BACK TO YOUR ROOTS

As I was driving around yesterday I drove past the building that was the home to the company that I credit with making me a Sales Trainer.

The building looks exactly as it did 35 years ago. I could tell that the maintenance has been top notch. The sign on the building was the same and I saw several cars parked in the parking lot. I decided to stop in.

The first face I saw brought back a flood of memories. It was the warehouse production manager. I know that he has been with the company for over 30 years. He was just a kid when he started and now he had grown to be the VP of Manufacturing for the company. With a head full of white hair and a white beard he resembled Santa, and had every bit as big a smile as Santa would.

We sat in his office and talked for about 45 minutes. The entire time I was thinking about everything I had learned working for the company and how the President of the company always motivated me (and everyone else) to do our very best.

I remembered the first day on the job, I thought I was a seasoned sales rep until I met some of the “HUSTLERS” that worked for this company. For the next 12 years I was able to start my own business using their business model and sharpen my skills as a motivational speaker and trainer.

I walked around the building and met a few more people that I hadn’t seen for over 20 years and it was a great time.

As I was leaving I knew that just remembering all the things that brought me to where I am today will make me better TODAY! I have written about getting back to the basics and I have taught back to your basics, I have preached back to your basics, yesterday I lived back to your basics and wow what an experience.

I know that some of you may not be able to go back to your rots of selling, it may be because of distance or other reasons. It doesn’t matter, each of us can take the mental trip back to our roots and remember all the things we have learned (and forgotten or discarded) along the way.

I made a promise to myself as I drove away from the building, I will make it a point to at least drive by, if not stop in, every year. I know that the time spent will be rewarded 10 fold with the basics that I will remember and USE after the visits.

GET BACK TO YOUR ROOTS, GET BACK TO YOUR BASICS!

Lorin