The best thing that happened in my training last week wasn’t planned

The best lesson of the week didn’t come from me.

I ran two sales training workshops last week. Seasoned professionals. Chemical industry. People with decades of experience across sales, procurement, engineering, marketing, deep tech, customer service.

Not beginners.

We were deep into a concept I teach around indirect influence, the idea that in complex sales, you need to build relationships beyond your one main contact. You need to reach the people around the decision, including the decision-maker.

And then a hand went up.

One of the participants said: “I’d add something to that. You also need to influence the influencers. There are outside industry experts -- people outside your direct contacts’ organization -- who shape how your customers think. And they matter.”

He gave specific examples from the chemical industry. Every head in the room nodded. Pens went down on tables and then came right back up to write it down.

That moment? That’s what I live for as a trainer.

Because here’s what I know after years of doing this work: adults learn best by doing, by discussing, by applying, and by hearing someone sitting in the same seat as them say the thing that finally clicks.

At the end of the session, I asked everyone to share one idea from their reflection journals, something new they were taking with them. That participant’s point about influencing the influencers came up again and again.

He taught the room. I just held the space for it to happen.

Looking back now, the best training days I’ve had aren’t the ones where I delivered a perfect curriculum. They’re the ones where the room took on a life of its own.

If you lead a team or you’re evaluating training for your organization, I’d ask you this: does your training create space for your people to learn from each other, and from the front of the room?

That’s the difference between a training day and a training that actually changes how someone sells.

I’m curious: have you ever been in a room where a fellow participant said something that changed how you think? I’d love to hear it.

Jenny

P.S. If you have been thinking about working with a coach and want support that goes beyond the surface — the kind that helps you lead, sell, and show up as your whole self — I have a few spots open in my coaching program. Book a discovery call here: https://calendly.com/jenny_bv/one-hour-coaching-session