Above the Bar
What separates a salesperson from a master salesperson?

What is it that separates a salesperson from a master salesperson? Good question! The answer is not a new one. At King’s Used Bookstore in Detroit, I found a book titled How to Sell Your Way Through Life by Napoleon Hill.

I thought I’d learned a lot from Napoleon Hill. I’ve read Think and Grow Rich (several times), 17 Success Principles, Success Through Positive Mental Attitude, and listened to his Positive Attitude tapes until I wore them out (and then I bought a new set). But 25 years after I read his life-altering classics, the best was yet to come. How to Sell Your Way Through Life is a lost gem.

In one chapter, Hill presents a description of what makes a great (master) salesperson. As I devoured the words, I had an “ah ha” moment. I was enlightened!

Hill issues a challenge, “The list is long and perfection may be only slowly attained.”

Here’s the way to get the maximum value from this list – don’t just read it. Rate yourself from 1-10 on your present level of competence or excellence for each quality. I dare you.

Hill writes, “Therefore, before entering into a detailed consideration of the things you would like to have your mind and body capable of doing, let’s at once enumerate those which are absolutely necessary.”

The first part of Napoleon Hill’s “28 Qualities a Master Salesman Must Develop” are his five primary requisites:

1. Physical fitness is of tremendous importance for the simple reason that neither mind nor body can function well without it. Therefore, give attention to your habits of life, proper diet, healthful exercise and fresh air.

2. Courage must be the part of every man or woman who succeeds in any undertaking, especially that of selling in these trying times of intense competition, after a devastating period of depression and discouragement.

3. Imagination is an absolute requisite of a successful salesman. He must anticipate situations and even objections on the part of his prospective customer. He must have such a lively imagination as to enable its operation to place him in sympathetic understanding with the position, needs and objectives of his customer. He must almost literally stand in the other man’s shoes. This takes real imagination.

4. Speech. The tone of voice must be pleasing. A high-pitched squeaky voice is irritating. Words half swallowed are hard to understand. Speak distinctly and enunciate clearly. A meek voice indicates a weak person. A firm, clean-cut, clear voice that moves with assurance and color indicates an aggressive person with enthusiasm and aggressiveness.

5. Hard work is the only thing that will turn sales training and ability into money. No amount of good health, courage or imagination is worth a dime unless it is put to work. The amount of pay a salesman gets is usually fixed by the amount of very hard, intelligent work he actually puts out. Many people sidestep this factor of success.

Hill says that these principles are simple. There is nothing unusual, impossible or even striking in them separately or collectively, unless perhaps it is the fact that most salesmen fail to possess one or more of the five primary requisites.

Well there’s the beginning five qualities. How well have you scored so far? The rest of the list will appear in the next three issues of The Lane Report. Many of these qualities will surprise you and many will reveal the answers as to why you continue to struggle. Stay tuned.

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, and Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless. He can be reached at 704/333-1112 or e-mail to salesman@gitomer.com.

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