The Importance of Learning by Osmosis | Zachary Ballenger - 1453

The Sales Evangelist

Before the pandemic, salespeople could hear and learn from their peers through unscheduled interactions. But with water-cooler conversations at an all-time low, how can we continue to learn from our team members? On today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, we’re joined by Zach Ballenger, co-founder of Casted, to discuss how companies can continue to foster spontaneous conversations in the virtual office.

What is learning in osmosis?

• Learning by osmosis uses that desktop chatter you don’t expect to hear. It’s walking by your coworker right when he gives an excellent pitch or when you casually see how your colleague organizes her work on her computer—organic learning through unscheduled interactions.
• A lot of salespeople don’t want to go back to an office post-pandemic. While there are many benefits to virtual work, losing the ability to develop unscheduled conversations is one element that is unfortunately lost.

What are the benefits of osmosis learning?

• It facilitates unexpected growth opportunities. With an in-person office, nuances such as handovers and explanations provide context for growth, especially for those newer in the industry.
• Overhearing information can inform potential training and opportunities to perform better.

What can we do to foster osmosis learning in some way in a remote environment?

• Have colleagues shadow each other throughout their workday. They might learn something new by watching the tasks they perform each day completed in an entirely new way.
• Create pop-up zoom meetings for employees to work together, even if they aren’t directly working together on anything in particular.
• Start a Discord server for anyone who plays games or shares a hobby to build relationships outside of the office.

What tip do you have for a sales rep who feels they miss that type of learning?

• Let someone know you want that element integrated into your workday. You can rely on management to help start this process, but don’t be afraid to ask your other coworkers and colleagues.

Are you interested in learning more from Zach? Reach out to him on his company website or connect on LinkedIn.

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Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder wrote by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.