Navigate​ The Unknown or Unfamiliar

In May, Jessica, my kayaking instructor/guide, asked, “What are the risks of kayaking?” 

The eight of us standing on the boat dock shouted out answers.  

“You might tip over.” “You might fall in.” “Might you get wet?”

Finally, someone slowly and softly whispered, “You might drown?” 

“Yes,” Jessica confirmed and restated in a commanding voice. “YOU might drown! Now that we all understand the risks of kayaking, let’s talk about ideas to make this adventure more fun and comfortable.”   

Jessica went on to teach us basic strokes and safety precautions, including how to push down on the kayak like a pair of pants if you find yourself upside down in the lake. 

What really made Jessica incredible was how she gently coached my technique and form. She would paddle her kayak next to mine and remind me to rotate my upper body, gently slice the water, or use my strong core muscles to power the stroke rather than the weaker arm muscles.Initially, I was unfamiliar with outdoor water exploration. I learned that kayaking was more fun and relaxing once I overcame my fear of overturning. I had a fantastic guide.

Like kayaking, if you’re a salesperson looking to improve sales performance and close more deals or a business owner looking to go from “Sidepreneur” to six figures, a guide can help you get closer to your goals.

Consider including coaches/mentors/sponsors as part ofyour success development team.

–  Coaches provide day-to-day knowledge. A coach or trusted advisor can be a performance-driven manager, peer, or friend. Consider a “feedforward” system to build your skills in real-time and gain task-oriented knowledge. 

Dowrick’s 2006 Theory of Learning From the Future, first coined the term feedforward. Instead of rating and judging your past performance with feedback, feedforward focuses on the continuous process of future performance. See Forbes “Stop Giving Feedback, Instead Give Feedforward” for the four keys to the feedforward coaching model. 

–  Mentors provide guidance and answer specific questions. You will usually come to a mentor with a task to complete or a recent or reoccurring failure. You might ask a mentor, “This is the situation; what do you think?” The mentor guides you through difficult issues.

–  Sponsors are advocates. A sponsor is a champion for you, although you may or may not know the sponsor. A sponsor understands your goals. Sponsors can influence and network on your behalf during promotion and bonus discussions. They remember your aspirations because they have had a conversation with you and your mentor or coach.

Whether you are learning to kayak, conquering your fear of public speaking, or achieving something remarkable in your career, a guide can make the journey more enjoyable and more manageable.

Here’s to selling Mastery. 

-Cherilynn

Head of Education and Growth, Sistas In Sales

Executive Coach/Managing Partner, CGI

Cherilynn Castleman, Executive Coach/Sales Trainer, has been a sales executive for 20+ years. With a natural talent for teaching and a drive to sell, Cherilynn uses her skills to coach and train other executives and sales professionals.

“No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you.” –Althea Gibson

Althea Neale Gibson, a tennis player was the first African American to win a Grand Slam title; at age 37, she became the first African-American woman to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour. Gibson was the first African-American to grace the cover of Time Magazine (Aug 1957).