Many of you have to fly for your sales jobs. For the last several years, we’ve had the option to buy a wireless connection so we can work as though we’re in our office. This is an amazing service. In fact, it’s the greatest service that airlines offer that you should not use.
Think about how connected we are. I know, this topic is written about every day. However, take 30 seconds and think about how crazy it is that we basically sit around for the better part of our days and send letters back and forth to other people. Really – on many days, that’s pretty much what we do. We’re sales professionals. We’re supposed to boldly pursue people we don’t know and convince them to invest their company’s money with us in exchange for our goods or services. Our jobs require creativity, analysis, and thought; but how can we think at all while magnetized to our computers or smart phones?
Ok, so you probably agree that we’re all too wired. However, it’s tough to unplug – I’m as guilty as anyone. What if there was a place where you could unplug? A place where it was socially acceptable to unplug; where you could be stimulated by ideas that just come to you out of nowhere? Well, there is: 30,000 feet in the air.
When I fly, I feel untethered from the real world. No matter how many times I’ve taken off, there is a magical feeling about flying. My perspective shifts a little, and I stop thinking about some stupid email that I received at 8:33 that morning. I think about the important items in my job and my life. I get creative. Why would I voluntarily plug into the limited world of reaction and boredom when I have an endless universe of ideas at my disposal?
I even take it a step further. I leave my laptop in the bag. I block off that time to get creative. I’ll have one or two specific challenges that I need to solve, and use my pad of notebook paper and pen to solve them. I write the challenge at the top of the paper (e.g. ABC Integration – how to better align their sales team with their market), and just start writing, drawing, doodling, etc. Eventually, the answer comes to me.
I’m not saying you don’t use the wireless service if you have to have access something online, but as a rule unplug and work on more creative tasks without the interruptions. When I have to send an email before my arrival time, I’ll spend the $12 to send that one email and then shut down. Really, I do that quite often. Waste of money? No way. That email was probably worth it, and I know the creative time is definitely worth it. In fact, I’d pay twelve bucks on every flight to stay unplugged!
Try it next time you have a flight. Think about a problem that requires creativity, get out your pad of notebook paper, and start writing away.
