The education that really helps advance a career or personal goal is “self-inflicted.” It is NOT some curriculum figured out by some alleged “expert” or academic type. (I regularly disparage all self-anointed “experts” and remain wary of academics, although I’ve met many with their feet on the ground who are worth of high respect.)
That said, educating yourself about great sales management (and anything else) is a solo pursuit. It means being a voracious reader. Blogs for sure. White papers. Articles. And books! Good old books that that take a deep dive into an issue.
Not only specifically business books, but all kinds of stuff. Stuff that makes you think. Great business ideas can come from the strangest places.
Here’s what’s in my queue: (You’ll note several “non-business” topics)
- Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson (Looking for insights into leadership)
- Cracking the Sales Management Code: The Secrets to Measuring and Managing Sales Performance
- The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains
(Such a huge business impact… what IS the internet doing to our brains?)
- The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance (Of interest since I was a football-playing Bio major way back when)
- The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
(Looking for insights into teamwork and a battling adversity)
And here’s the list of a thinking biz guy from whom I steal ideas on a regular basis:
Eight summer reading recommendations for B2B sales & marketing professionals
So get reading and make yourself more intelligent!