Over the years, I have often heard people talk about the importance of being passionate about your product or service. When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense.
Customers want to deal with someone who is enthusiastic and interested in what they are doing or selling. They need to feel convinced they are making the right decision and that the person or company are committed to what they are selling.
However, like anything in life, we need to get the balance right. There are times when we get so excited about something, we can come across as a bit too excitable and scare people away. Yet, I believe there are other concerns we need to consider.
This was highlighted to me recently, when I watched a well-known business related TV programme, where the potential mentor asked the participant the following question and this is what was said...
Mentor - “Do you know the difference between being passionate about what you do and being emotionally attached to what you do?”
Participant responded - “Yes, I think you can be passionate but you can see the outside. I think emotionally attached is when you can’t see anything but your product. But what I think I’ve learn from working outside is, it’s not just about you, it’s about the customer and what they’re going to buy. And if they’re not buying it, get rid of it. It doesn’t matter what it means to you. It’s not making you any money”.
The mentor smiled and gave the response “Good answer”.
Sometimes, we immerse ourselves in what we are doing and become a little obsessed and emotionally attached to it. We turn into the over-protective parent who likes to shield out and avoid any negatively, because we feel our product or service is so much better than anything else.
This is a dangerous way to think. So, finding the middle ground and knowing the distinction is important for us to understand and survive in business.
Every now and again, we need to remember to step back and realise we all can have a tendency to wear rose-tinted glasses and look at things from our own perspective.
We need to respect the opinions of others and be open to feedback. By listening to customers, it will help us identify new opportunities, so we can develop and improve our products and services, whilst helping us build better relations and ultimately increase sales.
In essence, when we look at our products and services, we need to be open to knowing their limitations. This will help us think clearly, response appropriately and know when it is time to walk away.
For more details about what you need to consider in launching or managing your product or service, check out our marketing services section.