Ok, I have an inner battle going on currently. I was reading The Huffington Post last week about the PhotoMath app (read the entire article here). It helps solve basic linear equations and math problems by using your smartphone’s camera. Take a picture of the problem, the app reads it, gives you the answer and a STEP BY STEP process on how to get to that answer. One part of me says, that is AWESOME!!!! The other part of me, says, that’s CHEATING!!! I have honestly pondered this for nearly a week. Obviously it is still on my mine, as I write today. Is having this app helping you to learn, because it does provide you the process of how to arrive at the final answer? It is actually teaching you something. If you know the how, then you will begin to master it. But again, you could just cheat every night on your homework. Unfortunately, if you want to get a good grade in class, cheating on your homework and getting an A does not help you on the test. No smartphones are allowed during the test, so you still get an F on the exam. Now I speak from my “mother’s opinion”, have any of you tried to check or help with math homework lately???? Unless you are a math teacher or scientist, do you really remember pre-calculus from high school? I certainly don’t. So will this help me too?? Is this allowing us to learn the tricks or the trade??
Many of you reading right now are Bild trained or have team members who are. As you know, Bild has tools, systems, etc. to enhance the inquiry process, follow up, closing and referral development. Perhaps, one may call these the “tricks.” Then you have the “trade,” which is really knowing the sales process, how to build relationships, overcoming the objections, and building a referral network based on the needs from all parties. If you just learned the tricks, would you be a better sales counselor? Probably. Better but not great. BUT if you really learned the trade and set out to master it, would you be a better sales counselor? ABSOLUTELY!!! The “tricks” are there to help you learn and become a master of the trade. You must learn the entire trade to succeed!
So commit to learning the trade. Practice, role play, ask for help, make mistakes, learn from them, master it! I’m not opposed to using the tricks to help make you better. Remember what Traci Bild always says, “Work smarter!” The tricks will help you work smarter, but they won’t make you the best you can be.
And I think I will use that app. It’s a trick, yes. But it will help show how to get the correct answer, not just give you the answer. This app will only be on MY phone. Not allowed for children under the age of 18 in this house! And who said that I wanted to learn the pre-calculus trade? HA!!
Until next week…
Written by Jenn Cox, COO at Bild & Company.
