Making a False Choice

Are you making the false choice between learning and doing?

Many sellers do exactly that.

I was once asked if the reason that more salespeople don’t invest in their own development was that it was difficult for them to make the connection between investing their time to learn and their professional successes.

In other words, perhaps it’s easier for sellers to see how making an extra sales call can lead to success versus sitting in front of a screen investing time in their personal development.

That’s a false choice.

For sales leaders and individual contributors, those people who have the imperative to get smarter about sales every single day, the choice they must make is NOT between selling and learning.

No, the actual choices are a) Invest in your personal development, your career and your financial future or b) Do nothing.

By nothing I mean: Netflix, Fortnite, Instagram, Sunday Night Football, RHONY, Bachelor in Paradise. And so on.

Charles Darwin said: “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.”

There’s a lot of truth in that.

Don’t get me wrong. I love to be entertained and distracted. I have my shows that I watch. It’s just that learning is something I prioritize first.

Learning is part of my daily habit. My morning routine. My evening routine. I read. I write. I watch videos. I listen to podcasts.

Think you don’t have time to learn? Actually, the opposite is true.

Research has found that B2B salespeople spend only a third of their working time actually selling. The time to learn is there.

The great author Brian Tracy wrote that investing your time and money in your personal development can be an incredible time-saver in your life. He said: “The better you become, the less time it takes you to achieve your goals.”

What are your goals? When do you want to achieve them?

Christopher Morley, the American novelist wrote: “There are 3 ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning.”

Yearning is the desire to achieve your goals. Buy a house. Get a promotion. Send the kids to college. Do interesting and fulfilling work. Travel to exciting places. Stay healthy. Build a nest egg to retire in comfort.

Earning is how you afford the things you desire.

Learning is how you make it all possible.

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