4/18/2025-“Sign me up for a strategic initiative.”

Working on strategic initiatives will make you a better seller. What you learn and how you see a part of your business will reward you down the line for the challenges you face on the street.

You’ve heard senior management talk about "strategic initiatives," and perhaps you’ve even seen your peers recruited to work on such projects.

Why not you?

Getting placed on task forces, or assigned to special projects is one of the best ways to grow your skillset. And, working on SIs will broaden your business perspectives, aiding the work you do on your accounts.

Weekends are a good time to work on SIs because time pressures don’t exist; SIs respond well to clear heads and deep thought.

HOLD ON. Don’t text your manager that you want to volunteer for a side project yet! You need to strategize this weekend.

1. What’s an obvious strategic initiative (a.k.a. "project") in your org that needs attention? Why?

2. What’s the desired outcome of your work? (Why are you the right person to work on it?)

3. List a few metrics that define the SI.

Once you’ve worked on the items above, you’ll be ready to pitch your idea to your manager on Monday.

Even if you are stuffed to the gills with work and can’t imagine doing more, push yourself. SI work is good work.

The best-producing sellers – those with perennial memberships in the TOP 10% – are those who don’t just work their list…they get involved in working on strategic initiatives (SIs) that expand their skills, learning, and industry vision.

Your motivation for such work should not be based on trying to suck up to management or to get perceived "extra credit"; it should be based on your desire to learn.

Whether the project involves participating in a task force to create a cultural ethos for the sales team, helping define CRM engagement standards, or culling customer feedback for product enhancements, working on these projects will enhance your appreciation for your company’s challenges and success pathways.

Strategic initiatives are defined differently, but at their core, they represent ancillary work in tangential areas that will keep you sharp and moving forward. Somewhere along the way, your work on these types of programs will benefit you and your key accounts.

As the saying goes, "Many hands equal light work," but when you get involved in SIs, you’ll find the heavier the work, the more you’ll learn.

Watch this video highlighting "The Top 10 Best Board Games of the Century" to help you shop for the right game you and your chums will enjoy this weekend.

Playing board games with your friends is plain fun…and you’ll be challenged in fun and creative ways that help your strategic selling.