Your Road to Success

I love to find inspiration to keep working hard, and this story from sales trainer Tom Reilly does just that!

In a recent issue of the Harvard Business Review, Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Management at USC, discusses his path to becoming a globally recognized expert on leadership. The energy for his circuitous journey is summed up in one sentence, "After I discovered what I felt passionate about—leadership, change, and creative collaboration—people began leaning close to hear my thoughts on those subjects."

Imagine becoming so knowledgeable, focused, and passionate about something that others will travel near and far to hear what you have to say. This resonates with me because I met a salesperson like this years ago. His name was Lester and he sold trucks. He had been in his industry for fifty years. He had developed a reputation for being so knowledgeable that any time a truck was purchased in his territory, Lester got the first call. Customers wanted to hear his thoughts before doing anything.

This is your challenge in professional selling—to become so good at your craft and so knowledgeable in your field that customers cannot afford to do business without first consulting you—to hear your thoughts. If you are not there right now, focus and study. Get passionate about your value. That is the road to success.

Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.