Wild Card, Working Smarter

My Boldest Sales Prediction - Ever


After writing SNAP Selling, I was continually accosted by salespeople who said,

“Your advice on selling to crazy-busy buyers works great. But, I’m frazzled too. How can you help me?”

I was stumped. I had nothing to offer since I wasn’t a time management guru.

Then one day it hit me. I was looking at things all wrong.

It wasn’t about being more productive. Instead, it was about keeping up with everything that was so overwhelming.

fast learner

Customers were changing. New products and services were constantly being introduced. Companies entered new markets. Salespeople took new jobs. The economy was up. The economy was down. New technologies had to be mastered.

Salespeople even had to learn new ways to capture and keep the attention of today’s savvy prospects – at the same time they had to make their numbers.

No wonder they were frazzled.

Trying to keep on top of all that new stuff – and learning new skills at the same time was too much. And worse yet, there was no relief in sight.  But not everyone was struggling; a small subset was doing quite well.

What attribute did they possess that others didn’t?

They were agile learners, quickly able to get up to speed when things changed. They could become competent in new positions in record time. They could instantly adjust to changing market dynamics.

As a result, they got quick wins, which gave them confidence, which led to more business. In essence, their short-term success was the key to their long-term success.

That’s why I’m making this bold prediction.

In today’s sales environment, your learning agility is your only sustainable competitive advantage. Master rapid learning strategies and your career success is virtually guaranteed.

Go figure.It’s not a skill anyone ever talks about. Nor is it even a sales skill. Yet it’s critical to your success. And truthfully, it can be learned.

How do I know? Because, as I explain in my new book AGILE SELLING, it’s my core strength. I’ve spent a lifetime mastering rapid learning. And, until recently, I never realized just how much it contributed to my personal success.

I honestly believe it’s far more important than anything I shared in Selling to Big Companies and SNAP Selling. If you loved those books, which many of you have, I know you’ll find it hard to imagine. But it’s true.

In the upcoming weeks I’ll be sharing more articles on the four aspects of agile learning that I cover in my new book:

  1. The agile selling mind-set
  2. How to learn new info quickly
  3. How to pick up new skills fast
  4. Success habits of agile sellers

Hopefully it’ll give you a good taste of what’s in AGILE SELLING. As you know, I truly want you to be successful. And, learning how to learn – rapidly – is the master skill, the one that dominates them all.

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.