When Is Your Training Complete?

It’s a common trope in science fiction and fantasy stories: a hero begins their training buts gets interrupted. The hero then must either return or find someone else to “complete” their training.

Which brings up an interesting question: When do you complete your training?

The answer is…

Never.

Training—in sales or anything else—is an ongoing process. It never ends. Because there is always more to learn. There are always more insights to attain. Your skills can always be further honed.

I’ve been training in aikido for more than a decade. And the more I train, the more I realize I have to learn. Not just new techniques, but different approaches to techniques I already know. Getting smoother with my movements. Becoming more adaptable. More consistent. More precise. Faster.

And that process will never cease. I know aikido instructors who have been training for more than fifty years who still read books, watch videos, and attend classes and seminars. Because no matter how good you are, you can always get better.

So if you’re in sales, what it your commitment to continuous training? And if you’re in leadership, how committed are you to providing ongoing training for your people? (And not just salespeople, but everyone in your organization?)

Don’t think of training as an expense, or an interruption, or an event. Think of it as an essential part of the hero’s journey. And just as the journey never ends, neither does the training.