04/07/2024
Met a heck of a guy during a sales meeting once. Orel Hershiser (of baseball fame) came to give us a little inspirational talk. He had nothing to do with sales techniques or the art of influence or persuasion, just the pursuit of excellence through discipline, persistence, and the development of skill.
The sales trainer at that event was what he was. His techniques and tightly scripted procedures meant to emulate genuine interest and care for a client through a strict set of check boxes.
I still remember the training, and there were valuable skills to cull from it, but I remember far more the speech and meeting of Mr. Hershiser, not because of his celebrity status (I know nothing about baseball), but because he spoke about the personal pride it takes to do a job well. When you care about those things entrusted to you, your teammates, clients, and the quality of your work, you impose your own rigger and discipline, you naturally seek perfection for all you serve.
Now that speaks to my very soul.