4/23/2024-“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…so why not you?

Getting placed on task forces, or assigned to special projects is one of the best ways to grow your skillset.

Even if you’re slaving ’til 8 pm each night (which, btw, is a time management issue that can be fixed), find the time to work on strategic initiatives because it’ll enhance your perspective on your business you won’t otherwise get.

Tell your manager you want to volunteer to work on a side project. You may have to wait for something good to come around, but that’s okay…be patient.

Ideally, you want to work on something that interests and challenges you, so talk it through with your manager. This brings up the important question: What interests you about your business that you’d enjoy?

Even if you are stuffed to the gills with work and can’t imagine doing more work right now, get in the queue.

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.

Since you’re now in a strategic mood, consider expanding your skills by playing board games with your friends.

It’ll scratch a few itches as you’ll be engaging with human beings (always a good thing) and you’ll be challenged in fun and creative ways to help your strategic selling.

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. There are some wild games here that look amazingly fun.