Successful salespeople are involved with their products - and they show it. When I was in the radio business, my wife and I had an ongoing argument about commercials. We would be driving along in the car, listening to the radio like a normal couple. When the song ended and the commercial came on, I'd turn up the radio.

"I was talking to you," she'd say.

"This will just take a minute," I'd say.

"It's just a commercial. I'm your wife."

I know, but I wrote this commercial. Be quiet. I want to hear how it sounds on the air.

While it doesn't always help a marriage, product involvement is a powerful tool that can help you when you're meeting with a customer or prospect. When a customer senses that you care deeply about what you are selling, you will be less likely to get stalls and objections.

It doesn't matter what you're selling, if you're excited about your product or the way it helps the people who buy it. Your enthusiasm will send out positive vibes to your customers, which will help them feel good about doing business with you. Compare that to the salespeople who are simply going through the motions. Would you want to buy something from a salesperson that didn't believe in the product he or she was trying to sell?

Aristotle told us that the three principles of persuasion are ethos, logos and pathos. That may be Greek to you, but it is vital to your sales success to be ethical, logical and passionate.

There are three vibes you need to give off when you walk into a customer's office: 

• I'm glad to be here.
• I know what I'm talking about.
• I love what I'm doing.

 So do you love selling? Do you love the process or at least the opportunity to render a service to your customer and solve real problems? It shows if you do love selling, and it shows if you don't.

Caring deeply about what you are doing will help you more as a salesperson than all the books and tapes you will ever buy. Sales skills will not take you as far in your career as product involvement will. Decide what it is you love about your product and your sales job, and show that every time you deal with a customer or prospect.

By: Chris Lytle, Monster