My area of expertise - the Internet - is constantly changing, so I have to keep up with what"s happening.
As soon as I produce an audio program about Google advertising, Google changes its rules.
I write an e-book about outsourcing through Elance, and Elance changes its Web site.
I talk about the difficulty of publishing video clips that most Internet users can see, and YouTube becomes a household name.
It"s hard work to keep up! But if I don"t, I fall behind.
Then again, maybe it"s EASIER for me.
I"m lucky, because I know my area of expertise is changing rapidly. So it"s an easy decision for me to invest in learning. And not just learning about my topic area, but also learning about marketing and business development.
It might not be so obvious to you. If you"re not working in an area that seems as dynamic as technology, it"s easy to fall into the trap of not investing enough in your professional development.
Even if your topic area isn"t moving very fast, just consider the impact of technology ...
If you"re a sales trainer in the car industry, what are you doing about the fact that eBay is the leading used-car dealership in the world?
If you teach networking skills, do you understand how Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn and Twitter are changing the way we interact with each other? And what about Skype, IM and SMS?
If you do customer service training, how are you dealing with private blogs, forums and other on-line tools where customers can vent their anger at your clients" businesses?
How much are you investing in yourself
Whatever your business and area of expertise, you must invest in on-going professional development.
Over the last year, I"ve invested over $25,000 in books, e-books, coaching, mentoring, workshops, conferences and other educational material.
Is that a lot? Maybe. I know some people who would have invested more - much more. And for some other people, that"s way too much.
Here"s the point: Invest in yourself. Don"t be afraid to put money, effort and time into your own professional development - in your topic area and in business development and marketing.
As million-dollar speaker trainer John Childers says, "It"s never a mistake to learn how to make more money."