Doing your job is the easy part. While many people can complete routine tasks, meet company standards and ensure customers are satisfied, they oftentimes fail at mastering their crafts.
Whatever your role is in a business, one of your top goals should always be to master your craft. Mastering your craft makes you not only more marketable to the industry you’re in, but better at what you’re already doing. Customers, prospects and peers can always spot someone who’s put in the hours, developed the skills and acquired the knowledge to perform at a higher level than others.
Every role is a craft that has process, functions and metrics that define success. Do you study your own craft? If so, how often? Are you constantly looking for ways to not only improve but practice your skills? What about measuring and assessing your progress? Mastering your craft takes a lot of effort.
As a young salesperson, I read every book, listened to every bit of audio, attended every training session and reached out to every mentor I could find. I succeeded in my line of work because the other salespeople I competed against were just simply going to their jobs and doing their best. Instead of mastering the craft of selling, they fell into the daily routines of their jobs and settled.
When I became a business owner, the process started all over again for me. It was much more complex than when I was mastering my craft as a salesperson, so it took a lot longer, and it required a lot more commitment on my part, but the process was the same — books, training, mentors.
These are two great examples because very few business owners and salespeople have truly mastered their crafts. They may work hard, care about their results, and do their best, but that’s not the same as working to become a professional who masters their craft on an ongoing basis.
I oftentimes ask MSP owners I meet about their numbers. You’d be shocked by the answers I receive. “I need to ask my accountant” is a common one, which, if you ask me, is just another way of saying, “I haven’t mastered my craft, Gary.” As a business owner, you shouldn’t have to ask your accountant for your quarterly net profit, net monthly recurring revenue gain and average monthly recurring revenue (MRR) numbers. Shouldn’t you as an owner stay informed of your numbers daily?
Even though we help TruMethods members with mastering their crafts by providing them with a variety of resources — including our peer groups — they’re the ones who must ultimately decide on whether becoming a master at their crafts is right for them.
If you haven’t yet mastered your craft, is there a reason why? Mastering your craft takes time and dedication, but after you put in a solid effort to grow, you’ll watch doors open. What are you waiting for?
