Take Action
Last week I was listening to a presentation from John, a recent graduate of our Higher Sales Training Program (sales training for college students which creates a pool of talent from which sales organizations can recruit.) John was providing a real proposal to me for a technology solution that could enhance our business. At one point I raised a concern about the way he proposed to charge us …
ME: Is that how we should really be paying for that portion of the solution?
JOHN: That’s a good question. I was thinking you would ask that. Now, help me understand a bit more about your end goal…
ME: Did you just try to cushion and clarify my resistance!?
I was proud. And of course by handling my concern in a collaborative, non-confrontational fashion as we teach, John resolved my objection and completed the sale. He executed. He implemented what he had recently learned in our HST program and nailed his presentation as a result.
It sounds simple. This is why we attend training classes and read books and articles, right? To learn skills or ideas, implement them, and improve our performance in our business or personal life. The easy part is to go to the class or read the article and discover the new idea that makes sense on paper. Most stop there. Most do not utilize what they learn. After all, we go back to our busy lives with people requesting our time and emails flowing in. It’s difficult to actually implement new skills or ideas. and change our old habits.
So how do you put new practices into action? Top performing salespeople and sales leaders are who they are because they continue to improve. When we ask them how they hold themselves accountable to implement what they learn, here are some basic approaches they advise:
- Tell others. Share how you plan to change or what you expect to implement with a friend or co-worker. He or she may have something to share with you too. Then you can check in with one another. This extra layer of accountability often provides the extra motivation that actually drives us to do something different and improve.
- Write it down. Are you going to go to Pilates 2X/week? Are you going to call 5 new prospects every morning at the start of your work day? Writing down the new habit you’re trying to form increases the likelihood that you’ll follow through. You can write it in your calendar, or on a note on your dashboard or computer monitor—anyplace you’ll see it regularly.
- Plan in advance. When you sign up for a SCUBA course, book a trip to go diving so you can use the new skill you’re about to learn. If you register for a class on time management and organization, purchase your planning tools and filing systems before the class begins. Preparation turns learning into action and enables you to expand promising ideas into positive habits you can rely on.
You’re good, and to get better, you’ll continue to pick up new ideas. The key is to implement them. So share your plans with others, write down your objectives, and plan in advance to take your performance to new heights!