Of A Floyd Wickman Trainer By Mike Pallin, Master Trainer, President and Talent Scout of The Floyd Wickman Team

I am often asked what a day in the life of a trainer is like, and I am eager to share this little story with you. This is my routine when out on the road teaching a Floyd Wickman Program.

Wake up early. Train the brain. Recite the Master Salesperson's Pledge, usually three times, before I get out of bed. This year I am also reading the scrolls from Og Mandino's, Greatest Salesman In The World. Then I write in a journal. Whatever comes to mind. It's more about keeping the creativity channel open than about content.

And then I walk. Get ready for class. Check email and voice mail and Floyd's post on facebook. Eat. Get to class by 8:00 am.

Students, managers, sponsors begin arriving. Some with questions. Some to review a dialogue or tool they're not clear on how to use yet. Some to share a success story.

I really like the few minutes before a session starts. They are like the calm before the storm. At Session 1, I'm reconnecting with the people I met two weeks ago at the Event, and they are brimming with anticipation and a head full of questions. By Session 3, it's like an Amway love-in. By Session 7 graduation day, we're family. Lots of hugs and high fives.

The session begins with a little P.E.P. talk. That stands for Putting Everything (Into) Perspective. Spaced training is developmental work, and just like working out at the gym, the hardest time to stay motivated is before you see the results but you already feel the pain. So, at the beginning of each week, it's my job to help our students see the end result in advance. Not everyone is patient enough to trust that the end result will be worth all the hard work.

Then I turn it over to the Team Leaders for the Team huddles. Teams gather in the corners, out in the hall, under the stairs, and gather all the SMART Numbers (activity and results) for the previous week. They share Success Stories, and do a little troubleshooting to make sure everyone is up to speed. When we all come back together, each Team reports their numbers and I get to award the traveling trophies to the Team with the best per person production; the Most Improved Team; and the Team with the most enthusiasm.

The rest of the day is for teaching. We teach, demonstrate, role-play, critique. Just like lather, rinse and repeat. All of the dialogues, tools, systems and techniques.

There are two really unique advantages in teaching Floyd's Program. One is that every session is like a speaking engagement without having to worry about who will show up, how the room is set up, what time we get started, and all those little details you sweat when it's a one-time speech. And the other is that the material is so rich and multi-layered, that it never, ever gets repetitive. In twenty-seven years of teaching Floyd Wickman Programs, I am always pleasantly surprised. And ultimately the best part is that it is easy for people to learn.

If you are a trainer and you care about getting results, in other words you care more about their performance than your performance, teaching Floyd's Program is a dream come true. It's really the best of both worlds.

When the session is finished, usually around 3:00 pm, I always stay after for those who ask for extra help. We usually don't have time to answer individual questions during the session, but I am happy to stay until midnight if I am asked.

Then it's either homeward-bound, or on to the next program.

Oh, did I mention how much fun it is to see the light bulbs going off? That magic moment when someone "gets it." Or that agent who has been struggling to stay afloat who all of a sudden takes off and produces like gangbusters. Or those thank-you's that say, "You changed my life."

There is no feeling in the world like knowing that you are making a positive difference for people who really want and need to succeed.

And by the way, if you know someone who might be interested in adding Floyd Wickman Trainer to their resume, have them call me at 734-213-7512 or email me at [email protected]!  I'm happy to share!