I was told a long time ago that if you're not passionate about your job, look for something else to do. This was a harsh statement coming from my boss at the time, but taught me a valuable lesson early on in my sales career. If you don't like what you're doing, you will have a hard time finding the energy and determination to become successful, and your job will become just that, a job.

As a sales leader or executive level hiring manager, finding someone that aligns with your products or services will bring results far quicker than anything else you will do! You see alignment has everything to do with your passion about a particular job or service your providing. We can see passion in many areas, and not just in a work or job situation. For instance, what drives a professional coach or athlete to succeed? Or, what makes an artist spend hours upon hours molding a piece of clay? The simple answer is passion for what they are doing.

You see when we begin the hiring process, we look for a nice Resume that has some level of experience or education, and we pin our hopes on this individual because that's the way it has always been done. We spend countless hours training and thousands of dollars developing an individual to be successful and represent our companies to the best of their ability. Unfortunately, you learn months down the road that this person has no interest in your products or services and carries no passion for what you do...ouch.

If you're able to find a way to interview and test individuals using some sort of assessment testing, you can build elements with-in the test that will flush out an individual's passion for sales or service. You will quickly be able to see if someone simply has a flashy Resume or, if they truly carry those natural talents to succeed in the service of others. No matter what the product or service you offer, finding an individual that aligns with your company's product or needs will bring you the best chance for success!

Let's look at an example:

Salesperson A has just walked through your door looking for work. He is a sharp dresser, well spoken and has a very successful Resume as a field salesperson. This guy is good, and is likeable on many levels and instantly won the room over! Your thinking that just picking this guy up will bring results no matter what we do, as he has experience and a successful history. You hire him, train him and then put him on the phone in the office. Unfortunately, 6 months later he is gone, and all the time, money and effort to bring him in is lost. You now find yourself right back in the same place you we're months ago. What happened?

What happened are the same things that happen to many hiring managers out there, you fell for the flashy Resume and personality, and forgot about alignment. You did not consider on the front end that this guy was a "field Salesperson", and you put him on the phone in the office. Basically, you took a road dog and tried to make him a house pet. Chances are this will never work, unless of course circumstances dictate that going from road to inside is agreed upon. We must look at the complete picture of an individual before we hire, and determine the best case scenario for that individual based on their passion for the position and our alignment to their and our needs.

Let's not forget that passion comes in many different forms, and can be unrelated to a product or service. Some people are passionate about making money, and most times if you have a solid incentive plan, you can expect results if you have a hire that aligns with sales and selling. My father loves farm work, and delivers fertilizer to farmers for little to no pay. Why, because he is passionate about farming and so much so that the money becomes secondary and enjoying his time during long days is a good thing and makes him happy.

Again, passion and alignment working together will bring better results than anything you will ever do. Find and hire people that can carry that torch with them on every call and with every prospect or customer they meet. Remember, everyone has passion for something, find people that are passionate about your product, service or opportunity. Sit back and watch them grow your business, and be sure you fill their passion and keep them interested, and always work to align their skills for the benefit of the company.