by Tim Roberts
My first business coach, Jim Thorne, brought value to my business and certainly, to me. Not only was he a fountain of wisdom, he was a rock-solid resource on a wide variety of topics. Every time he left my office I felt three things: better, clearer, enlightened.
Jim understood the Law of Sharing: You give what you value in order to keep it in your mind. Jim kept lots of value in his mind because he shared it. Come to think of it I respected Jim so much because he respected me and my desire to be valuable. He made it clear in every meeting, he was there for me.
The most collaborative sales teams I am familiar with are sharers. I have particularly been struck by best-in-class sales organizations who insist on growing their “Wisdom Library.” These companies have well-stocked libraries containing the latest greatest in business writing, sales, marketing, prospecting, how-to’s and industry-specific reading to keep their front line troops in the know and sharing. Buyers want to know how you can help them and they want to know what they don’t know.
Social media is proof enough that people seek to influence by sharing insight. People are hungry for a new angle on an old challenge. Is your sales team limited to the product knowledge default switch? Is their best stuff limited to the technical training they learned while in company orientation?
If you’re going to share, share mental gems. If you’re going to define yourself and your value, clothe both with insight. A perfect starting point is a collection of books in your company library. Start as slowly as you wish…buy a bookshelf and start with row one. Ask your team to make contributions. When people share knowledge, no one gets left behind.
At Sandler Training, Trustpointe we teach our clients to share. To learn more about wisdom fountains, mental gems and insightful clothing, contact Tim Roberts at 317-845-0041 or tim.roberts@sandler.com.
Ooh, you look good all leather-bound!
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