Even the smartest people in the world face this limit of knowledge at times: You don’t know what you don’t know. By the same token, it’s hard to figure out what you don’t know when you’re totally on your own!

Sure, you may eventually learn from every mistake you ever make that there was probably an easier way. Or you may eventually recoup the waste of resources that occurs during setbacks in business, marketing or technical capability.

But you’d be much wiser to leverage the knowledge of others.

To get past blind spots, you need someone with experience – a trainer, coach or mentor – to come alongside and show you a better way. That’s why taking advantage of training programs, especially live and in-person events, is a valuable strategy for your success.

Here are a few areas where training can boost your bottom line:

• Avoid the mistakes of others – There’s a tremendous amount of insight to be gained from someone else’s poor judgment. Training events give you the chance to hear from people who’ve been where you are and have learned from experience and can help you avoid their missteps. 

• Make course corrections – Instincts aren’t always right, and when an untrained worker meets a customer and an uncertain situation, inexperience can lead to lost time, materials, business or even reputation. It’s hard to measure the cost of not knowing what could have been easier and more profitable, but continuing to improve business, communication and technical skills will always serve you well. 

• Find time to focus – Most of us have books we meant to read or signed up for webinars that we didn’t complete. But work gets in the way, and we just don’t get to the material. Attending a training session in person, however, gets you away from your email, phone and schedule. There’s less distraction and a better environment in which to listen, participate and learn. 

• Build relationships – There’s something to be said for being around people who understand your frustrations in business or who are as excited as you are about a new opportunity. Spending time with presenters and fellow attendees will provide valuable input – and begin relationships that can continue long after the session.

• Stay current – Technology and trends are always evolving, new services become in-demand and new equipment continues to be introduced with higher-tech features. You don’t want to be the one who answers a customer’s potentially profitable question with, “No, I haven’t heard about that product,” or “Sorry, we don’t offer that service.” Staying “in the know” keeps you adaptable and able to act on new opportunities.

“I’m too busy for training” is a common sentiment. Yet taking a step back to improve processes and skills always brings a return. When you take advantage of tools that are available and invest your time in training, you reap a multifold return in strategic thinking, performance and decision-making as well as improved motivation and morale for yourself and your team.

Hans Heating and Air, The EverRest Group’s own 20% net profit HVAC company, is in the trenches every day just like you. That means we practice what we preach when it comes to training and continual learning. It helps us meet our goal of fine-tuning existing strategies and developing new ones to make your life easier and your business more profitable.

As an EverRest member, our training and resources are available to you at absolutely zero cost. Why not take advantage of one of our upcoming classes? Visit our Events page for more information and to register today!