There is an interesting story I heard about how the pioneers built log cabins in the early years in settling America. Most settlers came to America from Europe, especially England, where building materials were not as plentiful as here in America. The East Coast was lined with trees but the settlers lacked the knowledge on how to fully use the trees. It wasn’t until 1640 when the Swedes arrived that the thought of building their houses out logs became popular. This was the official birth of the American log cabin. This method of building saved time and labor.
The pioneers would take their axes and their saws and begin cutting trees and clearing out an area to live, farm and settle. Most had figured out to cut notches in the trees and stack them in such a way that it did not require nails or spikes to connect the logs. The average time to build a single log cabin was about 3 days. However, as the pioneers kept building day after day, they noticed it was taking longer and longer to cut down trees and saw logs. One pioneer noticed that continuing to use the axes and saws continuously cutting wood was causing the blades to dull. Therefore after building each cabin they would stop to sharpen their blades in order to keep up the pace of their first cabins.
Sometimes in our insurance agencies or small businesses we get so busy cutting trees, clearing land and building cabins, we neglect to stop to sharpen our saw. We get caught up setting appointments, helping customers and making sales that we neglect to stop to sharpen our saws. We have to work in the business but we also must work on the business. If we neglect to keep marketing, prospecting and trust building our saw gets dull and it becomes more difficult to keep up our normal pace and we notice sales and revenue start to slide. Not only do we have to take the time to work on the business but also continue to work on ourselves. We can be very complicated when it comes to reading positive inspiring books or listening to inspiring podcasts or webinars. We get so busy and caught up in our day to day clear the land and build my cabin that we neglect to stop to sharpen our saw.
Take out your calendar today and make the time to work on the business, meaning marketing, networking and thanking your good clients. But also write in the time to work on yourself. Just like walking, jogging or working out, we must exercise our minds to great inspirational books, listening to podcasts or CDs while we drive to and from appointments or joining a Mastermind group to share ideas and learn from fellow business owners in your industry and outside your industry. If you have the sharpest saw, you will build the most log cabins.
“Sharpen the Saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have–you. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual.”—Stephen Covey
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Tim Wilhoit is owner/principal of Your Friend 4 Life Insurance Agency in Nashville, TN. He is a family man, father of 3, entrepreneur, insurance agent, life insurance broker, salesman, sales trainer, recruiter, public speaker, blogger and team leader with over 26 years of experience in sales and marketing in the insurance and beverage industries.
Great info as usual!!
Thank you Jack, I always value your kind words.
I believe the quote is credited to Lincoln who suggested one should spend twice as long sharpening the ax before cutting the tree down. In a business application it could be phrased to say twice as long preparing for the sale as you do making the sale. Do your research, know your prospect what the need is and fill it.
Brian, you may very well be right. Lincoln probably had a lot of quotes attributed to axes and log cabins. I can’t disagree with your point about prepare twice as long as you sell. However, I believe it goes much deeper than that. We must work on the business as well as in the business as well as ourselves. Most people neglect at least one of the three. I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this subject.
Thanks Tim,
Your message is very apt for people who have been in business for a long time.
As Brian Tracy says, four areas mentioned by you are essential for developing oneself. He also mentions in one of his tapes, the amount of business you develop is directly proportional to your personal growth.
Rao Jillepalli CFP
Toronto Nov 19 2013
Rao, thank you for your kind words. I really appreciate you sharing that.
Tim that is so true and sometimes we don’t realize it til some one like you sends a reminder “Great Job” thanks.
Thank you for the kind words George!
Great Question – Success in the Insurance and Benefits industry requires a vigilant dedication to learning – sharpening skills! Given the disruptive changes in these markets, it is wise to keep several blades – areas of expertise – very sharp!
Phil, I couldn’t have said it any better. These are some crazy changing times in our industry. There is a lot of saw sharpening to be done now.
“if you getting better, you stop being good.” – Frank Bettger (How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling)
here’s one about Continuing Education:
“Two men cut wood all day long. One worked straight through, without stopping to rest. At the end of the day, he had a sizable pile of logs.
The other would chop for 50 minutes and then take a ten-minute break. At the end of the day, he had a much larger pile.
“How could you chop more?” asked the man who’d worked continuously.
His friend replied: “When I stop for rest, I also sharpened my ax.”
Duke,
I can always count on your insight on any of my blogs. That is a great short analogy. I really appreciate you sharing it.
I sharpen my saw!
Actually, being someone that can swing a hammer with the best of them and wield a chainsaw…. Yes, the primary thing to keep from cutting yourself is a sharp blade… The first thing though is….make sure you stop and think about what you’re doing once in awhile. Management 101. Think about that the next time you have a 21″ blade at your control for a few hours.
Every time I try I cut my fingers.
Thanks for the reminder! I always liked this concept when I first read about it in the 7 Habits.
Cheaper to buy a new blade than get the old teeth replaced any more.
Great article. I attribute Stephen Covey’s ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ with being a major positive influence in my personal life and career. It was truly paradigm shifting moment for me when I first read it.
I love this analogy of sharpening a saw to stopping in a job or business to see what needs to be done to improve it.
As a woodworker, this is quite true. Also true is that carbide blades do dull over time and require sharpening or replacement. Same for business planning, strategy, marketing and tech support. They require periodic sharpening – as do professional skills. A carpenter is only as good as his tools and a chain only as strong as the weakest link.
“If you stop getting better, you stop being good.” – Frank Bettger in “How I Raise Myself from Failure to Success in Selling”
It’s invigorating to sharpen your saw. Unfortunately, in our increasingly eclectic environments, it sometimes falls to the bottom of our priority lists. It should be a set item in our to do lists.