Passion is not a commodity

So quit treating it like one. It’s not something you can buy or sell. It’s not even something that you can earn.

The word “passion” is being thrown around these days a LOT. But many are still treating people’s passion as something a company can find and then own. Find? Yes. Own? Never. Passion is not a sales transaction. It is not a four-week TV campaign or your latest sweepstakes contest.

Passion is sacred. Passion is a part of a person’s life. Their soul. It’s a part of what makes them tick. To find it, you have to clear away everything else. All the clutter and distractions of their lives. You won’t find it in a focus group that is created to talk about you and your product. You won’t find it when you do all the talking. And you won’t find it when you already think you know what you’re looking for. Passion is not something you can set a trap for and wait behind a tree until it falls for it.

Instead, passion is found in the quiet conversations that put that individual squarely in the center of your world. It’s expressed in their stories and in their emotions. Passion is a part of people’s lives and you can’t market that.

So treat people’s passions with the respect it deserves. And when you find it - when someone is willing to share it with you - then protect it. Defend it. Don’t let marketing and sales and PR take it and try to manipulate it. Because if they do, then you’ll lose the most important thing you’ve ever had.

Passion is not a commodity. It is a gift. Treat it like one.