Passion.
It’s a word we hear all the time. It can mean so many different things. When we hear the word “passion,” it elicits certain feelings, doesn’t it?
Today, I learned an incredibly important lesson about passion. Keep reading.
So here’s how Merriam Webster defines the word “passion:”
- A strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something
- A strong feeling (such as anger) that causes you to act in a dangerous way
- A strong sexual or romantic feeling for someone
This makes sense, right? Especially for entrepreneurs.
Well, okay, the “strong sexual or romantic feeling” may not be as relevant to entrepreneurship. But you do get the idea, don’t you?
I’ll let you take a moment to get your mind out of the gutter. Okay, you good? Alright, let’s continue.
Passion can be characterized as a deep emotional drive to do something. Even if it’s dangerous.
If you’re an entrepreneur, you know exactly what it is to feel deep passion.
But what about your customers and prospects? What about their passions?
Have you ever stopped to consider what your audience is passionate about? What are the “strong feelings of enthusiasm” that drive them?
Do you know?
Why not?
What if you went into every sales interaction knowing exactly what your prospect was passionate about? What if you could become a “sales Jedi” and peer directly into the souls of each prospective customer? How much easier would it be to help them?
What would this do for your business?
Today, I was reminded of one of the most important sales lessons I learned early in my career. In my day job, I speak to “wantrepreneurs” all day long.
Today, I spoke with a man who wanted to start a non-profit organization. He was friendly enough. The call started out well. I asked all the normal questions that I usually ask. I found out the information that I needed from him.
But I forgot the most important thing.
I forgot to ask “why.” I didn’t ask why he wanted to start a non-profit organization. I didn’t try to find out what his ultimate mission was.
But I was lucky, because he decided to tell me all on his own.
His mission is to help soldiers who have suffered physical and mental damage in war. Now, I’m not going to get too political here, but we all know that our soldiers don’t get the health care they deserve when they come back home from war. Not only that, some of the other non-profit organizations who are supposed to help them are falling short.
This man was ANGRY about it. In fact, he was so angry that he cried about it while he was on the phone with me. His voice shook when he told me of the plight of our soldiers. He barely choked back tears as he told me stories of soldiers he had met when they came home.
It was like a slap upside my head.
When I understood this man’s “why,” it made it much easier for me to help him accomplish his goal. I knew exactly what he needed and why he needed it. Not only that, I wanted to help him.
So I got the sale.
But I got a lot more than that. I got the satisfaction that comes with knowing that you convinced a prospect to do something that would help them get closer to achieving their objective.
It felt great.
In many of my posts, I talk about purpose. I am always adamant about the need for entrepreneurs to have a brand purpose that moves them forward. I believe that passion comes from a strong sense of purpose. It’s what pushes us to succeed.
However, if you’re going to be a successful entrepreneur, you can’t just be in touch with your own passion. You have to understand what your audience’s passions are as well. Without understanding what drives your potential customers, you won’t be able to speak to their actual needs.
In his famous TED Talk, author Simon Sinek says:
“People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.”
I would add this: people won’t buy into your “why” if you don’t buy into theirs first.
Here’s the key takeaway: in your next sales interaction, try to find out what your prospect’s passion is. Find out what drives her. Find out what makes her feel something.
Then, get them to talk about it. Listen to what they have to say. Ask good questions. It will help you form a deeper connection that will make them more likely to buy from you.
So what do you think? What are your prospects and customers passionate about? How can knowing this help you serve them better?
Let me know your thoughts.
Keep moving forward.
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