Can an experienced sales team change for the better – by reading books together? Our editor spoke to Dan Todd, sales director of Kloeber UK, to find out.
This is a shortened version of an article from Glass and Glazing Products (GGP) Magazine. To read the full version, in the September 2023 edition of GGP, click here.
“In our annual review meetings, I noticed that a lot of our guys craved personal development,” explained Dan Todd, sales director of Kloeber UK. “Our business coach recommended some books for us to read. But I only found myself reading two a year.
“I came across Blinkist, an app that offers subscribers 15-minute audio summarises of non-fiction books. Within a month of subscribing, I was chewing through books. I thought: Could this work for my team too? There’s no harm in trying.”
The Kloeber team’s book club began in April 2021. Once a week, at 8am, the 14-strong team meets online, to listen to a book for 15 minutes. They then discuss what they’ve heard.
“We’ve now read nearly 80 books together,” Dan told us. Thanks to the weekly book club, the Kloeber team is regularly learning about ideas and workable skills.
“The book club has been really valuable,” added Dan. “The guys respect each other more because of the deeper understanding we’ve gained. We’ve talked about our backgrounds and got a bit deep and personal at times. We’ve learned and kind of grown together.”
So how can business leaders follow the Kloeber team’s lead? “You’ve got to have a cohesive team,” Dan said, “but there’s nothing to lose by trying it.
“Have set rules: make sure there’s no other form of communication during the meeting. Phones should be on mute; cameras should be on; no one should be checking emails. We concentrate for 15 or 20 minutes, then everyone gets their chance to say what they want to say.”
Read the full version of this article, and Dan’s top six reads, in the September 2023 edition of GGP.
