Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/112125
SALES MANAGEMENT Four Levels of Learning BY GRAYSON SCHWEPFINGER While looking for something else I came across some notes I made a while back on the four levels of learning. I decided this would make a good article for this month since no matter what position you hold in sales they could help you become even better than you currently are. The four levels are: ��� Unconscious Incompetent ��� Conscious Incompetent ��� Conscious Competent ��� Unconscious Competent Although these four levels can be applied to anything you wish to learn, for the purpose of this article we will address them toward learning sales only. Let���s take them one at a time. The first level is a salesperson that is an unconscious incompetent. The definition for this level is a salesperson that doesn���t know what they���re doing and is too na��ve to know that they don���t know what they���re doing. This is usually an entry-level salesperson selling in a Industry that is new to them. For whatever reason they believe they are a competent salesperson despite what is usually a dismal track record. They have become masters of blaming their personal lack of success on everybody, and everything, except themselves. What little success they have is caused by accidentally finding a prospect whose need for their product is so strong that they buy in spite of the presentation not because of it! This salesperson will rarely do anything to improve their selling skills because they are sure they know everything they need to know. Unfortunately because of the lack of adequate training and accountability there are too many people in this category in our industry. Unless someone or something moves them to the next level they are destined for at best a mediocre career. The second level of learning is the conscious incompetent. Of the four levels of learning far and away most salespeople are at this level. This MARCH 2013 22 THE JOURNAL is the salesperson that is still learning how to sell but is smart enough to realize they are far from knowing it all. They will actively seek new ways to do things and will develop answers for anything that has prevented them from making a sale in the past. These are the salespeople that attend seminars, buy books on selling, and surround themselves with people they can learn from. This salesperson will eke out a average income since their lack of skills prevents them from closing enough of the prospects they tried to sell. Given enough time and hard work they will eventually move into the third level. The third level of learning is the conscious competent. This is a salesperson that does know what they���re doing and knows it. They are into the game with a game plan and know at any given time where they are in the sale and how to move onto the next step. They are rarely stopped with an objection they don���t have an answer for. Like the conscious incompetent they realize that the learning never stops and are constantly trying to improve themselves. This salesperson consistently earns a good living selling regardless whether the times are good or bad. The fourth and last level of learning is the unconscious competent. If you are lucky you may meet one or two of this level salesperson throughout your career. They are the superstars of the selling industry. They have spent the time and energy to learn the art of selling that their sales presentation is so well honed it is almost an unconscious effort. They don���t have to think about what they���re going to do next, this was done long ago, they just do it. When discussing sales with this person you immediately realize you were talking to a professional that truly understands, and has mastered, the art of selling. They have an air of confidence about them that is contagious and that consistently makes them among the top earners in the industry. What al- ways surprises me about this level salesperson is that they are never satisfied and constantly strive to become even better. They realize that until they have 100% closing ratio and are selling everything at full retail price there is still room for improvement! If you are a salesperson ,which level are you currently at? What are you doing to move on to the next level? Are you reviewing each sales presentation immediately after the prospect leaves your location and making a list of how you could���ve made the presentation better so that the next time you do? What are you doing to improve your skills? How many books or seminars have you attended in order to learn more? Is your ego strong enough so that you can honestly critique each presentation so that each one gets better and better? Nature doesn���t allow anything to stand still, you either move ahead or you fall behind, the choice is yours! If you���re a sales manager which level is each of your salespeople currently at. What are you doing to help them reach the next level? If you are not training your salespeople then you do not have the right to criticize their results. If you have any unconscious incompetent salespeople in your employ I would suggest immediately letting them go. They offer nothing positive to your company and only encourage the other salespeople to accept substandard results. Until next month GOOD SELLING! T J Grayson Schwepfinger is a nationally known speaker and member of the manufactured housing Hall of Fame. He specializes in sales and sales management training and can be reached for comments or more information at his e-mail schwep1@aol.com or his phone 610 533 4969. And his Website ��� graysonschwepfinger.com.