8 Universal Knowledge Transfer Rules

This past week, we wrapped up our 3-part webinar series with DialAmerica on Creating Growth with a webinar on knowledge transfer. We wanted the series to serve as a blueprint for promoting growth in numerous areas of an organization. With each webinar, we introduced processes and tools that could create new growth opportunities.

Our first webinar was titled Leadership Pivots in Changing Times, and was the foundation to the series. We began with addressing the leaders and managers of departments and teams.

Our second webinar focused on connecting teams and using peer-to-peer relationships to create growth. This webinar, Creating New Indicators of Growth, discussed breaking down silos within organizations, and bridging the gaps between departments.

Our final webinar was called How Effective Knowledge Transfer Plans Can Improve Your Bottom Line, and it covered just that! The goal of this finale was to encourage businesses to expand the horizons of their organization, to consider the potential of being open, curious, and willing to share through knowledge transfers. And provided people do that while also implementing the tools and strategies that were shared in parts 1 and 2, we think people will see positive change and benefits from these practices.

The biggest takeaway from our series was the realization that knowledge transfer is vital to a successful organization. It happens all around us–sharing stories, ideas, best practices. With remote work, it can be difficult to capture these moments. And if you don't pay attention or aren't intentional about capturing knowledge, you just might miss it. So ask yourself–is my organization utilizing knowledge transfer as best as we could be? If the answer is no, that's okay!

Below I've summarized these 8 Universal Knowledge Transfer Rules for you to take back to your team.

1. Be relevant.

It's as simple as it sounds. If you want to receive knowledge or to transfer knowledge, stay relevant and on topic. This can save time and keep everyone focused. Especially if you're a leader, being efficient and goal-oriented will set an example for the rest of your team.

2. Share success stories.

In our experience, success stories can help motivate others and help them feel encouraged.​ Whether it be that they need an example to go off of, or just that they need some inspiration, success stories are always good to have in your back pocket. If you're a salesperson, I'm sure you have stories you share with clients. Consider doing the same with your team!

3. Always ask for the “why” as well as the “how” (logistics).

Try to get an understanding of the philosophy and the mechanics.

For example, if you have a top performer who is leaving your organization, this rule is vital. What are that person's best practices? How do they do what they do, and why do they do it? They might not even think about the actions they take because they are so second nature to them. So before they leave their position, be sure to ask them questions.

4. Bring in the right people at the right time.

Time is precious! Don't just bring everybody in at once because they might be relevant to your project. By doing so, you could derail the team.

For example, maybe you want to have one on one time with a client so you can pick their brain on what it is they need. Then, if you have a product you want to sell to them, you can bring in a technical specialist who can help explain how the product will solve these specific problems. But you don't want to bring in the specialist right away if they are not going to be part of the conversation from the top of the engagement.

5. Know what it is that you are solving for.

At CFS, we always say: salespeople are problem-solvers. Start with the end in mind. What is your end goal? Once you've identified that, you can work backwards to ask the right questions and seek out solutions.

6. Understand context.

This is a key part of knowledge transfer: everything has context. Why someone does something a specific way could be loaded with context; maybe it's the way their manager has always wanted them to do it or the way they learned to do something because of an old system. If you can understand context surrounding knowledge, then when you move forward or make changes, there will be no knowledge gaps about why or how something will or should change.

7. Have a knowledge management system.

A knowledge management system can be something like a Sales PlayBook, a place where knowledge is captured, documented, and so on. Much like schools have textbooks, companies should have knowledge management systems! We can help you build a Sales PlayBook here.

8. Keep an open mind.​

Lastly, if you want to see the benefits of knowledge transfer, you must enter with an open mind. Be willing to change processes, to try new things, and to be curious. It will open up doors to opportunities, ideas, and people.

Want more from CFS? Check out our podcast, Let's Talk Sales!