Stage One – Unconscious Incompetent
This is the stage where you are oblivious. It could be said, “You don’t know that you don’t know”. At this stage you are unaware and unskilled.
Stage Two – Conscious Incompetent
This is the stage where you become aware that you are unskilled. At this stage you come to “know that you don’t know” that your skills are lacking. This can be very uncomfortable and perhaps intimidating.
Stage Three – Conscious Competent
This is the stage where you are becoming more skilled and comfortable with the new behaviors or skills. It seems like hard work because you have to “think about” everything you are doing. It requires a lot of mental energy and can be exhausting. At this stage you are beginning to “get the hang of it”.
Stage Four – Unconscious Competent
This is the stage where you can execute “in the moment”. You no longer have to think about your response to any situation. You are running on autopilot. You now own the new behavior or skill. It usually takes two to five years of constant practice and study to get to this stage. Less than 10% of sales people ever achieve this level.
Stage Five- Master
This is the stage where you begin to develop new skills, attitudes and behaviors that have not yet been taught or discovered. You become a guru or pioneer. Less than 2% of sales people ever reach this level. It takes five to ten years of intense study to reach this level.