Many of us are not lucky enough to represent a product we love when we take our first sales job.

Instead, we hype steak knives or exaggerate the quality of used cars. These are the proving grounds that churn out salespeople—boot camps where we learn what we’re made of.

We get a taste of the struggle and find out whether or not we’re cut out for the onslaught of rejection. The majority of people decide sales is not for them and promptly change career paths.

But for those of us who persevere, we learn what it takes to close. We learn how to make one sale fortify our spirit so we can get back in the ring and withstand more rejection. We have rough months, where we get by on a shoestring budget. Then we have record weeks where we bring home a commission check that feels like a fortune.

We get good.

Once you cut your teeth you will start to look at what you’re actually selling and wonder whether or not you believe in it. Maybe you don’t, and that’s fine. Sometimes we have to play mercenary to keep the lights on.

But having faith in the product is a watershed moment. If you can sell a product or service you are indifferent toward, think of how you’ll sell something you’re passionate about.

Every pitch is delivered with conviction because in your heart you believe the prospect will benefit if they buy. This conviction leads to passion, and passionate salespeople close.

Belief translates into confidence. This is genuine confidence, not the flashy braggadocio so often utilized. You leave people convinced. It’s an energy that prospects pick up on. It makes them trust you.

To be great, we must believe.