Enthusiasm is often seen as a double-edged sword in sales. Go too far, and people may think you're playing with them, on a sugar high, or simply pushing too hard. Too little, and they'll be asleep in five minutes.

When it comes to enthusiasm, it's best to be genuine - people will see your pride in your service, and respect what you have to tell them. This story from Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, is a great reminder to show your prospect how much you believe in your product, which, in turn, shows them why they should believe in you.

One day I was having my Volvo serviced and as I was waiting for it to be brought out, I wandered onto the new car showroom. There on the floor was a Special S60 R - their Rally version and it looked pretty sweet. As I sat in it, someone came up and asked me what I thought and I said, "It's OK."

I asked him if he was one of the sales reps, and he said he was new to sales having worked for the Volvo factory for the last 10 years. He then asked me how much I knew about the car. "Not much," was my answer.

And that's when he began. Jim seemed to change as he began to tell me what a phenomenal car the R series was. Did I know that the brakes alone were of racing pedigree and the best brakes Volvo ever made? And that they were only found on the Rally model?

Did I know about the torque of the engine and that the Rally had the only hand made engine Volvo ever produced?

On and on he went, covering each part of the car from the racing bucket seats, down to the hand stitched leather. And the price! My God! This was the best value, dollar for dollar, of any car on the market, period, he told me.

And the performance! Would I like to take a test drive? "Heck yeah!" I heard myself saying.

Well, as I drove the car - and boy was it fun - Jim talked even more about how great this car was. I soon found that I was completely caught up in his enthusiasm, and before I knew it, I was back on the dealership talking prices, payments, and delivery terms!

I ended up getting away with an "I need to think about it," but I've got to tell you, that car, and Jim's enthusiasm for it, sticks with me today. Had I actually been shopping for a new car, I would have bought it - and been happy I did!

"What this reminded me of is how important your belief in your product or service is," says Brooks. "Enthusiasm really IS contagious, and many times your customers buy your belief in your product as well as the product itself."

"So your assignment this week is to ask yourself, "How can you inject genuine enthusiasm into your presentation?" Ask yourself why you chose to work at your company and what part of your product or service you're particularly proud or excited about. Once you've identified these things, be enthusiastic about them, and let your prospects and customers know why you are there. And why they should be, too."

And before you go into your next presentation, ask yourself, "Would I buy from me today?"

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, specializes in helping sales reps avoid rejection and make more money. Check out his free ezine at http://www.mrinsidesales.com/ezine.htm