Zig Ziglar passed away on November 28, 2012. A famed motivational speaker and business coach, Ziglar had a knack for coming up with short, pithy maxims that people in various walks of life could find great inspiration and encouragement in.
I've been in sales for years, and it can be a lot of fun, or a huge headache, depending on how you approach it.
To that end, here are 5 of the very best quotes from Zig Ziglar about sales, which is to say that they are completely applicable for folks who work in the sales industry, but probably to others, too.
1) "A Goal Properly Set Is Half Way Reached."
So often we set goals that are just unreasonable, and then we get demotivated when we miss it -- and if we repeatedly miss it, we begin to think that we're failures. But so often, the main problem is setting improper goals.
If your job is setting appointments, and you know that, in a week, for ever 10 appointments you set you'll close 1 or 2 sales, it's easy then fall into the trap of thinking that you can easily make more money by working harder to close 3 or 4 of those ten.
Nearly all of the time this is a huge waste of time. Once you know your statistics, while you can certainly try to increase your overall conversion rates over time, but the better focus to increase sales that week would be to focus on setting a few more appointments. Set 5 more, and you'll probably get one more close. And that means focusing on contacting new leads, not working the same old list you've been working for a month.
Work smarter, set your goals wisely, so that you can attain them, and you're half way to success.
2) "Every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust."
The second thing that will increase what you make is qualifying your prospects better. Don't waste time on people who don't have a need, or don't have money, or don't want what you have. If they're not in a hurry to commit, let them sit on the back burner and find someone who is ready.
And whatever you do, do your best to help them trust you by always keeping their needs first.
3) "People who have good relationships at home are more effective in the marketplace."
Part of helping people trust you is becoming trustworthy, and that starts at home. Be honest. Keep your promises. Give of your time to others, and you'll simply become a trustworthy person.
And this is crucial, because...
4) "The most important persuasion tool you have in your entire arsenal is integrity."
I once was shopping for a used car (a mini van), and the gentleman who greeted me on the lot, we'll call him Dick Jones (the last name is changed). He offered me his card, and then took it back, took out a pencil, and penciled in above his name, in quotes, "Honest." "Honest" Dick Jones, used car salesman. Riiiiiight...
Such a cheesy display was precisely not one that engendered trust in me, and I did not buy from him. It shot his integrity in the foot.
Focus on building integrity, not merely the appearance of integrity, because most people can smell the difference.
5) "You cannot make it as a wandering generality. You must become a meaningful specific."
You cannot be all things to all people, and if you try to be, you'll water your message down so completely as to make it worthless.
Be specific. Solve 1 problem. Don't offer to solve 10 different problems all at once, or you'll simply overwhelm your prospect and shut them down.
