I contend that there are two skills that an entrepreneur has to have to be successful. (1) The ability to sell. Not just to customers, which is helpful, but to investors, employees, advisers, partners and most importantly, family. (2) Second, and critically important is a new thing that I have labeled passion plus (passion +).

Passion Plus

As an entrepreneur, there is an extreme need to stay focused. The stories or successful business people have very common treads. One, especially for those there weren’t born into wealth, is the need to persevere through any challenge. I love these stories. I have a similar story, which my wife loves to tell people and I am a little embarrassed to share. Successful people, however, have to be mentally tough and focused on their goals which is passion. The plus comes in because in the mist of the successful entrepreneur’s determination and focus there is the need to be open. I hope you are catching the nuance between being unshaken in your entrepreneurial pursuits and open. It is possible to be so focused that you miss opportunities, which unsuccessful entrepreneurs do all of the time, but you can’t be so open to other opportunities that you never see an opportunity all the way though. Passion plus is a very difficult thing because it requires the ability to know when the right time is and when the right time isn’t for an opportunity. The challenge is that timing on every opportunity is different. It takes a lot of experience and council to evaluate timing correctly and not everyone gets it right all of the time. Passion plus is what also drives a lot of want-to-be entrepreneurs out of the lifestyle.

In or Out?

Passion plus to me is the greatest and most strategic part of creating an idea and bringing that idea to market. It’s also the thing that seems, when called out, to be the big things that motivates people to live the entrepreneur life. However, like all things I teach, if you don’t deal with passion plus and have it as part of your day in day out decision-making, or as I like to say – “if you don’t deal with it – it will deal with you”.

About The Author:

Christopher Elmore has written 8 books, countless articles, lectures at UNC – Charlotte and travels around the country speaking on on the topics of startup success, sales, presentation skills, change, entrepreneurship, accounts payable and payment automation. Having deep startup and entrepreneurial experience, Christopher was one of the six people that startedAvidXchange in 2000 and continues to work in the business today. If you hire Christopher to speak or teach at your company or event… you won’t be sorry! Request a media kit or contact usfor more information.