I was sitting in a hotel meeting room with a Briley Parkway address, (now it’s an open field ironically just 100 yards or so from my current office), with a 100 plus very nervous college students. We were being challenged to read How to Win Friends and Influence People, to get up early and hit the ground running and being taught the “Bookman Song”. I was being trained on how to sell educational books door-to-door. It was as much an indoctrination as training and it formed a lens through which I still view life. It was an amazing process for a 19 year-old kid. I was, and am, grateful to have had the experience selling books in the Texas heat for a summer.
But recently I have had to “unlearn” one of those lessons as I have attempted to grow my business.
“If it’s gonna be its up to me” is catchy and it screams self-reliance but if you are attempting to achieve scalability and long-term success it is a recipe for failure. Ask me how I know.
For years I saw myself as the best sales professional you would ever encounter. I could get it done when others would surely fail. Such arrogance.
The last couple of years and a recent personal journey of 100 Meetings in 100 Days, (stalk me on Facebook if you are intrigued), revealed some flaws in my thinking as well as some rock solid truth.
You can’t do it alone. The great news is you don’t have to.
Intentionally building a network of smart people who can be trusted but who also know, love and trust you is how you achieve real success and only you get to define what “real success” is for you.
When your real network grows, (not just your Linked IN or Facebook friends), it changes everything.
Those relationships will trump all. They will often supersede your ability, education, and intellect in their ability to “get things done”.
My relationship with Christ began on July 14, 1986. My relationship with my wife a few years later followed by my children. If those are in alignment then we can move forward from there building out new relationships and networks.Kevin Anderson-General Manager 94 FM The Fish Nashville
