Super Bowl Sunday Morning. Elaine sent me to the market to pick up a few things to get us through the game. I’m driving leisurely through town and notice a father with three little children poking a hole in the ice so they could ice fish. It got me thinking, my sons both fish, one avidly, I fished once in my life. They both spent several years in youth soccer, baseball and basketball. I never played any of them. Extended families make children more well rounded. My sons got their love of sports from one of their grandfathers. No one is good at everything…not even me! So, if I were the only influence on my sons, imagine how much they would have missed. I did teach them some stuff and some of it was pretty useful, but I could only do so much.

So, my point is?

I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with several pretty good salespeople, Bob Jiguere, Vito Brancato, Joe Quintal, David Sandler and Dave Kurlan to name a few. I’ve had the opportunity to read great books, hear great salespeople speak, attend much sales training, many seminars and workshops. I also interact with peers, clients, students, prospects, and salespeople at large. I am a sales junkie, am always up for a story and learn from everybody.

The world is my extended family for sales. The world has made me what I am and I’m different today than I was yesterday. Contrast that with the salesperson that goes to company training and never reads a book, attends a seminar, or learns anything from anybody outside his company.

Isn’t that salesperson kinda one dimensional like a child would be if they only learned what their father could teach them?