My twin boys turned 3 years old last weekend. THREE. I can hardly believe how much they've grown - how much I've grown. There have been good days, bad days, powerful days, tearful days. Motherhood is an extraordinary journey filled with countless lessons that are, interestingly enough, quite similar to the lessons I've learned throughout my career in sales training.
Let me explain.
The first and most basic lesson my twins have taught me is patience. Raising two tiny humans requires a level of patience I never knew existed. Why? Because it's not just about being patient the first time. Anyone can be patient when they teach someone something new for the first time!
Patience is the force that fosters growth and confidence. So as a mother, I have to keep showing up with that patience, even when I've shown or told my twins something a dozen times, if I want them to really learn.
For sales people, a similar level of patience goes a long way. We know that learning and perfecting skills requires time and a safe space to practice. Then, we have ongoing practice and coaching to maintain and fine tune the skill. It's my job to demonstrate extreme patience with my sales reps if we want to see long term results.
The second lesson my twins have taught me is the power of uniqueness. When you have twins, most people think you can approach everything the same: how they dress, what toys they like, what to feed them, even how to communicate with them. But these boys have reminded me how much more effective my efforts are if I adjust my parenting approach to their unique personalities.
My sweet Canon (bottom right) has been in speech therapy since he was 2. For a long time, speaking with Canon meant repetitive words and phrases, and sign language at times. When he's upset, he wants to be comforted and sat with so he know you are there and working to understand him.
Maverick (bottom left) has been been singing full songs from the second he could form a word. Speaking with Maverick sounds like a full Broadway production with dance moves and all! He doesn't get frustrated when trying to communicate. He's usually happy with a high five and a "Great job!" before he's on his way.
I know that if I met Canon the same way I met Maverick when he is upset, the interaction would be ineffective. Neither one of us would get the outcome we are looking for.
Embracing uniqueness while sales coaching is no different.
You have a team of account executives who are all in the same role, but you know they learn, they thrive, and they understand feedback quite differently. As a trainer, I've come to learn that
my efforts are more impactful if I find ways to meet learners where they are and embrace a learning culture that is inclusive of all learning styles and levels of experience.
The third lesson my twins have taught me is to celebrate the small wins. Becoming a mother to twins was one of the most challenging times of my life. Failure, defeat, and insecurity was present at every corner. But you know what else was present? Beautiful, magical, wonderful small moments like seeing them smile for the first time or hearing them laugh. Those moments were enough to get me through anything.
Sales is a hard job. Training sellers is a hard job. Taking time to celebrate the small wins make things easier. Those wins might be completing a first solo sales call or finally getting your Salesforce notes added on time. But learning to recognize those things and taking time to celebrate them can be enough to get you through on those tougher days.
We spend so much of our lives working and away from our families. Sometimes it can feel like you are living two separate lives. But I am grateful for the parallels I've found in my work and as a mother.
I believe they've made me better in both capacities.
Happy birthday, boys!
💙💙
READ OTHER POSTS