Self Leadership Coaching Blog

I have just returned from a client meeting, where the client needed to train its sales people to effectively increase sales.

Increasing sales is one of the key actions that is going to help this client weather the recession and profit afterward. After identifying the urgent need to train trainers to equip the sales team with product knowledge and values based selling skills across 14 countries, the business development manager told me, “Yes, we need this but I was told yesterday that there is a freeze on discretionary spending.”

I wanted to yell, “Since when is learning discretionary?”

Of course, I kept my cool and empathised with situation; he knew his company needed to improve their skills and even listed for me the reason why, but his hands were tied (for now).

Now whether you are part of big organisation, or a consultant like me, or are currently laid off, I have some unsolicited advice for you:

NOW is the time to learn, NOW is the time to up skill.
NOW is the time to INVEST in YOUR SELF.
Yes, I know there is a recession, or as I like to call it a “financial adjustment”; but being pessimistic and doing nothing will not get you through it. The media is having a FEAR frenzy and whipping up a storm of bad news, which will create a self-fulfilling prophesy, but you and I have a choice not to participate.
Here’s how…

1. Read – read in your domain. Become an expert on your chosen topic, experts are always in demand.
2. Attend seminars/workshops – listen to experts and as you do think about how you can apply the knowledge to improving your situation.
3. Sell – sell yourself, let people know what you can do and that you are keen to do it, now or when the opportunity arises.
4. Be flexible – offer people different ways to reward you for your effort or store up credits for when times change.
5. Connect – find out who is doing what and how they are doing it. Join LinkedIn or Facebook groups.
6. Contribute – write articles, volounteer, be seen.
7. Add value – yes you may be looking for a paycheck but in this credit crunch nobody is going to pay you unless they see the value. Value first – get paid second.

And number 8, is be patient – this too will pass, so be patient. This is the beginning of the year of the OX so keep plodding forward and you will reach your goal.

Related posts

• Winning the Communication Skills Game (0)
• Learning to Walk the Talk (1)
• Learning to Learn, from Unconscious to Conscious (1)
• Leadership Development in Thailand (0)
• HR Summit Singapore 2009 (0)