Eighty percent of our success in learning from other people is based on how well we listen. Other people’s experience can be enormously helpful. With it, we can often overcome time restraints and lack of training. But this expertise can only be helpful if used.
Most people, mainly because of pride, cannot make use of other people’s experience. Some can’t accept expertise or help. Most people cannot even listen to other’s advice; or rather they seem to be listening but cannot make use of it. Sometimes they are comfortable doing it their way, even if the results aren’t evident.
To learn to hear, evaluate, and use the wisdom of others is an invaluable aid to being successful. This takes receptivity and is born of humility and self-confidence. Oddly we do it in many other areas. Whether it’s in sports or hobbies, we listen intently so we can learn. So why not in sales?
Many of us resist using other people’s experience, because we are afraid of our own potential dependence and compliance. We would rather not commit for fear of accountability to others or ourselves. To the extent that we assert ourselves, we can overcome this fear and use other people’s expertise as we do with doctors and lawyers.
People who have strong ideas of their own are less reluctant to make use of expert consultation. Someone else may have paid a price you need not have to pay. Look to your associates for lessons already learned. Seek out mentors, no matter how experienced you may be. After all, each unsuccessful sales call has a cost. It comes in the form of missed commissions, wasted time, and negative self-talk.
Pick any profession, they do what very few sales people do, they train continuously. There is a cost associated with training, however the cost is small compared to the rewards of superior performance.
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