I’m a sales trainer. I consider myself to be one of the best in the world. I love my job. I love every aspect of what I do. Except the job title: sales trainer.

Oh, sure, it’s just a title, one that’s been around for a hundred years. But when I think of a trainer, I think of someone in a lion’s cage snapping whips and shooting pistols. You know, a trainer.

My job is to help people learn. I try to teach them how to understand the selling process from the buyer’s prospective; that their attitude is shaped by the way they think; that it is better to serve than it is to rule. And I try to teach them that by asking questions, they’ll get closer to their desired goals than by stating facts or using timeworn sales techniques.

So, the big challenge for me goes beyond what I know. How do I teach what I know in a way so others will want to learn?

But enough about me. You don’t care about me; you only care about you. How do you learn?

Think back to when you were in school. I’m sure you can picture the teacher standing in front of the class with a lesson plan, talking for a while and writing some stuff on a chalkboard. You may have done some exercises and gotten a homework assignment, which you did or didn’t do (mostly didn’t). And then, after a few more lessons, you took a test. That grade determined how much you learned. Or did it? If you got a 60, you didn’t learn squat.

Whose fault was that? The teacher’s or the student’s? Answer: both. The teacher was boring and you failed to realize that you only had one shot at learning that particular bit of information. Besides, you really didn’t think that algebra or modern European history or grammar would take you to the Promised Land.

Back to learning. If you’re really interested in becoming great at sales, you have to learn it and study it, in spite of who is teaching it. And you have to learn it in a way you feel comfortable with, so you can apply what you learn in the real world. In other words, you have to accept the method or approach presented in the lesson and adapt it to your selling style. It has to be relevant to you, not just the instructor. In fact, most sales skills are learned without an instructor.

If I asked you, “Where did you learn most of your selling skills?” most of you would reply, “While I was making sales.” You’re partially correct. While you were making sales, you were applying your knowledge and adapting it to that situation or circumstance.

Starting this week is a more in-depth rundown of the 9.5 best ways to learn:

1. Reading. All reading presents an opportunity to learn —both good and bad things. You can learn the most from reading, yet it seems to be the medium people use the least. All the information you need to succeed is in a book. You just haven’t read the book — yet.

2. Studying. Reading things once will help you understand. Studying will help you master skills. In sales, mastery is the difference between winning and losing. It’s a very fine but clearly defined line. You either win the sale or lose it.

3. Writing. I write something every day. I’ve found it to be the best way to understand new information as I seek to master this craft. I gather the things that I know and, with some degree of clarity, I am able to put them into a usable, understandable and relatable format. I’ve been doing this every day for more than 12 years. Writing helps clarify things. Writing, in and of itself, generates new thoughts and ideas when you think none exist. Writing is a discipline. It is, in fact, the single element of my learning that has done the most to take me to a higher level.

Be sure to read the Business Record next week for a continuation of the 9.5 ways to learn.

Free GitBit: Want some sales proverbs to make you think and learn? They’re free. Go to www.gitomer.com; register if you’re a first-time user, and enter the word PROVERBS in the GitBit box.

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com.