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.