Ryan Dohrn tells Fred from Charlotte that experienced salespeople should learn from younger colleagues, join groups like NASP for webinars and events, and block 90 minutes on Friday afternoons for research. He warns that most sales books don't fit specific industries like media and advertising, so you have to adapt them yourself.
What's going on, friends and fans? Ryan Dohrn here answering your listener questions sent in to ryan@ryandohrn.com. And wherever you watch or listen to the podcast or videos, be sure to subscribe down below so that you never miss any of the updates. All right, next question comes from Fred in Charlotte. Hey Ryan, I'm an old sales dog looking for some new tricks. I'm feeling a little old these days. Who isn't, Fred? And need some information and help on how— what I can do to keep up. So Fred, welcome to the veteran world of the sales business. You know, a lot of times there's just a lot to be learned from those around you. I think that a lot of times I discover new music because of the younger people that are around me. I discover some of the coolest shows on Netflix and YouTube because of the younger people that are around me. So I just really want to pay attention. And I also learn a lot from being put in mentoring situations. Now I coach a lot of people and mentor a lot of folks as well. But, you know, put yourself in those situations, whether it's networking and things like that. That can be very helpful as well. Also though, look to be a part of or reach out to associations. For example, my friends over at the National Association of Sales Professionals— they have webinars, they have podcasts, they have live events, they have e-newsletters, videos. I mean, I think it's a very worthwhile membership. To be a part of. Now I will tell you that the live events that you could be a part of, Fred, that's where you're gonna really learn the most. You can be face-to-face with other sales professionals and kind of learn what's happening out there in their world and in their environments. Now there is a little caveat, friends, and everybody else that we're answering this question for. A lot of times the sales books that are written out there are really not designed for what you might be selling. So you might read a book and then, Fred, it might be in perfect alignment to your sales process. Now I do a lot of work in the media sales business, in the advertising business, in the digital business. Unfortunately, a lot of the books and processes out there are really designed to kind of put somebody into a decision-making mode. Well, that's not what I— I don't want to do exactly that in the media sales business because I have to come back to them every month to get new ads and things like that. So A lot of times the advice that you find in some books isn't in alignment with your process, so you have to be able to process that into your process. So just kind of be thinking about that as you look to read more books, you know, and things like that. Webinars, e-newsletters, all those types of things— I create a folder in my inbox. As those things come in, I put that stuff into that folder, and then I look at it on Friday. I try to set aside 90 minutes every Friday afternoon for my personal research and development. And those are the main things that I do to keep up. Now, my favorite thing is attending live events. As a lot of you know, I put on live events. I put on live sales training events. Getting together with other sales professionals and just talking through strategies, that's one of the very best ways to keep up with what is going on. So Fred, I want you to enjoy the golden years of your sales life. And just remember that a lot of times things change. And so folks like you and I, we have to adapt and adopt to the changing times because what used to work back in the day for me is very different today. And I've got to be willing to have an open mind towards new things and doing things in brand new ways. So Fred from Charlotte, thanks so much for your question. If you've got a question, send it in, ryan@ryandohrn.com. And friends, always love to come to your office, to your national sales meetings, and pump your team up. So reach out to me over at ryandohrn.com. All right, friends, more listener questions. We'll see you next week.
