Last Friday, I was on the edge. Literally. I was speaking to a group of sales professionals. Some were new to sales; most were experienced pros.

I was doing a totally new keynote on AGILE SELLING, sharing strategies on how to quickly learn new things so you could stay at the top of your game – or to get there.

Now, you probably don't think of me being nervous about doing new things, but I am. I want my keynotes and workshops to be awesome experiences for everyone who's there.

It took me a long time to prepare.

• I thought about how to capture people’s attention at the beginning.
• I spent hours focusing in on the key points, as well as stories that would illustrate them.
• I wrestled with how to create engagement. (The above photo shows one fun exercise I did!)

Before I left, I practiced the keynote in my office. On the airplane, I did a couple mental run-throughs. But still, I wasn't quite sure how it would go.

The first time you do anything is risky. You're vulnerable. And, likely to screw up (which I did!). But that doesn't mean you failed. In fact, the people who were in attendance had no idea things didn't go exactly as planned.

Afterwards, I debriefed what went well and where I wanted to make improvements. I even asked for feedback from some of the attendees.

Why am I telling you all this? Because even though it can make you uncomfortable, pushing yourself to learn new things is the only way to stay relevant in today's business world.

What are you learning – right now – to help you avoid a stagnant sales career?