Recently I have been polling my classes on their level of expertise in certain areas of technology so I can deliver a successful program.
Consistently, over the last few months, in these polls, more than half of all my students feel they are beginners, or early intermediate. This is whether it is social media, managing internet leads, blogging, using video on their web presence or using contact management to manage their business. The list goes on.
Whatever topic, I find that there is a level of frustration because many feel overwhelmed and I usually address this attitude so I can deliver my materials and have it rest on open minds and hearts.
I used to ask . . . What is the ROI on your technology tools? And the answers led to more frustration.
- Not sure because I don’t have time
- I have too much of a learning curve
- Don’t know which questions to ask to make good decisions
- Just give me a technology pill that I can swallow and make it all work
- There must be a program that I can buy that is the silver bullet.
Then I realized – it is not a ROI, but it is a ROT. Yes, I know, the acronym doesn’t work, but it did get your attention.
ROT = Return on Time
This stuff takes time no matter whatever age you are.
You need to invest “time,” butt time, to figure things out. Lots of research out there. Lots of resources. You are in the right place. Everyone on Agentgenius is a a wealth of knowledge. Lots of sharing going on. Do a search for lots of great information.
Make a technology plan. Get a notebook. Every time you learn something new write it down. When you have some time to review, all your notes will be in one place. I know it sounds corny, but eventually you won’t need the notebook.
Pick four areas you want to get better at. Give yourself three months for each topic.
- Find an accountability partner in your office and chat once a week.
- Join a mastermind or networking group that meets once a week or month for breakfast
- Find a technology coach ( great idea 🙂
Go to the local high school, ask the guidance counselor for a tenth grader looking for job, but you need to ask for a geek with personality. They can’t be monosyllabic, can’t be related.
Have them come to the office from 3 to 6 Monday through Friday. Have the office take some of the hours and get commitment from the agents in your office to take some of them also. You will have someone committed to help you and they will leave every Friday with some nice income. We did that at an office I consulted with and we reaped the benefits. Not only did they learn every software in our company, but they were able to train everyone. We had a schedule on the wall and everyone signed up for an hour or the whole three hours.
In the end the company also received a School – Business partnership press release.
ROT? Corny, I think not.
