Working Smarter

Stuck? Here’s a Strategy to Find New Ideas


Have you ever been totally stuck, without a clue about how you’re going to handle a challenging situation? I’ve been there a thousand times. You’d think, after all these years in this business, I’d finally have it all figured out.

Not a chance. Everything keeps changing—customers, technology, what you’re selling. It’s endless. You can never know it all.

Early in my sales career, I bumped into a thinking strategy that I still use till this day.

Whenever I’m stuck, I borrow someone else’s brain.

I can always tell when it’s time to do it. I’m flailing, thinking, OMG … I don’t have a clue what to do here.

Then I catch myself, take a deep breath and think about who might know how to handle the situation. When a name pops into my mind, I simply ask myself, “What would Trish or Dave do right now?”

Believe it or not, when you tackle a challenge from this perspective, your own brain is capable of conjuring up ideas and answers it could never have thought of on its own.

In my first year of sales, I constantly borrowed Jim’s brain whenever I was stumped by a prospect’s question. He was a real pro; I’d followed him around as a trainee before I started in my own territory.

Whenever someone asked him something that he couldn't immediately answer, he’d say, “Good question. Why’s that important to you?” So, I started doing it too – when I was stumped. I can assure you, it was a whole lot better than the babbling I would have done on my own.

Over the years, I’ve borrowed the brains of Steve Jobs, Mahatma Gandhi, my husband, an accountant and my colleagues. When I wanted to lose weight, I even borrowed the brain of a thin person. It really helps!

But lest you think I’m totally crazy, please know that many others do this too. In fact, I love this quote by former US president Woodrow Wilson. He says, “I not only use all the brains I have, but also all that I can borrow.”

Give it a shot. You just might find some fresh answers – and get unstuck a whole lot faster.ThinkstockPhotos-450745199.jpg

After a successful career in the sales world, writing five books, and speaking internationally, Jill is now tackling an even bigger challenge. She's focused on bringing the "millions in the middle" together to solve some of the biggest issues facing our country and the world. Jill truly believes so much more is possible if we can work together.