OREANDA-NEWS. July 21, 2015. Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich said, “The person who stops studying merely because he has finished school is forever hopelessly doomed to mediocrity, no matter what may be his calling.”

It’s amazing what a little extra curricular learning can do. When I was 18 and at a loss for what to do with my life, I took on a commission-only, door-to-door sales job in telecommunications. Soon after starting with the organization I found out that, though they mandated five days of product training before allowing new hires to go out and sell, there was no sales training to speak of—I was expected to just figure it out.

Given the “go figure it out for yourself” philosophy, there was no surprise that, though I started with twenty other trainees, the number shrank over the next two weeks until I was the only one left. Yet, a few mere weeks after that, I was named the number one salesperson nationally; this company was the second largest telecommunications provider in the country. So what made me different; was I simply born to sell?

Truthfully, I was not a sales prodigy; in fact, I was an introverted kid who, up until a year earlier, had the reading and writing speed of a sixth grader due to a disability. To this day, I can distinctly remember the grueling 93 doors it took before I made my first sale; that’s hardly the story of a natural.

So what was it that made me different than the twenty other trainees at that telecommunications job? The answer is, I learned the secret to consuming information quickly and, as a result, more than halved the learning curve.

You may be surprised to discover that the secret weapon that thrust me to the top, past many, much older sales veterans, was YouTube. What you may not know is that the home of countless sports bloopers, movie trailers, and cat videos is also an amazing resource for learning. YouTube is home to a wide array of sales, marketing, and “how-to” videos making it—at least at the time—the number one source for anyone attempting to digest a lot of information quickly. On an even more incredible note, this fantastic store of knowledge also happens to be free.

Now I have five multimillion-dollar success stories to my name, and have just turned 30. A highly sought-after speaker and good friend of mine jokes that, to have achieved all that I have, I must have started my career when I was twelve.

The honest truth is I didn’t start earlier, work harder, or get luckier than anyone else. I just knew more than most and therefore was more prepared to handle the challenges I faced, while capitalizing on the opportunities that came my way. Such hurdles might seriously inhibit those less informed, delaying their growth and keeping them from recognizing chances for advancement.

I don’t say this to brag, but rather to stress that knowledge is key. My experience as an 18-year-old kid using YouTube to dominate far older and more experienced salespeople taught me one thing: taking in information quickly is the key to success. Robert Kiyosaki says, “In today’s fast-changing world, it’s not so much what you know anymore that counts, because often what you know is old. It is how fast you learn.” The Japanese have a word, “Kaizen,” which means that, no matter what point a person is at in their life, they should always be seeking gradual and continuous growth. I would suggest that, if you truly wish to have success, you embrace the concept of Kaizen in your own life.

The good news is that the world has continued to evolve and create ever-advancing technology. Now there are so many ways to consume information, many of them far more convenient than sitting in front of your PC watching video after video.

My absolute favorites are the following:

1)    Lisgo: This is a free app that enables you to turn websites and blogs into audio. This way, you can listen to your favorite news articles, a blog post you’ve been meaning to read and, well, the applications are endless. Lisgo provides a convenient and inexpensive way to cross things off your reading list.

2)    Audible: You’ve probably heard of this popular audiobook site, but you may not have considered its value to your professional development: rather than listen to a novel on your way to work, consider listening to a book on business, sales, motivation, or entrepreneurship. If you’re someone who likes to take notes, like me, Audible’s easy-to-use bookmark feature will become your favorite learning tool. You simply click a button and take easy notes for review or to prompt yourself to re-listen at a later time.

Helpful note: while Audible is a paid service, they are always offering promotions to get your first month free, or to buy one month and get three free, so give it a shot; you have nothing to lose.

3)    Podcasts: These are perhaps the best way to stay up-to-date on a wide-ranging number of topics; they are also a free resource. Seek out podcasts where the host interviews guests as well as speaks on a variety of relevant subjects. I suggest listening to a lot of experts before zeroing in on someone with whom you identify, and treating that person as a mentor.

Listening is a fantastic way to grow your knowledge, get ahead of the game, and become as well-prepared as possible for any situation you may encounter. The best part is, you can do it all while walking the dog or driving to and from work. Utilize these resources we’ve discussed, and your personal growth will match the fast pace of the world around you. Trust me, it won’t take long till you start to see opportunities everywhere you go and easily side step challenges that would normally knock you down.

About the Author

Matthew Pollard is the Rapid Growth Guy! With five multi-million-dollar business success stories to his name, and a prestigious Young Achiever Award, Matthew has been characterized as a true differentiation, niche marketing, and sales systemization powerhouse. Matthew is a recurring guest on Fox7’s Good Day Austin, as well as a featured contributor to CEO, Entrepreneur, and Top Sales World Magazine. He is also a sought after judge at many of Americas most prominent startup events including Google Start-up Weekend, AngelHack, and Microsoft’s 60 Seconds to Startup. Matthew now brings about rapid growth and business transformation all over the world, through his many speaking and coaching activities as well as his top-rated iTunes podcast Better Business Coach.

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