“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.”
— Mark Hunter (aka “The Sales Hunter”)
According to a study that was conducted a few years ago by the Enterprise Council on Small Business, salespeople who are passionate about what they do develop stronger relationships, which leads to higher net promoter scores.
So if you’re a bank Sales Leader, how do you identify salespeople with passion? A few quick thoughts:
1. Passionate salespeople genuinely care about their customers and take time to provide them with great service.
2. Sales people with heart are often very effective in turning their customers into advocates and getting referrals from them
3. Bankers with a passion for selling invest in their own personal development. They attend classes, read blogs, and listen to podcasts to hone their selling skills.
4. Passion helps successful sales people overcome barriers to setting up appointments with prospects and dealing with rejection and losing deals. That attitude often keeps them forging ahead when others give up.
5. Passionate salespeople are great team members who are often able to translate their enthusiasm and dedication to the people that they work with.
If you’re a bank Relationship Manager or Branch Manager, what are some ways that you can assess your own passion for selling? For starters try completing each of these sentences:
–One of the most exciting things we’re doing at our bank today is …
–I get a lot of satisfaction when …
–I took this job because…
–The reason I’m doing this– besides the money– is that it gives me the chance to…
In finishing these sentences you may develop your own sense of what’s important about your sales role and discover some things to share with your clients and prospects. However you answer the questions, remember that one of the things you want to impart to your clients is that you really love what you’re doing!
If you liked this post, feel free to share it with your network via email, LinkedIn or Twitter.
Here are some other resources that might be of interest:
Are You Making Enough Sales Calls?
A Cautionary Tale: CEOs Want Substance Not Sports Talk
How to Make More Calls: Try 2 Before 10
If you have questions about how we can help you grow your bank’s revenues, email me at nmiller@mzbierlyconsulting.com or call me on 484-433-2378.
