We all know that sales is really all about “closing the sale.” There is not a salesperson alive who does not use a variety of techniques to help them be successful with customers. However, I believe passion is the most underrated and underutilized sales tool in our arsenal, because it is too hard to measure and no one has found an effective way to teach it.

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Why don’t more people use passion to their advantage? It’s simple. Passion exists in those who are humble, focused and unlikely to advertise their expertise.

Passion is an effective sales tool because it isn’t artificial and can’t be faked for a long period of time. It is displayed in people who genuinely care and are willing to take the time to serve their customers in whatever manner is necessary. If your mindset is not to compassionately serve people, you can stop reading because the rest of this article is not for you. If you do have a willingness to serve and demonstrate concern, then continue reading.

Taking Time to Listen

Passion in sales is evident when the salesperson takes the time to listen to their customer and attempts to really understand what it is they are looking for. It is displayed not only in the questions that are asked, but also in the tone of voice and body language the salesperson uses and the follow-up demonstrated after the sales call.

Salespeople who have passion are able to create long-term profitable relationships with their customers. They also routinely benefit from referrals by their existing clients and, on many occasions, these prospects come to them ready to buy.

It’s ironic to note that the individual characteristics that reveal passion are also the same characteristics that are demonstrated by many top-performing salespeople. However, without passion resulting in a steady supply of new prospects, their status at the top is short-lived.

Before you rush out to practice your body language and tone of voice in an attempt to find passion, let me add the secret ingredient: heart. Passion comes from a genuine belief of wanting to help the customer in both good times and bad. It is at its truest form when things are not going well for either the salesperson or the customer and the salesperson is still willing to serve first and sell second.

Don’t get me wrong: having passion does not mean you’re giving up profit indefinitely. It might mean you are sacrificing a little short-term gain, but when you are committed to having passion for your customers, you will achieve a higher level of long-term profit, not only from the customer you’re serving, but also from the referrals they bring you.

Passion can actually be measured in a couple of ways. Begin by asking yourself this simple question: “When the day is over and my customers are reflecting back on the people with whom they’ve interacted and the activities they’ve done, do they think of me in a positive light that contributed to them having a good day?”

It is important to consider whether your customers truly believe you are helping improve their day or simply contributing to the chaos of it. Another assessment tool is found in analyzing the number of referrals you get. Referrals are an accurate measurement of how your customers view you, even more than repeat business with a current customer. If they honestly believe in you, they recommend you to others. (Keep in mind, however, that if they don’t like you, they’ll still talk about you, just in a negative light).

Passion in sales is underrated. Therefore, your ability to genuinely care about your customers, to show an interest in them, and to serve them will determine your long-term sales success.

Confidence Sells

Recently, I found myself dealing with a retail salesperson who was attempting to explain to me the benefits of the item I was looking to buy. As I stood there listening to him, I was struck not by what he was saying but how he was saying it. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the person with whom I was dealing was either a new salesperson or new to the department we were in. Needless to say, I wound up leaving the store without purchasing anything.

Later, I found myself reflecting on the salesperson and the struggle he had making a sale. He clearly knew what he was talking about, he was able to respond to my questions and, on a couple of occasions, he elaborated far more than he needed to. However, the reason he was unable to close the sale was that he didn’t have any confidence in what he was saying and he was very uncomfortable talking to someone who could have been twice his age.

Retail sales is all about providing the customer with an experience, and that experience must include having confidence in the salespeople with whom you are working. In my case, the salesperson had product knowledge but not sales knowledge. He didn’t need to be incredibly “sales savvy,” just confident in what he was explaining to me.

The Desire for Assurance

After thinking about it, I realized that every question I asked was to help me gain the confidence that he failed to initially convey. The problem was that he viewed my questions as my desire to know more about the item, when, in reality, I just wanted some assurance in the purchase I was thinking about making.

If he would have merely spoken to me using a full and firm tone of voice, avoided using “um” and “ah” frequently, and shared his thoughts regarding my potential purchase based on his knowledge of the product and my input as to what I was looking for, he probably would have been able to close the sale. In the end, we both ended up wasting our time. More important, the retail clerk’s self-esteem probably dropped because he wasn’t able to complete the sale.

This situation occurs frequently and it’s unfortunate because nothing good comes out of it: for the store, the employee, or the customer. Circumstances similar to what I’ve just described are one of the primary reasons retail has a high turnover rate.

Store managers need to take the time with every salesperson to teach beyond just product knowledge. All new salespeople can benefit from being walked through the entire sales process in a manner that allows them to build up their self-esteem. Store managers should challenge themselves to be committed to regularly instilling confidence in each of their employees.

In the end, I decided that I probably would have purchased the item if I had been dealing with a confident person, even if they weren’t quite as knowledgeable. Clerks — and all salespeople really — need to learn to be self-assured and proud in the service they provide to customers. Although product knowledge is important, it is not essential to “know it all.” They need to develop the ability to confidently engage the customer with the knowledge they do have.

I believe a confident salesperson will become a top performer, and it’s the top performer that shows up for work every day.

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