You don’t hear much about companies providing extended, scheduled, effective training anymore. Companies like IBM, Xerox, Digital Equipment Corporation and many more that provided a program for sales success and management success. These companies spent a great deal of money, time and effort to train their employees for long careers. Many assigned senior sales executives as mentors to make sure their team was understanding the assignments and were making progress.
These companies provided not only the basics but had programs for all employees interested in pursuing careers and climbing the corporate ladder. They also had programs for those who were happy in positions as senior salespeople, marketing and other managerial positions. There was nothing wrong with not wanting to be a manager. You could be in a senior position in any career path.
If you think back in your life you will find you had a coach to help you along the way. You were coached out of diapers. You were coached to walk. You were coached to ride a bike. How to dress and act in public. How to do your homework. How to throw a ball. If you played sports, you had a coach who made sure you knew how to perform at your maximum. You had coaches or teachers who taught you how to read and made sure you could read all the assignments. Where would you be today if these people did not take the time to coach you through the rough times.
What happened when you left school and went to work? If you were lucky you may of had a coach to make sure you were successful. Most of the time you were left to your own devices and if you made it, you were lucky. If you did not make it you were fired or forced to find another position within the company.
Do you want to be successful? Do you want to make a lot of money? Do you want the recognition that comes with being the best? If you do, find yourself a coach. One who cares about you. You are a unique individual with your own set of challenges. You are not a group of people. You need a coach that is always there for you. One who is always making you accountable.
Becoming the best takes a lot of work. Most people will not work hard to be the best. Many people think they work hard but have no results to prove it. Without a coach you may not be able to get out of your own way. You need someone to give you unbiased opinions. Sometimes you just need someone to listen to your thoughts and ideas. Maybe you just want to brainstorm with someone and bounce ideas off your coach.
The olympics start in a few days in Vancouver, Canada. Every athlete will have a coach or two. Their coach wants them to win and will make their athlete accountable for all that is necessary to win. There are no other options. To be successful takes a lot of work and these athletes want to be the best. T hey train all year for the ability to compete against the best from all over the world. Many athletes have been training all their lives for this one moment. They have to be ready and in top form. without a coach they would be just average. Take a look at your favorite sport. Do they have coaches? In football alone they have offensive coaches, defensive coaches, Special team coaches, quarterback coaches and nutrition coaches. I’m sure I missed a few.
In sales and in all careers, you need a coach to be the best. Monitor your success today and let me know if you see an improvement with a coach. Track your numbers. It’s the only way to measure success.
What do you think? Would this work for you? Let me know.
