The Four Milestones of Learning and Skill Mastery
1.
Unconscious Incompetence
You are unaware of the required skill and what it really takes to master it.
2.
Conscious Incompetence
You are aware of the required skill, and you realize just how much you have still to learn. Lots of people get frustrated and quit in this stage. The only way to make it through this stage is hard work.
3.
Conscious Competence
You’ve learned the skills and how to use them, but it’s 100% manual. Getting it right required your full attention. Getting to the next stage requires a ton of practice.
4.
Unconscious Competence
You know what to do, how to do it, and it happens automatically. You don’t have to think about what to do, you know what to do.
It becomes second nature.
It becomes muscle memory.
The value of Unconscious Competence is universally understood. Sports. Education. Military. Medicine. Law. Video Games. If you can think of something that is worth doing, you’ll find someone practicing to be the best at it.
That’s the real value of joining the MSP Dojo: It’s practice. You’ll never be able to handle that objection, think about that question, or solve that complex problem in a sales meeting if you don’t practice. It doesn’t matter if you’re the business owner who has to sell, or someone dedicated full-time to the role. It doesn’t matter if you’re stepping into your first meeting, or have conducted thousands. Everyone needs to practice, because it’s not the best company that wins the client; it’s often the best salesperson.
MSP Dojo has three parts to its weekly practice rhythm.
Study
Every week we pick a 4 minute section of the sales process to practice. You get instruction and real-life examples of how to do it well, from experts in the industry.
Topics include everything from standard selling tactics, to objective handling, negotiation, and every other part of the sales process.
Drill
The Drill is a 60 minute virtual meeting where you'll get the chance to practice what you've learned. You'll drill with other MSP sales people and business owners in a high-pressure, low-risk environment that simulates a real sales meeting. You'll test your sales skills against someone who knows exactly what you're doing, and see how they do it as well.
Clarify
Finally you have as-needed access to a window of open “office hours” where you can drop in to ask any questions you have about the drill, or sales in general. This is a great time to bring up objections you’ve stumbled through recently, ask for advice about your specific situation as a sales leader, and review subjects you might want to see featured in an upcoming drill.
Whoever is out there conducting sales meetings with your prospects should be practicing with us. But don’t take my word for it…
The Science
17%
A Sales Executive Council study found that Sales reps who receive at least three hours of coaching (that include drilling) per month achieve 17% more sales than those who receive two hours or less.
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22%
A Hubspot Survey of over 500 sales professionals found that those who practice their sales skills on a regular basis are 22% more likely to exceed their quotas.
13.7%
The Aberdeen Group cataloged that companies with a formal sales training and enablement program (practice) achieve 13.7% higher win rates than those without.
The Experts
"Practice, role-play, and prepare for every sales call, and you will feel more confident and in control. When you know your material inside and out, you can anticipate objections and questions and handle them with ease."
—“The Sales Bible" by Jeffrey Gitomer
"Before every sales call, take time to practice your pitch, and think about the benefits you can offer your prospect. ... The more you prepare, the more confident you will be, and the better your chances of closing the sale."
—"How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie
"The best way to prepare for a sales call is to practice. ... Go over your presentation, anticipate objections, and practice your responses. With enough practice, you'll be able to handle any situation that arises with confidence."
—“Secrets of Closing the Sale" by Zig Ziglar
"Successful salespeople practice and rehearse their pitch until they can deliver it flawlessly. ... They know their prospect's pain points and have a plan to address them. By practicing, they feel confident and in control, and can focus on building relationships with their prospects."
—“Snap Selling" by Jill Konrath
"Sales is a skill that can be learned and refined with practice. ... The best salespeople prepare for every interaction, practicing their presentations and role-playing with colleagues to improve their approach and anticipate objections."
—“The Ultimate Sales Machine" by Chet Holmes
"Challengers spend more time preparing for customer interactions. They [...] identify potential areas of improvement, and they practice and rehearse their messages and approach before they ever make contact.”
—“The Challenger Sale," Brent Adamson Matthew Dixon
"Top performers are far more likely to practice before sales calls than their average performing colleagues. They prepare by reviewing their call objectives and formulating questions that help them uncover the customer's situation, problems, and needs.”
—"Spin Selling" by Neil Packham
"One of the most important things you can do to improve your sales results is to practice your presentations and sales conversations. ... With practice, you will develop a high level of confidence in your ability to sell effectively.”
—“The Psychology of Selling" by Brian Tracy
"Like a good musician, a good salesperson practices. ... They do role-playing exercises, where they take turns being the buyer and the seller. They practice handling objections, asking questions, and responding to customer needs."
—"To Sell Is Human"
by Daniel H. Pink