The most valuable card in my wallet

"Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend, inside of a dog it is too dark to read"
Groucho Marx

I was talking with a chiropractor who advertises in my paper. He told me that a lot of back pain is caused by sitting on a thick wallet in a back pocket. Since most people carry little cash these days, why are our wallets bulging? It is because in addition to our cash we carry a thick stack of cards. Visa, MasterCard, Amex cards, store credit cards, & retail shopper cards share the space with our ID and cash. It is hard to imagine living in the modern world without these little plastic rectangles. We guard these cards carefully because they literally contain our lives. I carry all the usual cards but there is one card that I value over all the others. It is not a gold or platinum credit card but my library card.

As a sales person, manager and trainer I need to be a walking resource to my customers and coworkers. I need to constantly build my skills. My library card allows me to do this on the cheap. When I started my career in advertising, I knew very little about the industry. To remedy this problem, I hit the card catalog (It was a long time ago) of the local Carnegie library. Over the course of a year I read everything they had on the subject. My teachers were the greats of the advertising world. I read John Caples, David Ogilvy and Rosser Reeves. I combined my "book learning" with what I learned from my manager and from the experienced reps to become an expert in my field.

Today I manage my reading on the library web site, but I am still a regular customer. I read the latest books on sales, advertising and business in general. The library provides me with a continuous supply of audiobooks on CD to make my "windshield time" more productive. Our local Carnegie lets me access the collections of libraries across the state so I can usually find what I am looking for.

I keep a notebook where I jot down the ideas that I find particularly useful. When I find a book that really impresses me I will purchase it. I refer to my personal library and my notes whenever I am asked to do a training or when I face a challenge. This old school data base saves me a lot of time and helps me to be more effective. By broadening my knowledge, I am able to connect with more customers and have a bigger bag of tricks to use on calls.

A library card is the bet deal in town. It costs nothing to acquire, but will deliver immeasurable benefits for years to come. My library card has allowed me to tap into the minds of some of the world's greatest thinkers. Knowledge is truly power, my library card has given me the power to connect with other people and persuade them to my cause. My library card not only helps me to become a better sales rep, manager and trainer but it makes me a better person. My library card is without a doubt the most valuable card in my wallet.