The 3 Stages of Learning
Fly fishing has been a long journey for me.
I learned the mechanics of fly fishing from an old friend about 25 years ago (how to cast, strip line, and set the hook). But it didn't come all at once; there were stages as I grew as a fisherman.
Fear was the first stage for me.
Holy shit! I What do I do first? Am I holding the line right? Where is the fly going? Did I get it out of the boat? Why is the line wrapped around my head? Shit! I look like a fool…
The steps to cast were all in my head, but none of it was natural. I had to think through every movement. It was awkward and I assumed that any fish I caught just had to be stupid.
During that stage, I wondered why anyone would go through all the trouble to catch fish this way!
But I kept at it and worked on getting better. I hired guides to teach me and to put me on fish. I went to farm ponds to catch bream and bass. (they aren’t as discerning as trout).
Eventually, the mechanics became more natural and I began to fool a few more fish. Every time I felt the tug at the end of the line my heart would skip a beat! A smile would spread across my face.
I was moving on to the Excitement stage!
I've been in the Excitement stage for quite some time now. I haven’t figured out how to get more time on the river so I can up my game. As I tell people, I’m more avid than skilled.
I still regularly get my fly stuck in a tree from a wayward back cast. I whack my fishing partner in the back of the head with an out of control fly. And I often find myself attempting to untie impossible knots that were a result of my sloppy casting. But fly fishing has become fun. I don’t consistently catch a ton of fish, but it’s awesome when I do!
Last weekend, I went with an old college friend up to the Watauga River Lodge in East Tennessee to catch some rainbow and brown trout. The Watauga river is beautiful and full of fish and the lodge is awesome. My buddy, Mike, is an expert fisherman and fishes about 50 days a year.
When I watch Mike fish, it's like watching an artist. Mike’s casts are graceful and every movement his fly makes is intentional.
He casts his fly into places I never would have dared cast for fear of getting stuck in a bush or on a rock.
And Mike did get his fly, a tiny dropper below a big Grasshopper dry fly, caught in a bush. And he laughed. He said, “Man, I had to try.”
Mike's in the third stage: Confidence. He's willing to take risks, willing to “fail,” willing to fish the tough spots to get to the biggest fish. He doesn’t catch every fish, but when he misses, he knows why. You can’t make 'em bite, but you have to give them the chance.
He gets excited, but isn’t surprised when he catches a fish.
Learning professional sales is like that. At first, you may even be afraid to pick up the phone to have a sales conversation.
You probably tell yourself you don’t know enough yet, so therefore can’t possibly sell that way. That’s an excuse, by the way.
That’s Stage 1: Fear.
Fear happens when you're afraid you won’t know how to act in certain situations.
The only way to get through the fear stage is to have a really strong reason to get through it. If you're completely happy with the way things are going, you won’t ever move on. You need to have a reason to be uncomfortable.
People often choose unhappy over uncomfortable.
The problem is, the only way to fix unhappy is to be uncomfortable.
Once you make the commitment to be uncomfortable, magic starts to happen. The stuff that was scary still seems scary, but you do it anyway.
This is Stage 2: Excitement.
You tell your prospects you may not be the right fit, even though that concept scares the hell out of you.
You ask your prospect for their opinions on their situation without offering your own, even though you think you know what they’re thinking!
You tell them your solution will most likely be the most expensive option, even though you hope it isn’t because you believe they won’t buy if it’s more expensive.
By doing the scary stuff, you'll experience different results than before.
At first, you’ll probably learn sooner rather than later that someone wasn’t going to buy from you in the first place.
Each time you do it, you build more confidence. You’ll see the advantages of being a little skeptical you’re the right fit.
And it’s exciting! It’ll feel like the scales have fallen from your eyes.
In the Excitement stage; however, everything feels tactical. You'll have to think about what your next “move” will be. The good news is, you'll know how to act under most circumstances.
Once you hit the Stage 3: Confidence, you’ll no longer have to think about what to do or say. It’s no longer a move, it’s who you are.
You are your true self. You're no longer fearful of any sales interaction, or any interaction with another person. (ok, that’s an exaggeration. There are some situations where you might get your ass kicked and perhaps you should be a little wary of those. But no longer are you fearful you’ll get your ass kicked in sales.)
Like spending time in the river to get to Confidence in your ability to catch trout on the fly, you must spend time in front of prospects - lots of time - to become truly Confident in your abilities.
Same as fishing, if you want to speed the learning curve in sales, you need a guide.
I don’t know if I’m the right guide for you. I don’t take most people as clients.
I only want to work with people who are as committed to their success as I will be.
But most people never get through the fear stage here.
They're afraid to reach out. Afraid to have a conversation. Afraid of more success?
Call me. I dare you. 803.917.2817.
Or email me at Walker@walkermckay.com.
If you're committed to your own success and willing to work through your fear, we can most likely find a way to help.
And THAT would be exciting.
I’m confident of that.
Bringing Honesty, Transparency, and Selflessness to Business.
Want to find out how I can help?
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