the sales team is critical for sales people who are pursuing success, but this is frequently overlooked by sales people and even sales managers who view selling as an individual activity. However, consider the importance of team selling in certain industries or teamwork in meeting challenging quotas and it becomes clear that a team dynamic is truly important. Sales people who have a passion for selling are able to translate that passion not only to prospects and customers but to the sales people who work around them, which can have a breakthrough impact on the rest of the sales team.

Passion Helps Sales People Continually Improve

When sales people have a passion for selling, that passion often makes itself known through continual improvement. No sales person is perfect but not all sales people are willing to make the commitment of time, money, and energy it takes to reach the next level. Sales people who have a passion for selling are willing to make this commitment not only because it is the best thing for their careers, but because it is what they want to do. That is passion for selling in action.