Lessons from My Voicemail

Think back to the last time you recorded your outgoing voice mail greeting. Did you get it right the first time, or did you record and re-record (and re-record….and re-record) until you were pleased?

If you’re like most people, it took you several tries before you found a recording your were happy with. But think about that process for a moment; it’s an important lesson in skill development. You recorded, you listened back, and you decided it wasn’t good enough. So you found the flaw, fixed it, and recorded again. Still not good enough. Find-fix. Find-fix. Eventually, you were pleased.

When you think about it, you were improving your outgoing messaging skill. It’s not something you do every day so you probably get a little rusty. But the recording and the re-recording helps you to listen, to find the flaws, and to fix them. That is what skill development is all about – failing, finding and fixing.

I’m wondering if a tape recorder might be the most important training tool you will ever find. That simple device allows you to self-train – always the most effective kind of training.

Come to think of it, you probably have a recording device on your smart phone. Why not use it to practice your own sales presentation? Why not – what do you have to lose (and what do you have to gain!)?

Top professionals are committed to being the best they can be, and that requires fixing the flaws. Do it today – and you’ll change someone’s world!