In our knowledge-based economy, information and technology can easily become outdated. Life-long learning is essential for you to succeed and prosper as a sales professional. So why are some people reluctant to embrace the concept of life-long learning?

The answer is that the learning process itself involves some measure of risk and uncertainty. To understand why and to overcome this reluctance to learn, you need to study the learning process.

Abraham Maslow, one of the predominant minds in the field of psychology during the 20th century, described a four-stage process that people go through when learning something new. These four stages are:

1. Unconscious Incompetence
2. Conscious Incompetence
3. Conscious Competence
4. Unconscious Competence

The initial stage of the learning cycle is called unconscious incompetence. This takes place when you don't know that you don't know. At this point, you have yet to realize that there is something more that you need to learn.

The second stage is conscious incompetence, when you realize how much you need to know. This stage often involves the pain of having so much to learn, as well as the fear that your income and self-worth might be affected.

It is during the conscious incompetence stage that you must cope with the urge to turn back. You are trying to learn something new, something that you are not yet proficient in. This means that your results may be less than you hope for, which causes you great stress and produces emotional pressure to go back to what was comfortable. The conscious incompetence stage is the point in the learning cycle where people are most likely to give up.

The third stage of the learning cycle is known as conscious competence. You know what you know. You have begun acquiring a new knowledge but are still conscious of the learning process. The pain of learning is leaving you.

The fourth and final stage of the learning cycle is unconscious competence, when you are no longer conscious of the skills or knowledge you have absorbed. At this stage, you have become so skilled at a particular task that you operate on instinct in performing it.

By the time you reach the unconscious competence stage, you have successfully integrated into your life habits that you were seeking to learn. You are benefiting from your expanded knowledge and skills base. But don't let yourself become too comfortable. If you are committed to continuous improvement, you will soon find yourself at the stage of conscious incompetence once again, as you discover there is still something more you can learn.

Continuous improvement and life-long learning are essential to your success in sales. When you understand the four stages of Maslow's learning cycle, you can eliminate some of the discomfort due to inherent risk and uncertainty in the learning process.

Note: (Applicable to Not Just Sales Personnel)

Have you ever tried to make a decision without having the facts that are relevant to the issue? Could you even make a decision without knowledge of the issue itself and all its components, including those that go beyond the facts?

Learning is something you do every day. The better you understand the learning process, the better you will be able to use this understanding in the redesign of your organization.


There are five levels of learning: facts, information, know-how, comprehension and wisdom.

1. Facts - The first level of learning deals with facts—details or data which result from direct observation and research. Facts make up the most basic level of learning. Taken on their own at this level, facts have no direct application. But without facts, you cannot move on to the other levels of learning.
2. Information - The second level of learning deals with information—observational data in a usable form. The descriptions that information consists of tell who, what, when, where, and how many. With information, you can begin to make use of facts.
3. Know-how - Know-how is the focus of the third level of learning. Know-how consists of a collection of descriptions in the form of instructions. Know-how is about having the instructions you need to make use of the information you have. With know-how, you derive knowledge from experience.
4. Comprehension - The fourth level of learning deals with comprehension. Comprehension answers the question "Why?" At the comprehension level, learning is composed of explanations. When you understand why, you are better able to use the knowledge and know-how you already have.
5. Wisdom - Wisdom is the focus of the fifth and final level of learning. Wisdom is the ability to evaluate, and it incorporates values. It is essential for development. Using know-how and comprehension without wisdom can result in actions that don't work for the overall mission of the organization.

The five levels of learning build on one another. In an organizational setting, you will often need to use all five levels to make a decision, work on a redesign, or build relationships with co-workers.

Mike is the CEO of a transnational airline corporation. He has been studying the levels of learning that are currently affecting his organization.

"The facts are what happen in the company on a day-to-day basis. The facts include all planes taking off, customers arriving at their destinations, and packages being shipped. There is no way to catalog them without turning them into information."

"The information we work with includes how many planes take off every day, how many passengers arrive at their destinations, what these destinations are, how many packages we ship, and where we ship the packages."

"The know-how involved here describes how all this moving of people and baggage gets done. This level of learning deals with processes and the instructions they consist of. Without know-how, our pilots, baggage handlers, and attendants would be lost."

"Comprehension is just as vital for our people to be able to do their jobs. Pilots need to understand not only the mechanics of flying but also why it works. As CEO, I want to understand how the pieces fit together most effectively."

"Wisdom is the hardest level to explain, but it's also the most important. The company's values are rooted in wisdom. We need wisdom to make decisions about our mission as a company. Our employees depend on our commitment to our values."

Like Mike, you have to know the levels of learning and how they build on one another to make full use of them in redesigning your organization. These levels turn day-to-day experiences into something that your company can organize and use in planning and decision making.

we are Always Learning...

Some of us "expand" our Vocabulary not just by reading, but also by listening to the spoken language - how certain words or phrases(expressions) are used in various contexts. That's a good thing. However, there is a concern!

What if the person you are listening to, mispronounces or misuses the word or phrase? For those who tend to "learn" this way, be careful not to blindly Emulate (follow) the "Example"!! (The example may not be right!)

Commonly "Heard" around our Premises:

"Wherelse"?? OR "Whereas"?

The correct word should be "Whereas".

Definition of: Whereas --> while on the contrary...

"Could you please repeat that again ..."?? OR should you just say, "Could
you please repeat that ..."?

Just say: "Could you please repeat that?"

(As you know the word "repeat" means "to say or state again". Using "again"
after "repeat" is therefore redundant.)

Effective Telephone Techniques
Instructions: Use this SkillGuide to improve your non-verbal communication skills.

* Put a smile in your voice.
* React like it's your best friend on the phone.
* Start smiling before you answer the telephone.
* Think of every call as a welcome break.
* Sit up straight with both feet on the floor.
* Don't slouch.
* Treat callers with respect.
* Focus on what you can do.
* Don't take your problems out on a caller.
* Try to project a perky, positive, and upbeat image.

I start my first blog post for the those who are not perfect with use of punctuation and will teach you how to use punctuation in your office correspondence properly. I got these tips in my email and feel like i should share with my readers on my blog which will of course help my readers in some way. After all nobody is perfect in this world and we are nobody :) I am sure once you finish reading this post you will have idea regarding proper use of punctuation in your office for writing letters/stories/blogging etc..

Punctuation

Punctuation means making points. It means putting the right kind of points in the right place so as to mark the exact length and meaning of sentences. Proper punctuation is essential in writing to enable the reader to understand what it is you are trying to say.

Full Stops - [.]

Full stops go at the end of sentences that are statements. You do not put a space before a full stop, but you do need at least one space after one (two spaces for purists).

For example:-
My name is Lynne. I am a teacher.

Question Marks - [?]

Question marks go at the end of sentences that are questions. As with full stops you do not put a space before a question mark, but you do need at least one space after one (two spaces for purists).

For example:-
Is my name Lynne? Of course it is.

Exclamation Marks - [!]

Exclamation marks act as a full stop. It is most often used to show shock, surprise, horror or pleasure. As with full stops you do not put a space before an exclamation mark, but you do need at least one space after one (two spaces for purists).

For example:-
Oh! Ah! Wow! Brilliant!

Commas - [,]

Commas point out brief pauses in a complex sentence or separate items in long lists. They are useful for breaking up long sentences, but only to show a natural break. You do not put a space before a comma, but you do need a space after one.

For example:-
There were a lot of people in the room, teachers, students and parents. The teachers were sitting, the students were listening and the parents were just worrying.

Note - we don't usually put a comma before the word – and.

Colons - [:]

Colons precede a list, an explanation or an example. You do not put a space before a colon, but you do need a space after one.

For example:-
"There are two main shopping areas in Nottingham: Broadmarsh Centre and Victoria Centre."

Semicolons - [;]

Semicolons are used to separate two sentences that would otherwise be joined with a word such as 'and', 'because', 'since', 'unless' or 'while'. You do not put a space before a semicolon, but you do need a space after one.

For example:-
"I'm looking forward to our next lesson; I'm sure it will be a lot of fun."

Quotation/Speech Marks - [" "]

Speech marks are used to show words that are directly spoken. Only the words that quote a person are enclosed by speech marks. You need a space before the opening speech mark and a space after the closing one, but no space before the closing one.

For example:-
"Could everyone sit down please," said the teacher.

Another general rule is to use a comma after the introduction to quoted speech or writing.

For example:-
Amie said, "I admire you."

Sometimes when writing a spoken sentence it is split in two. The speech marks must then be placed at the beginning and end of each part of the sentence. Commas are used to separate the spoken part from the rest of the sentence.

For example:-
"I wonder," she said quietly, "whether people will ever truly understand each other."

However if you need a question mark or exclamation mark the markers that punctuate the quoted words are enclosed by the speech marks.

Apostrophes - [']

Apostrophes next to the letter ('s) indicate belonging. No space is needed before or after the apostrophe.

For example:-
Inne's web site.

They are also used to show missing letters in shortened words. No space is needed before or after the apostrophe.

For example:-
It's a nice day today, isn't it?