"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
- Attributed to President Harry S Truman

A good salesperson is a student for life, always committed to learning. Great salespeople are self aware; just when they you think they know it all, they admit that there is always more to learn. They invest time and energy to getting better. They understand that learning from others and their past experiences gives them new skills—and an ability to adapt and prepare better to meet their customer's needs. It's this awareness and dedication that truly sets a superior salesperson apart from the pack.

A good sales leader is a constant teacher, one who is willing to teach and adapt regularly. Great sales leaders are aware of their team's strengths and weaknesses and they take conscious steps to address these. Great sales leaders create one-on-one opportunities to help their team members nurture their personal growth and skill sets. They take the time to lead the team with new learning opportunities. They bring fresh ideas about sales to their teams regularly. They understand that teaching new skills takes commitment—a worthwhile investment in creating great salespeople.

Nationally, we found that training is an afterthought for most. In our 2008 National Best Practices survey, results show that a majority of programs infuse training only once a year or through national conferences. Don't let yourself or your team become a part of this statistic. Use this month's newsletter to help you find new ways to become a student and teacher.
Read on!