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Chapter One

Selling — The Proud Profession

By Zig Ziglar

As Zig was about to start his presentation, Digger leaned over and nudged his young friend sitting beside him. "You are going to love this Jack. Zig is the best. The absolute best."

With that, Zig started to speak.

I was going to start our time together with a little story I tell that will knock your hair out, but I notice several of you fellows have already heard it. So I certainly won't go into that at this particular moment. So, let me simply start by saying that years and years ago I was flying on a plane, which incidentally is the general way I fly, and I was seated next to an old boy who I couldn't help but notice had his wedding band on the index finger of his left hand. Well, I commented on it by saying, "Fellow, I can't help but notice you got your wedding band on the wrong finger." He looked over at me and said with a slight grin on his face, "Yeah, I married the wrong woman."

Well, I don't know if he married the wrong woman, but I do know that most people have a lot of wrong ideas about what professional salespeople are, what they represent, what they do, and the contributions they make. So, let's start with some questions for each of us to think about. Do you believe that you sell a really good product or service? Do you know that your product or service solves a problem? Do you believe that when you sell a product or service that solves a problem you deserve a profit? Do you believe that if you sell for example two products that solve two problems that you deserve two profits?

Let me ask you another question that may sound a bit odd to you. Have you been in the world of selling for as long as a year? Now, do you still have every dime that you’ve ever earned in the profession of selling? However, do you have customers that are still using and benefiting from what you sold them a year ago, two years ago, ten years ago, or even longer? So, here is the big question. Who’s the big winner, you or the customer? It is the customer, isn’t it? So, then is the profession of selling something you do to somebody or for somebody? So, why would you ever hesitate doing something nice to someone when you know he/she will benefit for a long, long time?

One of the things that happens to me periodically is that somebody will be thinking they are paying me a compliment by saying, “I imagine you can sell anything to anyone.” When that happens, I always tell them that they have just described a con artist. A professional salesperson cannot and will not sell anything unless he or she knows without a shadow of a doubt that the customer is the big winner in the transaction. That’s what the professional salesperson does. The message is very clear: make certain the customer is the big winner if you are going to build a career in the world of selling. And, to do that, you must sell products, goods, or services, where you are absolutely clear that when you leave that customer, he/she is the big winner.

Now, I want to tell you I’m very proud to be a salesperson, and a lot of people don’t realize this, but America was literally discovered by a salesperson. Not by any stretch of the imagination could you excuse Christopher Columbus of being a navigator. He was looking for India; he missed it by twelve thousand miles. Now, let me tell you, that is not navigation.

Well, he was an Italian in Spain. Now, that is way out of his territory. He only had one prospect to call on, and if they said no, he would have had to swim back home. He really had to do some selling. On the trip, he literally had to keep selling in order to keep sailing. Not only that, but he had to make a sale before he even got aboard the ships because Isabelle and Ferdinand of Spain kept saying to him, “Chris, the price is too high. We can’t afford it.” Now, that is the same thing your prospects have been saying to you.

Since I was not there, I am sure this isn’t verbatim, but I can imagine the conversation went something like this. Chris locked eyes with Isabelle and said, “Look, Izzy, you got a string of beads around your neck. Why don’t we take them down to the pawn shop and hawk them so that we can finance the deal that way?” Historically speaking, they literally had to make special arrangements in order to get the deal done. So, America was discovered by a salesperson. We were also populated by a salesperson. Sir Walter Rally toured the coffee houses of London persuading those people to leave the security of their homeland to go into a foreign land where you had no guarantee on anything at all, and because of his successful selling, people came in droves to America.

America was freed by a sales professional. His name was George Washington. If you are a sales manager, I want you to consider this. Washington had to do a super sales job. He said to prospective recruits, “Look, we’re going to go to war against the most powerful nation on earth. They have a big army and a big navy. We are planning a rebellion and we are going to fight those people, and I have got to tell you, to be completely honest, if we win this war, I’m not going to be able to pay you; sorry about that. And if we lose it, they are going to hang you from the highest tree.” Now, if you think that you have trouble recruiting, just think about ole George. I mean he really had to do a sales job. We were freed by a salesperson.

We expanded our territory by salespeople, Louis and Clark. The first 175 years after the American Revolution, we were still just on the verge of the Appalachian Mountains. Louis and Clark studied what the British had done so they set up trading posts, manned by salespeople, so that when people went westward they could get the supplies that were necessary. So, we were not only discovered by a salesperson, freed by a salesperson, populated by a salesperson, and expanded by salespeople, but today you as salespeople are completely responsible for goods and services you sell. Our whole economy depends on it.

Let me ask you another question. Are you required to have a little piece of paper that you write the order on when you make a sale? Most salespeople at one point or another have to use paper, is that not true? Well, you see, that paper didn’t start out as paper. It started out as a tree. Now what had to happen was we had to go out into the woods, cut the tree down, and then haul it to the paper mill. Now, had you not made the sale, there’d be no need for that in the paper mill, and there are hundreds of people involved in manufacturing that tree into paper.

What happens is that you take part of your profits you made on the sale and you go to the grocery store and you buy a can of beans and the grocer says if you are going to buy my beans then I got to get some more. So, he goes to the wholesaler and says, “Hey, need more beans.” The wholesaler says, if you’re going to buy my beans, then I got to get some more, so he goes to the canner and says, “Need more beans.” The canner says if you are going to buy my beans, then I got to get some more. The canner goes to the farmer and says, “Need more beans.” The farmer says if you are going to buy my beans, then I got to raise some more, and to do that, I got to get me a new tractor because the one I got is all worn out. So, he goes down to the dealer and says, “Got to have a new tractor,” and the dealer says to himself, “Man, if you are going to buy my tractor, then I got to go to the factory and get another one because this is the last one I got.” So, he goes to the factory and the factory says if you’re going to do that, I have to bring in iron, plastic, steel, aluminum, lead, zinc, rubber, and all of the things to manufacture that tractor, and every bit of that happened because one day you got out there and made a sale. And, let me tell you, friend, that’s what you ought to tell people.

Our economy is dependent on that. Since the economy is dependent on it, understand that your character is a critically important part of all of this. I’m not talking about making a sale. I’m talking about making a sale so that you can make the next one, and the next one, and the next one, and the next one. That’s why character is so important.

Years ago, I spent fifteen years selling heavy-duty waterless cookware. I was the number one salesperson in America working for the Salad Master Corporation out of Dallas, Texas. I never will forget one occasion in Columbia, South Carolina. My friend Bill was struggling. Now, Bill and I sold the same product. We were in different organizations, but we were friends, so we would frequently get together just to chat.

I was over at his house. I was really excited and there was Bill singing the blues. We were in his kitchen having a little chat. I mean things were tough, and as I got talking to him, I said, “Well, Bill, I know what your problem is”

He said, “What’s my problem, man; tell me quick.”

I said, “You’re trying to sell something you don’t believe in.”

Well, he about exploded. He said, “What do you mean I don’t believe in it? We have the greatest set of cookware on the American market.”

I said, “I know that, Bill, but it’s obvious you don’t know it.”

In a testy voice, Bill said, “What do you mean I don’t believe in it? I left the company I was with for four years. I was a manager there, and I came aboard here as a salesperson because I believe in this product.”

I made a little eye contact with the set of pots he had hanging over his stove… and they weren’t our company’s pots.

“Oh, that,” said Bill. “But Zig, you know what my situation is. Man, I wrecked my car, and for about a month there, I had to depend on the bus and cabs in order to go make calls. You can’t operate like that. And, you know my wife has been in the hospital. She was in there for ten days, and we didn’t have any insurance. The hospital bill was horrendous. Now, it looks like we’re going to have to put the boys in the hospital to get their tonsils out. But Zig, I am going to get a set of the cookware.”

I then asked him how long he had been with our company. He said it had been five years. I then asked him what his excuse was last year for not having a set of the cookware. And the year before that and the year before that. I then looked right into his eyes and said, “Bill, let me tell you the thought process that takes place when you’re in the closing situation and the prospect says to you, ‘Bill I’d love to buy this set of cookware. It is really neat, but you see, I can’t. I wrecked my car a month ago and my wife’s been in the hospital for ten days and I don’t have any insurance, and man, that just stripped us bare. Now it looks like we ’re going to have to put the boys in the hospital and get their tonsils out.’ I said, “Now Bill, you and I both know nobody is going to come up with exactly the same excuses that you came up with, but when they give you any excuse at all, you’re sitting there saying to yourself quietly, ‘Now think positive, Bill. Think positive ’, but deep down, what you’re thinking is ‘Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. That’s the reason I don’t have a set of the stuff myself.”

I let that sink in for a moment and then I told Bill that he needed to buy a set of the cookware from himself that day before he went out to make his first sales call. He asked me if I really thought it was that important. I told him I didn’t think it would make a difference. I knew it would make a difference. I told Bill that if he did this, he would sell enough extra cookware that week to pay for his own set of cookware. Well, I made a sale that day. I persuaded Bill to buy a set of cookware off himself.

Later, he told me he earned more than enough to pay for his own set of cookware and acknowledged as he went on in his career that the best investment that he ever made was the investment in his own product. Owners are closers. Owners sell; that is the point I’m trying to get across. Believe in what you’re selling enough that you would sell it to your mother or your daughter or your son or your dad. Believe it enough that you’re using it yourself. Now, don’t misunderstand. I don’t think if you sell 747 airplanes that you have to buy a 747. But, if you’re selling Fords and you’re driving a Chevrolet, then there’s something that’s a little inconsistent about what you’re talking about. Selling is a transference of feeling. Well, what I’m really getting at is character is the base on which you are believing. You see, the heart of the sale really does start with the honest factor, and that is what character is all about. You see, values determine behavior. Behavior determines reputation. Reputation determines advantages. It is so important.

A lot of people think that their lives are completely out of focus. That their lives are all filled up but they are not all filled up. They are just a little bit out of focus. As salespeople, we first need to focus on getting prospects. Then, we need to focus on getting appointments. Then, we need to focus on making the presentation. Then, we need to focus on getting them to take a positive action.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been on a sales call with a new salesperson who will be talking and talking and talking, and you know what? They still never asks for the order. I have, on occasion, heard the prospect say, “Now, you’re not trying to sell me something, are you? “And believe it or not, the salesperson will say, “Oh, no, no, no.” Well, what are you, a professional listener? I mean, as I understand it, the purpose of the call is to make the sale. That’s why honesty and integrity are so important. The belief you have in your product or service will come out, and the depth of your sincerity is infinitely more persuasive than the height of your knowledge and all of these other things.

We are in the people business. This is where honesty comes in. You see, when you talk about integrity, there are some people who will say that everything is relative. I have never met the owner of a business who said he or she would hire an accountant or a treasurer who was only relatively honest. It just doesn’t happen. When I go out of town and come back, my wife has never yet asked me if I have been relatively faithful while I was gone. There are some things that are right and there are some things that are wrong. You see, with integrity, you do the right thing and since you do the right thing then there is no guilt involved. With integrity, you have nothing to fear because you have nothing to hide. You can talk to your customers who you sold to yesterday and you can talk to them tomorrow, next week, or next year, because you know that in your heart that they are the big winners and that’s where the integrity comes in. With integrity, you have no fear because you have nothing to hide. And since you have nothing to hide, you have no guilt. Get those two burdens, fear and guilt, off your shoulders and you will sell far more and you will sell it more freely.

Let me also point out that this has been validated by the Forum Corporation out of Boston, Massachusetts. They did a study on 341 sales people. One hundred and seventy-three of them were really super successful, and the other one hundred and sixty-eight were also good. They analyzed what makes the difference between the super successful and those who are good, and what they discovered was two major factors. Number one: those who had absolute integrity and believed that their word was their bond were much more likely to get the sale. My mama used to say to me, “If your word is no good, eventually you’re no good either.” Our words do determine so many things.

The second thing these super successful salespeople had was an understanding that the sale was not complete until the order had been signed, the merchandise, goods, or services had been delivered, and the customer was happy with the transaction. Only then can you truly say you have made the sale.

These are the customers that will send you to their friends and relatives in order to buy. These are the ones that give you the recommendations. Otherwise, you’ll always have to be prospecting. And that’s okay, but it’s so much easier if you don’t have to do that all the time because your happy customers have filled your pipeline with referrals.

Let me put it this way. We need to be so excited and so enthusiastic and so motivated about what we sell and what it will do for the prospect that everything else is completely out of focus. Instead, our focus needs to be on satisfying and meeting the customer’s needs so that they will benefit as a result of it.

Why am I so excited about the profession of selling? Not only do we have so much control over the economy, but let me tell you something. I’ve seen people experience such incredible growth as they became successful in the world of selling. You have what it takes. You were created by God to be a winner.

I’m not talking about building a super inflated ego. You know, conceit is a weird disease that makes everyone sick except the one who has it. That is not what I am talking about. I am talking about building a healthy self-image. It was Muhammad Ali who said, “Just remember, that if man can take moldy bread and can make penicillin out of it, just consider what a loving God can make out of you.” My friend, you were designed for accomplishment. You were engineered for success. You are endowed with the seeds of greatness.

What God has put inside of you is waiting to come out. Many times, all you have to do is wake up your potential inside. What I am saying is that we have to keep on growing. I’m a huge advocate of Automobile University. I just believe that it’s the most important university in America. Listening to audio programs in your car can do so very much for you. Now, when you think about it, we spend hundreds of dollars every year dressing the outside of our bodies, such as the clothes, the haircuts, the shaves, and the goop we put on our hair. We spend thousands of dollars on our cars in order to get to our sales calls. But, how much do you invest on what goes into your head?

The question we have to ask ourselves is this: if we are willing to spend all this money to dress up the outside of ourselves before we make a sales call, doesn’t it make sense to also know what to say when we get there? You see, that’s where Automobile University comes in. I can’t tell you over the years how many thousands of salespeople have said to me, “Zig, between calls I listened to those audio programs. I either listened to a new closing technique or a new motivational technique because if I just missed a sale, I want to be certain that I’m up for the next one.” Bury that missed sell and go to the next one. I really do believe that the motivational teaching you receive in Automobile University does make a huge difference.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you need to keep listening and listening and listening to the same programs over and over again. When you’ve listened to it enough times so that you can finish the sentence before it is said, then it becomes self-talk. The most important conversation that you’ll ever have is the conversation that you have with yourself. The most important opinion you have is the opinion that you have of yourself. Salespeople must keep growing. I love what Jim Rohn said. He said, “Formal education will earn you a living. Self-education will earn you a fortune.” You see, you determine how much of a fortune you will earn by how much self-education you decide to get.

Why do I talk about listening over and over again? Why is repetition so important? A Stanford University study said this; oh, and by the way, I learned this in Automobile University. Stanford said that 95 percent of the people who hear, understand, and agree with a principle do not have the ability to apply it to their lives because they do not have the necessary resources. We are talking about three kinds of resources. Number one is the seminars that you attend. And we are delighted to have you with us here today. Number two is what you learn in Automobile University. And, number three is what you learn by reading. The investment of time and money you make in yourself will pay more dividends into your life than you could ever imagine.

Another thing we have to be aware of is that we need lots of energy to compete in the world of selling. We need an energy reserve. We need a physical reserve so we must eat right and exercise to take care of our bodies. We need to build that mental reserve, and that’s the reason I keep talking about Automobile University. And then, we need to look into building that spiritual reserve. Now, I know in some areas, people say, “Wait a minute, Ziglar. We don’t talk about that spiritual stuff around here.” Well, that’s too bad. You see, you’re going to be dead a lot longer then you’re going to be alive. So, we need some long-range goals. Let me just say this. I happen to believe that there’s a lot of scientific evidence that supports my position. For example, the Dallas Morning News published an article back on February 12, 1996. It was an article about a study that was done by the Heritage Foundation. They discovered that regular worship service by the family reduces suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, crime, out of wedlock births, and divorce. People who go to church are far happier and healthier, they have a lower rate of depression, a higher self-esteem, longer and happier marriages, and can you believe what they put in the Dallas Morning News? They also have better sex. All I’m telling you is that it ain’t a bad deal. Not only that, but these families earn an average of $11,000 more than those who do not go to church.

Incidentally, you won’t be by yourself when you go to church because on any given Sunday, more people attend worship services than go to all the major league games all year long, plus all the NFL football games all year long, plus all the NBA basketball games all year long. And on Easter, it is not even close.

The last thing we are going to talk about, which we especially need in the world of selling, is the love and care for our prospect. I’ve often said that our values as sales professionals should be higher than anybody because we are trying to persuade people. You see, the con artist can persuade people to take action that is not in their best interest. If you have the best interest of your prospect in mind and you know what you have to offer in the form of your products and services is for their betterment, then you can sell with honest enthusiasm, close with conviction, and ask for the order with confidence. When you want them to buy because of what they will gain more than you want them to buy because of what you will gain… that’s pure love. That’s what it’s all about. People don’t really care how much you know, until they know how much you care about them.

Let me say it again; the minute you start to pull for them to buy for their benefit, you become more professional, more effective, more loving, and you'll sell much more. And you'll be able to go back and sell them again and again and again, and they'll be more than happy to send you to their friends and relatives. And when you do these things, you not just have a job in sales; you have a career in the world of selling, which in my opinion is the greatest profession in the world.

Jack had never felt so energetic in his life. As he and Digger walked out of the auditorium into the bright, sunny, Cincinnati morning, Jack felt as though he could take on the world. Digger knew what he was feeling. Digger said, "You must now capitalize on the motivation you feel and the knowledge you have just gained. Here is a list of action steps I want you to ponder as you go make your sales calls today. Digger handed Jack a sheet of paper that read:

Digger Jones' Recommended Action Steps & Thoughts on Selling-The Proud Profession, by ZigZiglar

1. Be proud of your profession. Selling is the most honorable and needed profession in the world. Remember, you help shape the economy.

2. Your character is the most important tool in your tool chest. Guard it and your word with your life...because they are.

3. Be sold yourself on what you sell. If you aren't, they won't either. Remember what Zig said: "Selling is a transference of feeling." Believing in what you sell creates passion, belief, and conviction. The prospect picks up on these elements more than anything else.

4. Selling is a people business. Today, we are in what is called Relationship Selling. Your first goal in selling is to build a relationship with the prospect. It has been said that with all things being equal, people buy from their friends. All things not being equal, people still buy from their friends.

5. Always have motivational and sales-related audio programs in your car. Listen and learn as you drive to your sales calls.

Now, go out and make some sales.

Digger Jones