In my early intensive days of learning sales and attitude (1972-1973), I was taking a four-hour sales and attitude training class EVERY DAY from 8 a.m. to noon.

The class immediately took a lunch after the training – except me. I scheduled a sales appointment every day at 12:01 p.m.

I was full of fresh information to make a sale. I had new attitude lessons and new sales ideas, and I was ON FIRE!

Why would I waste that energy on having lunch with co-workers? No way. I wanted to channel that energy, harness it and direct it toward a sales prospect.

My strategy was to practice what I had just learned. Whatever the lesson was about, that’s what I used in my presentation. And I did it with an incredibly positive attitude and the enthusiasm of a child.

As you can imagine, everyone on my team thought I was nuts. Teased me, called me whatever, but I just smiled and went about my business – making sales.

The appointments at 12:01 p.m. had mixed results. The techniques and strategies from the morning lesson didn’t always work. Some had to be modified and tried again. Some I had to eliminate.

I made a lot of mistakes. I made a lot of sales. Either way, I WAS LEARNING.

Once that era ended, I went out in the world to start my own business (something way more difficult than having a sales job).

I began to interact with other business people and gain more insight from them. Not just sales information, but also business wisdom. I wanted to know what happened AFTER the sale was made. I was as interested in outcome as I was in transaction.

I discovered that by studying what happened after the sale, it was easier to make the next sale. I could tell stories about similar situations and give examples of customer successes. It seemed that the more I asked questions and told stories, the more customers bought.

Those experiences led me, 25 years later, to my trademarked phrase: “People don’t like to be sold, but they LOVE to buy.”

I have employed that strategy and philosophy throughout my career of selling. Which, by the way, still takes place every day.

Take a few moments to reflect on where you gained your knowledge. Take a few more moments to ask yourself how you documented it, and how quickly you were able to put your knowledge into action.

If you think about each of these elements individually, they will help you recall important ideas and stories that you may have forgotten.

Here are some categories to get you thinking (and documenting):

• Family – Especially your mom and dad.

• Close friends – Maybe just one lesson or experience.

• Watching other salespeople – Think of the best salespeople you’ve encountered.

• Interacting with co-workers – Stories they told or ideas they had.

• A book you read – “Think and Grow Rich”?

• A CD you listened to – “The Strangest Secret”?

• A video or movie you watched – “Glengarry Glen Ross”?

• A sales course you took in a classroom or online – Was it your style? Was it too manipulative?

• Your mentor – Were you taking notes?

• Your sales manager or boss – Whom did you respect? Whom did you learn the most from?

• Your customers – They teach the best lessons when they say “yes” and when they say “no.”

• Little kids trying to get their way – They’re persistence personified.

My accidental secret of scheduling a sales call one minute after training, and practicing what I believe to be true, has served me well for 39 years. Try it.

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by email at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2011 Jeffrey H. Gitomer