I was training some young up and coming sales professionals and I was giving them some advanced sales training tips. When I was done working with them I just hung around and watched them interact with their newer counterparts and the most common mistake of all new trainers did not fail to rear it’s ugly head. Maybe that’s sub-consciously why I hung around.

Without fail, while I have traveled down this magnificent highway, I have seen the mistake I am about to describe over and over again. When your mentor passes on to you some advanced training tips I realize it is very flattering to you and you cannot wait to pass on this new found knowledge. The new person in your organization should not be the beneficiary.

All new trainers should flash back to their first couple of days on the job and remember how they were spoon fed the BASICS of the job and then, as they felt comfortable with the amount of knowledge that was given them, and they became proficient at it, more knowledge…even advanced material…was given them.

The down side of giving this advanced knowledge to a brand new person is at least two-fold. First, you are overloading their brain! They cannot absorb it. Secondly, you are stunting their growth. You should be teaching them the material they were given just like you were trained. I have seen countless new people blown out of the business for just these reasons. I understand your enthusiasm and I really appreciate it, that’s why you were selected to be a trainer in the first place.

“The Specialist”