Seth Godin posted "Thirsty" on his blog today, a short but important article about the relationship between curiosity and success. This is something I've been thinking a lot about lately.
Am I incorrect, or does it seem like some, even many, who make their living selling are not thirsty for knowledge, are not sufficiently curious about their customers, are not passionate about learning how to improve? Am I wrong?
I believe sales skill trumps effort. I know a lot of people disagree with me. But I do agree that effort helps one develop skill.
Are these missing from your daily activities? Thirst for learning? A drive to improve? Acute observation of others selling and of others buying? Being curious?
Hard work is valuable. But getting the right tools, the right knowledge, the right skills is even more valuable. Put the two together and you have real potential for success.
Here's what you can do for yourself, and for salespeople you know, to remind them of the importance of thirst.
1. Have them subscribe to Seth Godin's blog. Anybody in business who is serious about it (and shouldn't everybody in business be serious about it?) should be reading Seth's daily thoughts on marketing, business, and innovation. Seth is one of my very favorite business thinkers, and he makes me think (but only because I'm curious! And thirsty! I hope you are, too!).
2. Copy the link to this post (the one you are reading right now):
http://blog.sellingtoconsumers.com/2009/11/curiosity-drives-sales-success.html
and paste it in an email and send it to people you know who sell. Good targets would be your sales staff, your boss, your girlfriend who sells at another company, the guy who salesperson who sold you your ATV or necklace or home, and anybody you can think of that sells to consumers.
Once here, they can, and should, subscribe to this blog by email here. If they use an RSS reader, they can subscribe to the RSS feed here.
Get thirsty. Thirst makes us drink in knowledge.
If you like this post (or don't) please click on "comments" below and share your comment. Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers Sales Training. He works with companies and individuals who sell to consumers in B2C, retail, in-home selling, in the financial, real estate, and insurance markets, and other consumer-selling industries.
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