How much passion is in your business life?

Time for a quiz which I’ve developed!

Every business seminar I’ve ever been to says that the number one thing that drives success is passion. This blog explains why. Think about all of the people you come into contact with every day – whether that be the service providers you spend your money with, the people you work with, your friends, colleagues and family.

Please rate the level of passion amongst these people. Let’s define ‘passion’ as loving what they do, their smile, energy, excitement and enthusiasm in the way they operate, the way they make you feel by coming into contact with them, the fire in their belly. A 10 is someone you love coming into contact with and wouldn’t replace for the world. A 1 is someone who is taking your money and can’t stand doing business with you.

Service providers

Your cleaner for home or office who saves you time and hassle – John is the only person allowed to walk into my office if the door is closed.

The barista who makes your coffee every morning (x 3 for me) – Jenny starts to make my coffee as she sees me come out of the elevator.

The lunch staff who serves you at the café – Sunny serves us even though it is self-serve.

Your personal trainer who you train with so regularly – Isaac is simply the biggest champ in the world, who would do anything for me.

Your chiropractor who gets you back on the track – Azim is Mr Magic Hands, dedicated to getting athletes back on the field and one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met.

Your mechanic who fixes your car – Dan’s enthusiasm and skill helps me get back on the road quickly at minimum cost.

Your golf coach who helps you improve your game – Brent puts up with my enthusiasm and outlandish goals, wants me to succeed and achieve and goes beyond the call of duty.

Also, what about:

• Your hairdresser who makes you look and feel good
• Your taxi driver who gets you to meetings or the airport on time
• Your florist for flowers every Friday
• The dry cleaner or ironing lady who looks after your new shirts
• Your dentist who remembers everything about you even though you only see them twice a year
• Your GP who looks after you and your family’s health and takes phone calls when you need
• The milk bar man where you buy mixed lollies to help fund your dentist

If you didn’t rate the people above an 8 or higher, then I bet you wouldn’t recommend them so easily.

Passion drives everything

Now have you ever sacked a service provider and replaced them with someone 10 times better? I’m sure we all have at some point and then wondered why we ever dealt with the previous person. We tend to tolerate mediocrity and this impacts our lives more than we realise.

Imagine only dealing with 10 out of 10 people above. Sure, the ironing still gets done, but if someone recommended you an ironing lady who was the best in the business who blew you away, at the right price, wouldn’t you switch to them?

Passion is the key differentiator in a commoditised market.

There’s always another provider, and even another provider at a better price. However, if your 10 out of 10 provider increased their price by 10%, would you switch? I doubt it. They win and you win.

How far would you travel for a bread roll or a meat pie? Ever read the Beechworth Bakery story about Tom O’Toole. Go buy the book. People travel from all over the country to go to his regional bakeries. It’s only a bread roll.

My first business while at university was a bookkeeping business but I looked at it as helping the entrepreneur grow their business, make more money and let them know what was going on! I won 30 clients in the first three months after having only learned MYOB in three days for an assignment.

I don’t know about you but I love being around people who love what they do.

I mentored my golf coach the other day and he realised the huge impact being around UBER passionate people all the time had on him.

I’m a passionate and proud member and board member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation in Melbourne. There’s no one I’d rather hang out with than an engaged and enthusiastic entrepreneur. They are simply awesome and fun.

Now let’s look at your friends, family, colleagues and staff. These are people you spend most of your life with: are they ‘by choice’ or ‘just because’? How selective are you with the people you surround yourself with and what are you doing about it? Or are all of you uninspired people which is why you are friends? How passionate are your friends? Are they stale and boring? You are a reflection of who you hang out with and work with.

I simply don’t hang around people who are boring, uninspired or complain. I have a zero tolerance policy. I’d much rather be around people who are jumping out of their skin with enthusiasm and joy every day – across every interaction where possible! This includes staff members too.

Does your business partner love your business as much as you? If not, you’re not heading forwards as quickly as you should.

Now it’s time to ask yourself some tough questions. How motivated and inspired are you perceived to be to others? How passionate are you about what you do every day? How do you think people perceive and rate YOU on the passion scale? You can’t hide. Passion comes naturally. If you have to force it or fake it, you’re a goner. You’ll survive, but you won’t thrive. The dry cleaner that gets your name wrong every time might somehow make a few bob, but I bet he’s not inundated with referrals.

I actually hope you have either SUCCEEDED or FAILED the quiz. Both outcomes are good. If you’re a 10 out of 10 – I want to meet you. If you failed miserably, then I urge you to take action NOW and revisit the quiz in three months’ time.

Success starts with passion. Love what you do. The rest will follow. Hate what you do – get out now or otherwise you are leading a life of mediocrity and misery which no one deserves. As the Black Eyed Peas song goes, Where is the love? If you’re truly a 10, email me.