Editor’s note: This column is a follow-up to Gitomer’s July column, where he outlined Napoleon Hill’s first five principles for becoming a Master Salesperson.

Becoming a Master Salesperson, Part II
Napoleon Hill's 60-year-old advice still works wonders

Napoleon Hill, author of the legendary sales tome, Think and Grow Rich, has a rare book titled, How to Sell Your Way Through Life (1939). This is the second of a four-part series that will present the 28 Qualities the Master Salesman Must Develop.

Your challenge is not just to read them and say “Yep, I know that.” Salespeople already know everything. The problem is they don’t DO it. 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.

6. Knowledge of the merchandise he sells. The super-salesman analyzes carefully the merchandise or service which he sells and understands thoroughly every advantage which it embraces, because he knows that no salesman can sell successfully that which he, himself, does not understand and believe.

7. Belief in the merchandise or service. The super-salesman never tries to sell anything in which he does not have implicit confidence because he knows that his mind will “broadcast” his lack of confidence to the mind of the prospective buyer, regardless of what he may say about his wares.

8. Appropriateness of merchandise. The super-salesman analyzes both his prospective buyer and his needs and offers him only that which is appropriate to both.

9. Value Given. The super-salesman never tries to get more for his wares than they are actually worth, realizing that the sustained confidence and good-will of his prospective buyer is worth more than a “long-profit” on a single sale.

10. Knowledge of the prospective buyer. The super-salesman is a character analyst. He has the ability to ascertain, from his prospective buyer which of the nine basic motives he will respond to most freely, and he builds his sales presentation around those motives.

11. Qualifying the prospective buyer. The super-salesman never tries to make a sale until he has properly “qualified” the prospective buyer, thereby informing himself the prospective buyer’s financial capacity, his need for that which is being offered for sale, and his motive in making the purchase.

12. Ability to “neutralize” the mind of the buyer. The super-salesman knows that no sale can be made until the mind of the prospective buyer has been neutralized, or made receptive. Because he knows this, he will not endeavor to “close” a sale until he has “opened” the mind of the buyer.

13. Ability to close a sale. The super-salesman is an artist at reaching and successfully passing the closing point in selling. He trains himself to sense the psychological moment when terminal facilities may be reached successfully. He rarely, if ever, asks the prospective buyer if he is ready to purchase. Instead, he goes on the assumption that the buyer is ready and conducts himself in conversation and general demeanor accordingly.

Well, there are the eight sales mechanical qualities. The word “value” (#9) has taken on new and more dynamic meaning as we approach the 21st century — but it’s interesting to note that “value given” is at least a 60-year-old sales philosophy.

Thirteen qualities down, 13 to go. In the next issue of The Lane Report, we’ll look at the personal and organizational qualities of Napoleon Hill’s 28 Qualities the Master Salesman Must Develop.

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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