By now - and forgive my cynicism - most of us will have left our 'new year, new me' vibes well and truly in January, with a nod to 'good effort'. But while many of us spend time looking at goals, how many of us create a written down plan and focus on the 'same but better' rather than new and different?
We constantly strive for the new and exciting but mastering a current skill is equally important. Economics, markets and industries can be and certainly have been in a constant state of flux. We too, are evolving, and I challenge one person who hasn’t changed in some way in the last few years – we are not the same people we were nor are we operating in the same climate. The way we engage and technology changes; customer and maybe even our own expectations are also changing at a rate of knots.
So, like many things in life, to see a significant shift, we need to commit, to stay motivated, have a plan and to ensure we reflect on it. And that is where Continued Professional Development (CPD) comes in. A commitment to improve not only new skills but mastery, refinement and development of our existing ones. To in essence, take your learning to the next level both personally and professionally.
Entering Sales or Marketing 15 years ago would have required a remarkably different skillset than if you enter today. So, whilst CPD may be mandatory in many sectors; the sales industry has fallen behind. The requirement to upskill in existing roles, rather than just ‘as and when’; is often overlooked so I am crowning 2022 as the Year of CPD for Sales Professionals.
When was the last time you developed a plan for yourself or indeed worked with your sales team to create one? How relevant are the skills now? How are you ensuring you maintain their effectiveness, keep up to speed with a changing market AND prioritise training needs alongside daily business duties?
CPD is now so widely accessible that we may overlook exactly what can constitute it… Whether it be certifications, qualifications, TEDtalks or staying up to date with industry news – continuous learning is key to improving and staying alert to the markets we work in.
Creating a CPD does not need to be complex or lengthy but should be realistic. One page with a simple template of month-by-month, theme-by-theme, desired outcomes and importantly – some form of metric to measure its success is all it needs to be. But it must be maintained and constantly evolve.
Training c2000 people in the last two years, we have learnt a lot about the crucial nature of CPD, especially in the profession of sales. An active and engaged sales professional with a current and live CPD with specific KPIs, metrics and personal goals is more likely to be better engaged, provide a stronger performance, remain loyal and support others to do the same. As an endorsed training provider through the Institute of Sales Professionals (www.the-isp.org) we provide a wide range of 30-minute CPD sessions aimed at the sales professional (even if you don’t call yourself that!) Startups, small business owners who have to do it all – this is for you. We also offer in-house full days training, written and tailored to support your journey and ambitions.
Over the next 12 months I’ll be bringing you a monthly column on my favourite subject, and one that is vital to all business – SALES. As anything, it’s a conversation so let’s connect, chat and grow together.