“We are passionate about what we do.” “Our passion translates into quality.” “Our family has always been passionate about wine.”

Using the word passion does not convey passion. In fact, it does just the opposite. The word passion is too broad and imprecise.

To communicate your passion, take the same care in describing your business as you do in your product and packaging. The goal is to make other people use the word passion when referring to you … without ever using it once yourself.

How to convey your passion:

1.  Look at the details of your operation. What specific things do you do that make you different from your competitors? What methods require more time or cost than other available methods?

2.  Examine your personal quirks. Do you have any habits that are odd, any ‘lucky’ beliefs, any private moments you enjoy? Do you have a pro sports team slogan on your wall that you slap before going to work? A fear of tarantulas? A pet plant? Do you enjoy just standing alone in your office with a glass of wine after dark?  Don’t be afraid to confess your personal idiosyncracies; people who truly have a fire in their belly invariably have them. Let people see the artistic and vulnerable part of your soul.

3.  Look at the things that annoy you, that you feel constantly at odds with, the things you are eternally tweaking. Your attention to detail (even if it drives your clients and employees insane) will be both charming and reassuring to those who receive the benefit.

4.  What are you constantly seeking to learn? Sometimes one’s passion is defined more sharply by humility and a quest for knowledge than by certainty and braggadocio. What aspects of your business are the most mysterious and endlessly fascinating for you?

5.  Do you want to tell the story of your family heritage? Include intimate details of the family connection; bring us into your home and life. Spin a tale. When you were young, was this a favorite way for you to be underfoot; were you invited to participate; was there a feeling of family bonding? It is a mysterious feeling for a kid to be involved in something generational—it’s a rite of passage of sorts.

 Brad Buckley explains the myriad dangers that can beset young abalone at the Ocean Rose Abalone Farm in Cayucos.

Communicating your passion is not hard, but it does take effort. Tap into your innermost memories, look at yourself with unsparing clarity, describe what you see and hear. If your passion is real, make it real for us too—your readers and customers. Tell your story, and then other people will say about you, “Wow, that family is really passionate about what they do.”