Ever wonder what makes knowledge so powerful for some and not for others? It is not the knowledge alone that makes the difference, but the application of the knowledge that makes it powerful. My dad used to say it this way…knowledge is powerful, but if not shared, becomes worthless. I strive to share the knowledge I have daily. Even more important, I place great importance on the gaining of new knowledge consistently.
My wife put it this way. To get me to paint a room, she once placed a can of paint and the related tools at the top of the basement stairway. As she exited the room to go shopping (a favorite activity of my in-laws), said “a can of paint remains a can of paint, until it is applied to the wall”. I replied “Yeah, sure. See you later”. You see, I was watching a Steeler game, one of my family traditions on a Sunday in Pittsburgh. It was my way of disengaging the conversation to get back to football. But that was not the end of the event.
At the next commercial I was returned to a statement in Mary Poppins, where Banks uses the word supercalifragilistic-expialidocious. The term was centered around the joke…a wooden leg named Smith. Dick Van Dyke’s character gets the joke and laughs himself to the next life. Going out with a smile on his face. There is something to be said for that. Anyway, I had a wooden leg named Smith moment as I pondered the statement made by my wife.,,a can of paint remains a can of paint, until? You see, I realized in that moment that nothing changes until it is applied.
Application is not everything, but it is the main thing. Xerox trained their sales force to adhere to this phrase…the main thing, is to keep the main thing, the main thing. If you make applying your learning to your business and personal life, you will realize the changes you desire. It may not come quickly, but it will come. As always, we’re here to help you learn to market naturally.
