We Are Products Of Our History

If you're a music fan, what kind of music do you listen to?

If you're like many people, you listen to the same music you listened to when you were in high school. Given the rich diversity of music that exists today, and the ready availability of that music on the internet, why do some individuals exclusively consume music that they listened to ten or thirty or fifty years ago when they were a student?

The answer is that we're products of our history. Our friends and social network in high school helped dictate our musical tastes. Peer pressure was alive and well, as were our hyperactive adolescent hormones.

In selling we're products of our history, too. We learned to sell by trial and error, or by watching others, or by attending a sales training class. Just as with music preferences, some salespeople get stuck in a selling rut born of their past. They feel comfortable with their current sales methodology, but stop looking for other sales information or sales practices. This can be a significant limiting factor in the attainment of sales success.

If you're in a musical rut, check out these tunes and see if any of them are to your liking:

- Keb' Mo': Remain Silent
- Real Quiet: Tight Sweater IV. Pickle Trousers
- Brazilian Girls: Jique
- Yo Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble: Distant Green Valley
- Age Pryor: Curious Boy
- The Ting Tings: Great DJ
- Ollabelle: Northern Star
- Booka Shade: Solo City

If you're in a selling rut...

- Read The Dip by Seth Godin
- Read what Brad Trnavsky's has to say about S.M.A.R.T. goals
- Read my Squidoo article on the importance of questions in the selling process
- Participate in the leading social networking site for sales professionals
- Read Napolean Hill Quotes
- Spend a day shadowing a good salesperson who works for another company
- Start using Jott
- Subscribe to our free Sales Tips Newsletter

Here's to a rut-free life!

Please share your comments by clicking on "comments" below.

Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.

Comments

[nesh thompson]

Had to chuckle at this post Skip, as the other day I was remarking to my other half that I was turning into my dad, because I was listening to music that he listened to when I was a kid (and being a kid I hated his music because dad was so uncool).

I'll agree with the historical conditioning that we all let ourselves get accustomed to, but I think with sales as with music you have the ability to learn, adapt, try new things and re-visit them in cycles. I've found that both in sales and music I unexpectedly revisit experiences and rekindle awareness in things I thought long forgotten.

[Chris Whyatt]

Skip,

You are 100% on the money IMHO. My Dad loved and still loves Louis Armstrong, and I NOW appreciate why, but not back in the day.

I spent my early teens on The Beatles, and love them to this day, especially Sgt. Pepper and The White Album.

Saw David Bowie as Ziggy at 19 and my world changed overnight, and I still listen to Bowie most days.

We are a product of our history!

[Ian Brodie]

Had fun listening to your music rec's Skip - The Ting Tings have become immensely popular over here in the UK topping the single and album charts in he last few weeks.

I guess the difference between musical tastes and sales techniques is that getting into a rut with your musical tastes is not really going to do you any harm.

Ian

[Skip Anderson]

Nesh: Yes, I agree, we all have the ability to learn, adapt, and try new things.

Chris: Here's to Louis, The Beatles, and Ziggy!

Ian: Maybe the Ting Tings on on the charts here in the states as well, it sounds like you're up on those charts more than I am! And good point: excellent point about the harmlessness of a "musical rut" over a "sales rut."