"What is your favorite sales program or book?", I ask every sales candidate I interview.

I'm sad to hear the typical responses. How do they answer? Read on....

Half the candidates I interview can’t name a single specific sales program or methodology that leads to expertise in their craft. They will mumble something like “that training program we took when we started” or “that guy, I can’t remember his name.”

You expect doctors to be an experts in their field. The same with business leaders, airline pilots, architects, attorneys and accountants You expect professionals to be knowledgeable on the constantly changing laws, programs, offers, and how they impact their clients.  But salespeople, not so much.

These sales candidates did attend training programs, and in many cases very extensive training, but it mostly on the products and services they were selling. Neither the company nor the salesperson recognized the value of becoming an expert on skills.

To many people, selling is like riding a bike. You learn it, then do it. To ride a bicycle, you learn a few things and away you go. Balance, pedal, steer, brake, and shift gears. Maybe there are few nuances, but that’s about it.

I’ve been riding bikes since I was a young kid. Now, every couple years, I’ll do an extended ride like the RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Bike Ride Across Iowa). I ride over 400 miles in seven days with 12,000 of my closest friends.

You dip your rear wheel in the Missouri River and dip the front wheel in the Mississippi.

Despite the thousands of miles I’ve ridden my bike, I’m really no better a rider now than when I was six years old. I’m sure there are lots of ways to improve my technique, but I don’t care. I’m not racing, so my current skills are good enough.

Contrast bicycling with the game of golf. Many of us love to do both. But our approach to each hobby is completely different.

Practice: Unlike riding a bike, learning golf is a never-ending quest. Top golfers spend hundreds, sometimes thousands of hours a year improving their swing. Even weekend golfers will spend time on the practice range honing and refining their slice.

Improvement: Every golfer is looking to get better. We take lessons, watch videos, and get advice from anyone and everyone. Top golfers hire a swing coach to give counsel, feedback, and support.

Regression: Unlike riding a bike, if you don’t play or practice golf, you’ll get worse. If someone takes the winter off, it usually takes a few weeks to get back to the skill level of the year before. Not only that, but as you age, your body loses strength and flexibility. This requires adapting your game and perhaps using different equipment.

People in all careers can benefit from an approach of constant improvement. Find ways to learn new skills or rediscover old ones. Find time to practice and get expert feedback. Recognize you and your career are “moving up the down escalator”. If you stand still, you are going backwards.

E-Mail Mike with a vexing and perplexing question and you'll get a telling and compelling reply.