To know if someone truly loves what they do, ask them if they’d do it for free. A labor of love is something that is incredibly personal to each individual person, as it is something that they would do and enjoy doing, even if it is something they wouldn’t be paid to do. It is something heavily predicated on one’s interests and can be done for a number of reasons. From personal connection, continuing a legacy, a deep passion for the craft, or just because it’s fun.
This same desire to do what you love, despite the cost, can – and often does – apply to selling. You could be born to be a salesperson, even if it’s a venture that would only give you dimes at a time. While financial gain is a critical part of sales, there are many reasons why someone would want to pursue sales, whether it be for their career or something adjacent to their career. Read on to learn the reasons why sales can be your labor of love.
You Love to Serve Others
Perhaps you would love to be a salesperson because you like to help others? Often, a salesperson can be perceived as someone who is selfish, only in it for themselves or worse, they are a con artist skirting with legal limits. However, the best salespeople are, in a way, servants. They engage with their clients, listen to their problems, and work with them to come up with a solution. This transaction, if done fairly and honestly, will ultimately add a significant level of value to both of their lives. This especially applies if you’re selling something that you truly believe in. That feeling and desire to add value to someone else’s life can be the thing that drives you to be a salesperson.
Furthermore, sales can allow you to make long lasting relationships. Customers are more often drawn toward salespeople who have a servant attitude which makes them more likely to return. This will often create a loop that will develop into a relationship that only the salesperson and the client has. Sales can also allow you to meet a whole host of people, from clients of various different backgrounds to different salespeople and even various people you meet when you travel. If you are a people person with a passion to serve others, sales may be the career to look into.
You Love to Face Challenges and Reach Your Goals
Your passions could also lie in the art of sales itself. The sales process can be something that is appealing and draw you in. However, the main reason why someone would love the process is often because of the sense of accomplishment they get after overcoming challenges and reaching their goals. Usually, this means the type of person who thrives in sales is goal-oriented or competitive. This type of person makes it their life’s work to get as far as possible and they are love putting in the hard work it takes to get there.
Canadian writer and philosopher, Matshona Dhliwayo, said: “One who conquers the sea today is ready to conquer the ocean tomorrow.”
While it is important to know when to slow down and have good work-life balance, your work in sales can be an exciting career where your day-to-day accomplishments lead to greater challenges and greater successes. If you’re the type of person who likes pushing themselves to accomplish great things, sales could be that vessel or you.
You Love to Share What You Care About
Finally, even if your passions don’t lie in sales, they can still be used to help pursue your passions. If you’re a creative type, a craftsperson, or even an inventor, you may have something that you want to share with the rest of the world. While you don’t necessarily have to sell it, sales is an avenue to share it with a broader audience and can help support your passions.
Being able to show the world what you’ve made can grant you the satisfaction of adding something meaningful to the world and a sense of recognition and validation for what you love. While money shouldn’t be as important for your labor of love, it can also allow you to live off your passions and focus all your time on them.