The Importance of Training

I am writing this prior to our Los Angeles FasTrack training this weekend. These meetings are a tremendous opportunity for our associates to learn from some of the best and vastly improve their skill set. As Raymond Berry always says, “There is a huge difference between talent and “trained” talent”. This is true for all walks of life. There are extremely, naturally talented musicians; but the musician who works at their craft and hones their skill through diligent training and attention becomes a virtuoso.

This is particularly true for people in our profession. There are people who are naturally open and able to approach potential prospects in a sale or recruiting situation. These people will enjoy a certain level of success based on the power of their personality. However, the super-star sales person or organizational builder combines whatever natural talent they may have with a virtuoso’s work ethic and a world class athlete’s training mentality. They look for every opportunity to increase their knowledge and skill set and they rarely miss a meeting or a chance to improve. It is interesting to note that some of the very top producers in our industry are not outgoing personalities, but simply people with a desire and drive to excel regardless of personality.

I was having dinner with HBW NDA, Chuck Reinhold last evening and one of the traits you immediately recognize in Chuck is his intelligence. Chuck is very bright and also very prepared. Earlier in the day we had met with a potential money manager, and I was extremely impressed with all the research Chuck had done on that firm prior to our meeting. He knew everything about that firm and was completely prepared for the meeting. He is focused on preparation and increasing his knowledge base. I have never known Chuck to miss a meeting in all the years we have been working together.

This same trait is obvious among nearly all of the successful leaders at HBW. They combine above average intelligence (most are extremely bright) with great commitment to their education and training. Basically, they all share an intense desire to maximize their potential and ultimately their success.

Do you share those traits? The good news is that you can decide at any time to become better, positioning you on a path to greatness, by simply putting forth the effort. In other words, it is up to you how successful you will choose to become.