By Christopher Thompson
Published Sunday February 15th, 2009 – Union Leader NH Sunday News
There is one major realization that has occurred to me recently related to my knowledge of business and sales. That realization is the fact that I truly don’t know everything, as I long believed I did. Please know I am half joking, but also recognize the reality that the vast majority of people get stuck in a mindset thinking we do know everything and don’t need the help and experience of others in order to succeed. For those who regularly read my column, you know I have had the opportunity to work with thousands of different sales professionals throughout the course of my career and have spent countless hours documenting and researching the major differences between those who consistently overachieve and those who don’t. The willingness to have an open mind and the willingness to take into consideration the feedback, thoughts and experiences of others remains high on the list of characteristics associated with those I have seen routinely surpass expectations. I often use the word “coachability”, although I’m not sure it is a legally defined word. I couldn’t find the word in my dictionary and dictionary.com directed me to the word “coach”. I define it as ones ability to utilize coaching offered by others as a means to improve and grow. Perhaps I should submit it for consideration to Webster Dictionary. Throughout my career, I consider myself fortunate to have been coached and mentored by some of the most highly skilled sales professionals and sales leaders. I also remember a very candid discussion with one of those mentors in which I was on the receiving end of some fairly direct coaching. This particular person explained that he thought I was “uncoachable” and he was concerned that my lack of willingness to accept feedback would ultimately hamper my development and long term potential. Although his feedback was probably accurate, I explained that this is nothing new and I have been told this many times before. I remember blurting out something to the effect of “Well then I guess I have to learn the hard way!” It was definitely not my brightest moment. I share examples like this not because I enjoy making fun of myself, but for sales and business professionals to relate to. There are countless opportunities for each of us to learn and grow in our profession. If we keep our ears peeled and our minds open, we will acquire knowledge and skills from people and situations that we may not have expected. The one source of coaching and feedback I overlooked for many years was the feedback I received directly from my customers. If you pay close attention to what your customers say and listen to the feedback, concerns and other statements, you will likely hear indirect feedback and coaching hidden amongst the dialog. And of course there will be some customers who have no problem sharing their pointed feedback with you. Take the good with the bad and make sure you acquire the ability to filter what you hear before making any major changes to your approach. As we go through our selling routine with confidence and acting like we know it all, keep in mind the thousands who have sold before you that have succeeded because of their willingness to accept feedback and change their approach where it made sense. With a few rare exceptions, you can always learn something from someone, even if it happens to be what not to do.
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