Many Paid Over $100K to Learn. Then They Stopped. (And Don't Even Use What They Paid For)

As the new school year approaches, earlier every year it seems, a lot of parents are writing some very large checks.

I'll weigh in on that in a bit. But first, let me tell you what it made me think about.

I did a self-inventory recently. As someone who has invested  more than 40 years studying, teaching, and practicing this profession, I had to be honest with myself. 

As my business pulls me in more directions, I have to be more intentional about carving out time to keep studying, keep practicing, and keep getting better. The day I stop doing that is the day I begin falling behind.

And I think a lot of salespeople hit that point a whole lot earlier than I did. Some hit it the day they graduated.

For technical, legal  and medical fields, a college degree is usually essential. For most professions, including sales, the degree matters far less than many people (and HR departments) think.

What matters is what happens after school ends. And for most people, when the diploma hits their hand, the learning stops.

Here's what strikes me. You spent four years, and potentially well over $100,000, supposedly learning how to think, solve problems, and perform under pressure. Maybe you pulled all-nighters. You studied material you had zero interest in just to pass. You showed up and did the work because, well, you need the degree.

Then you got a job in sales.

And that discipline went away.

When was the last time you intentionally blocked off an evening just to improve your selling? How many pages on buyer psychology, questioning skills, or opening prospecting calls have you read in the past month? How often do you practice? When was the last time you listened to a recording of one of your calls and honestly evaluated what you heard?

Compare what you spent on four years of college to what you've invested in your own sales development over the past year. Then compare that to what you've spent at restaurants, on streaming subscriptions, or on things you can't even remember buying.

Most people find that comparison uncomfortable.

They should.

Look at the professions where performance truly matters.

Tiger Woods didn't become Tiger Woods by simply playing rounds of golf. He beat thousands of balls a week. He studied his swing on video. He worked with coaches who told him things he didn't want to hear. Even at the top of his game, he tore apart his swing and rebuilt it. Twice. Because he knew there was a better version of his game available.

And yes, people can joke about his driving and other off-course issues. None of that changes what he accomplished on the course. Those achievements came from a level of commitment to improvement that most people will never understand.

That is not motivation. That is identity.

He became the person who does that work, not someone who occasionally tries harder.

The best salespeople work the same way.

They don't just do sales. They become professional salespeople.

Students of the profession, curious about what works, why it works, and how to keep getting better.

Here's something I've never once heard from a top performer, but hear all the time from people who struggle.

"I've had sales training before."

That's like saying, "I had math in second grade. I don't need it again."

Most people don't know what they don't know. If you're making the same mistake on every call, how would you know? Nobody's telling you. Well, actually, prospects are. They say,  "Not interested," and hang up.

You’re not that much closer to a yes. You are getting really good at being bad.

You repeat the same mistakes over and over, just at higher volume, wondering why nothing changes.

Which makes continuing your education even more important.

AI can research prospects in seconds. It can help write emails. It can summarize meetings. It can even make some outbound calls.

But none of that replaces the ability to earn trust in a live conversation.

To ask a question that goes somewhere.

To handle resistance without getting defensive.

To connect with another person in a way software simply can't.

Those skills don't come from technology.

They come from putting in the work.

Repeatedly. With honest feedback and a willingness to get uncomfortable.

A quick note to managers and business owners:

What are you actually investing in your salespeople?

I'm not talking about buying a book that sits on a shelf or bringing in someone for a half-day seminar once a year.

Are you listening to calls?

Are you coaching regularly?

Are your sales meetings helping people improve how they open calls, reach decision makers, ask better questions, and handle resistance?

Or are they mostly administrative updates?

I've seen companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on salaries, “sales enablement” stacks, and lead generation, then send people out to have hundreds of conversations every week with little more direction than, "Go sit with Pat and watch what she does."

Pat was trained by someone who learned the same bad habits from somebody before her.

Those habits get passed down like a bad family recipe.

If you owned a professional sports team, would you let your players just play games and never practice?

Of course not.

Yet that's exactly how many sales organizations operate every single day.

So where does this leave you?

The fact that you're reading this tells me you're already among the minority who take this profession seriously.

I respect that.

The people who need this message the most probably won't read it.

Or they'll read it, nod their head, and go right back to doing what they've always done.

Here's what I've found after 40 years of this.

It isn't usually talent. the territory, the economy, the war, the product, or any other made-up excuse.

It's how they think.

It's what they practice.

It's what they choose to do every day.

I've never met a salesperson who accidentally became elite.

The real education never ends.

The question is whether you're still enrolled.

If this hit home, that's exactly why I created Smart Calling Ultimate Sales Pro Mastery.

It's not another course you'll watch over a weekend and forget. It's an ongoing development experience for salespeople who refuse to plateau.

Together, we work on the four things that separate the very best from everyone else: how they think, how they approach buyers, the skills they master, and the daily habits they commit to.

It isn't for everyone. I don't want it to be. It’s by application only.

But if you're the type of salesperson who's still enrolled in the real education, I'd love for you to take a look and see if it’s for you.

See complete details here.