Passion is contagious...influence your way into anything you want

by DaniMc
22 replies
I just had an experience that I always enjoy. I am an executive at one of the country's largest business incubators. I was in my office there when someone knocked on the door to make an intro.

I was re-introduced to someone I met a few months ago in one of my group coaching events. Back then, this guy described his "ground-breaking" new company and it went right over our heads. Everyone kind of thought "yeah right, you and every other entrepreneur says that."

When he started talking today, I could tell he is much further down the road than he was then. His eyes were on fire. He lit up. He has 15 employees in our building now - I was hooked - I wanted to see a demo. What he showed me is indeed revolutionary.

You will hear about this company. ALL of you. I guarantee it. The company will be as well known as Google. They are doing something that will literally change the path our technology is on.

But the technology is not what inspired me. Despite the fact that they are going to re-make the technical landscape and change the course of human history - It was his passion that inspired me most.

Imagine that. This technology will change medicine, computing, robotics, manufacturing, transportation and every other facet of human life - and his passion is what really impacted me.

Simultaneously - I am having an issue with a client's employee. He is a software developer and is too big for his britches. The business is heavily reliant on what he has built and he is now essential. My client, the CEO, actually just now (while I am typing this) called me to apologize for his employee.

Of course - I was diplomatic. I know it hurts the CEO much more than it hurts me.

The power of passion and projecting a positive vibe is contagious. Negativity and harsh language repels people in an equally powerful way.

Your business may not be about to change the global landscape - but it might just touch someone else in a way that is important to them. You might be able to change their global landscape by helping them.

Get passionate. Love your products. Love what you can do. Love your customers. When you talk about your services - let the power of your beliefs come through in such a way that it overwhelms the people who listen.

If you begin to do that - I can guarantee you will always have clients. People will want to hire you just so they can stand next to your flame and be inspired by what you want to do for them.

This is a trait that all of us can develop.
#contagiousinfluence #passion
  • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
    Passion and enthusiasm is contagious so get some and watch what happens when you are pitching people.
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  • Profile picture of the author TomBuck
    Passion is key in whatever you do. Bang on here Dan, nice post.
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  • Profile picture of the author vndnbrgj
    Nice post Dan.
    If you aren't passionate about what you do, do something else.

    Sidenote... what's the big incubator called?
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  • Profile picture of the author The IM Factory
    Great post Dan, every business starts with passion and if you have the same passion from day one what got you into the business you will succeed. Everytime I pitch a client they can see the energy and passion I have for the marketing business because they usually tell me lol The thing I wish is for people starting out to see the passion that all the people here share and instead of just reading about it over and over again without doing anything,, it would be nice for the passion to rub in and more of them to take action and develop that passion even more
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  • Profile picture of the author mjbmedia
    yeh Dan unless you signed some sort of NDA, you cant tease the heck out of us and just leave us with a ' be passionate' slogan, come on spill the beans are they automating thought processes or something ?
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    Mike

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    • Profile picture of the author DaniMc
      Originally Posted by mjbmedia View Post

      yeh Dan unless you signed some sort of NDA, you cant tease the heck out of us and just leave us with a ' be passionate' slogan, come on spill the beans are they automating thought processes or something ?
      LOL - this really was a post about passion. It doesn't matter what you are selling - if you can get on fire about it - people will buy it.

      But yes - you hit it almost on the head. The technology takes any input you want and creates the code on the fly to come up with a solution, and then throws the code away, it doesn't need to keep it. It is so simple, the CPU of the macbook it runs on can calculate faster than 10,000 CPU's running normal software. It is truly transformational.

      I can't get into specific applications here - we almost never sign an NDA but are expected to be trustworthy.
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      Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
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  • Profile picture of the author Writerdave
    Love what you do and do what you love. Passion will come naturally
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    • Profile picture of the author AndrewCavanagh
      Great post.

      Everyone wants to be around the guy who's genuinely
      excited about what he's doing...it's infectious.

      Many people have been employees for so long they've
      become very boring people when it comes to what they
      do from 9 to 5 and that just doesn't cut it if you want
      to build a substantial business.

      Putting everything you've got...your heart and soul into
      your business is the fastest way to get it really moving.

      Often that's the missing key that can create the momentum
      to get a business really rolling.

      Kindest regards,
      Andrew Cavanagh
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  • Profile picture of the author mjbmedia
    To be honest I often struggle with showing the passion, I am passionate about what I do but I am also a very relaxed laid back person and that's often how I come across even when explaining to them how my services can give them £££/$$$ profits etc my tone is relaxed and calm.

    I will give the excitement angle a try out over the next couple weeks when face to face and on videos/ phone etc, it's not really me face to face in such as networking situations certainly but if it seriously makes more improvement on conversions then I can change.
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    Mike

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    • Profile picture of the author DaniMc
      Originally Posted by mjbmedia View Post

      To be honest I often struggle with showing the passion, I am passionate about what I do but I am also a very relaxed laid back person and that's often how I come across even when explaining to them how my services can give them £££/$$$ profits etc my tone is relaxed and calm.

      I will give the excitement angle a try out over the next couple weeks when face to face and on videos/ phone etc, it's not really me face to face in such as networking situations certainly but if it seriously makes more improvement on conversions then I can change.
      A few simple tips that will help you tremendously:

      1) Use your eyebrows when you talk. This type of motion will activate your voice tone and will give real queues to the listener.
      2) Vary your pitch. Take your pitch up and down regularly.
      3) Vary your tone and volume. This will cause you to lean in and kind of whisper the important parts. This will also cause the other person to perk up, lean in, and listen.
      4) Use your hands to demonstrate things.

      This is all mechanical stuff - but changing your physiology will definitely enhance your communication. People will start to really listen when you speak.

      I used to teach a persuasive pitching workshop. My system revolved around the establishment of an MVP framework for speaking. Mindset - Voice - Physiology. There is a lot to say about each one - but physiology is the easiest for you to change quickly and has the greatest impact because 90% of communication is non-verbal.
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      Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
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  • Profile picture of the author KnightOnboard
    Passion is everything ! Without it everything is pointless.
    Choose one, among all your talents and hit it very hard to make your mark in this life. Everybody is good at something, add value to your service of product with your own mark...be a recognizable and passionate brand.
    My father always told me: "You got to have desire and passion to do wherever you choose to do...if you want to be a sweep floor guy....be the best sweep floor guy you can be". Somewhere down the line you will find something to make a better way to sweep floor. Then you can package and sale to the world. But you got to have passion first.
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    • Profile picture of the author SteveSki
      Great post Dan, Can you share more about the new upstart? I'm sure a lot of people here would have liked to purchased shares in Google, Mirosoft and Apple when they first went public.

      Cheers,
      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Writerdave
    I agree! Passion + hard work = success.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Fereday
    Great stuff Dan - So very true too. Thanks for the reminder!
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  • Profile picture of the author Rearden
    Passion is paramount.

    My question is -- Can you be totally bored with your product you sell, and not have belief in it, and still sell with success?

    I ask because I sell the most boring B2B product, and have been long enough with the company to realize more than half the USPs we pitch to prospects are never fulfilled completely.

    Sadly, knowing how much BS our company's contract allows for and truly sticks it to the customer, I can truly say I would never in a million years buy what I sell.
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    • Profile picture of the author Colm Whelan
      Originally Posted by Rearden View Post

      Passion is paramount.

      My question is -- Can you be totally bored with your product you sell, and not have belief in it, and still sell with success?

      I ask because I sell the most boring B2B product, and have been long enough with the company to realize more than half the USPs we pitch to prospects are never fulfilled completely.

      Sadly, knowing how much BS our company's contract allows for and truly sticks it to the customer, I can truly say I would never in a million years buy what I sell.
      This post makes me a little bit sad because I know how you feel. I'm sitting here as I write this trying to figure out ways to get passionate about one of my businesses again. The reason I need to is that it's my cash cow - it feeds my family - but I have grown to hate it.

      Rearden, with your selling skills you would probably be welcomed at any other organisation - maybe that's what you should be considering?
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      • Profile picture of the author Rearden
        Originally Posted by Colm Whelan View Post

        This post makes me a little bit sad because I know how you feel. I'm sitting here as I write this trying to figure out ways to get passionate about one of my businesses again. The reason I need to is that it's my cash cow - it feeds my family - but I have grown to hate it.

        Rearden, with your selling skills you would probably be welcomed at any other organisation - maybe that's what you should be considering?
        At the time, I took the position over a year ago namely because, (a), I needed income stability, and (b) I needed health insurance for my family.

        My goal is to move back into full-time entrepreneurship within the next 12 to 18 months.

        I heard at our quarterly meeting a mid-level sales manager get up and address belief, saying if weren't sold on our product, then to get out there and find something about us to believe in. Not that his explanation made any logical sense.

        It's my belief that without being a true believer in your product, you're not going to last long. Conviction, passion... they are derivatives of belief. That's where it all starts.

        And it either grows as your tenure matures, or it fades as you realize the pitch is based on false promises, or for some other reason than the betterment of the mission.

        The only reason people do business with us is because the other vendor sucks hind teet, and we look like a less suck-ass solution. Perhaps I'm a pessimist, but that's the nature of our business, unfortunately.
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        David Duford -- Providing On-Going, Personalized Mentorship And Training From A Real Final Expense Producer To Agents New To The Final Expense Life Insurance Business.
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        • Profile picture of the author grant writer
          Your post was inspiring. It sounds like your client had more than passion. In your vignette, I gleaned additional strengths: persistence, organization, financing, capable human resources (software engineer), and powers of persuasion.

          I think enthusiasm is a required for any difficult or risky enterprise, as it buffers the inevitable struggle and hardship ahead.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by Rearden View Post

      Passion is paramount.

      My question is -- Can you be totally bored with your product you sell, and not have belief in it, and still sell with success?

      I ask because I sell the most boring B2B product, and have been long enough with the company to realize more than half the USPs we pitch to prospects are never fulfilled completely.

      Sadly, knowing how much BS our company's contract allows for and truly sticks it to the customer, I can truly say I would never in a million years buy what I sell.
      Nearly every successful salesperson I know is a true believer that their offer is the best.

      I confess that I've never sold anything I was passionate about. Insurance, vacuum cleaners? I never gave it a second thought. I was passionate about learning how to be great at selling. I was passionate about making money...but the product? Not really

      But I can't remember a good salesperson I've trained that wasn't passionate about the product.

      I have a theory about that. I think that for normal people, belief (or passion) in what you sell has to be stronger than your call reluctance. It has to be stronger than your fear of rejection.....or you simply won't do the job.

      But I never feared rejection or took it personally, so I didn't need that belief.

      Does that mean I sold junk? No. Does it mean I didn't care about the people I sold? No. But the product never got me excited. I always sold the high end quality products, but when I wasn't actually selling in front of a customer...I didn't give it any thought.

      For a short time, Local Online Marketing got me excited, and I loved talking about it...learning about it...selling it.

      But now, even that's simply something to sell. But I was a top salesman and Distributor for maybe 35 years. The product just wasn't a big part of my life.

      I still enjoy selling. But the product isn't something I have to be jazzed about. For awhile, I was a little concerned that I may be a sociopath, because of this emotional detachment.


      In my retail business, there is deep brand loyalty. But I was never a "Vacuum cleaner" guy. I was just a sales guy that happened to sell vacuum cleaners.

      That's why I think sales training is really my thing. I'm still interested in the art of communication that creates sales. And I have been most of my life. But the actual product isn't where I get excited. And it's more of an intellectual game to me than an emotional one.
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      • Profile picture of the author ronr
        I understand what you mean about passion but you also need a good business idea.

        You can be as passionate as you want about something but if it is a bad idea or nobody wants it it doesn't matter how passionate you are it's not going be successful.

        Many fortunes have made by people who found a solution to a problem that people really wanted and were eager and willing to pay for. The creator wasn't necessarily passionate about it but they filled the need, made a lot of money with it and either let other people run it or sold it and are now doing what they really want to do in style.

        Ron
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  • Profile picture of the author natebunger
    Passion should be there. You can't have a good start at anything if there's no passion.
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