You can’t coach “tall.”
I was watching the Kentucky-West Virginia Sweet 16 game last night on TV. Even on the television, it was excessively apparent that Kentucky’s team was just literally head and shoulders better. Any 50-50 ball that was up in the air (including rebounds) was there ball to have. While West Virginia is talented, you can’t change how tall you are. When I coached basketball in high school, I recall we coaches would always joke around and say, “You can’t coach height or speed.” Kentucky is undefeated this year and their ability to bump into the sky while running down the court is one BIG factor.
As a sales professional, entrepreneur, or consultant, you can offer all the same methodology as your competitor – products, services, assessments, trainings, etc. But you always have one thing that is different and can’t be duplicated. You. Too many of you fail to utilize the one thing that can’t be “taught.” You have experiences and gifts that are unique to you. They are manifested in how you influence others and can improve their condition.
Example – in my line of work in strategic risk and crisis management consulting, I can tell stories and draw comparisons based on my experiences as a volunteer fire fighter, a high school basketball coach and a public school board member. In fact, the least scary of these 3 was running in a burning building! My ability to transfer these experiences into something useful is a skill that can be learned (dribbling a ball), yet the fact that I own those experiences are unique to me.
Bottom line – instead of trying to impress a prospect or a client with your insurance knowledge or the number of acronyms after your name, try using what is exclusive to you.
You can’t coach “tall.” So go stand tall.
© 2015 Dan Weedin. All rights reserved
