The passing of an icon, but his message will live on forever

Zig Ziglar, the iconic motivational speaker of our time, passed away Nov. 28, 2012. In his honor, I am updating and annotating an article...

Before making the proposal, you’d better make the sale

“Sounds good. Send me a proposal.” How many times have you heard that? Too many. So you run back to your office, put together a...

Leadership actions that are not an option for leaders

A line from the song “Oldest Established” — from the immortal Broadway show (and my personal favorite) “Guys and Dolls” — is: “Where’s the...

How to make sales calls on social media — kind of

A recent email: Hello Mr. Gitomer, I read your article on LinkedIn in the Daily Herald Business Ledger here in the Chicago suburbs. I...

The secret of lousy service and how to fix it (part 2)

Last week I promised the answers to why lousy service occurs and how to fix it. If you didn’t read part one, stop now...

Sell like you did as a kid: 100 percent closing ratio

Think back to your selling ability when you were a kid. That statement no doubt brought a big smile to your face. The toy you...

It’s not the company, it’s the people in the company: It’s you

When you walk into someone’s place of business to shop or buy something, what are you expecting? Most people (you and me included) expect someone...

Do you have the character and characteristics for sales success?

Here is list of sales success characteristics. They represent the elements of what will make a salesperson successful. But here’s the secret — before you make...

Lost on the road to success? Ask Jim Rohn for directions

Sales sick? Take two Jim Rohn (lessons) and call me in the morning. One of my most respected life influencers was Rohn. Considered America’s foremost...

The ‘why’ of sales will lead you to be the wise salesperson

I sat in a Jim Rohn seminar one day in 1995 and heard him say, “Formal education will earn you a living. Self-education will...

The science of the sale, the art of doing lunch

Let’s do lunch! Well, let’s do lunch the right way. Too often, salespeople think getting a lunch appointment is the victory and don’t concentrate on...

What would Ben Franklin think of the ‘Ben Franklin close’?

The Benjamin Franklin close (also known as “the balance sheet close”) is one of the classic old-time sales tactics used to “close a sale.” Never...

On choosing happiness — what’s your choice?

Happy New Year! Or is it? People wish it to you, to me – all the time. So how happy are you right now? Really? What’s...

‘Think and Grow Rich’ — it’s a timeless classic

Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” is full of timeless lessons. “Thoughts are things” is the title and the first words of the first...

5.5 keys to naming your product’s price with confidence

The price of whatever you sell carries with it a discomfort for most salespeople. They’re hesitant to bring up the price because it’s the...

Help! My main contact left the company and I’m panicked!

Here is a letter about a common problem. Uncommon answer to follow. Dear Jeffrey, I sell copiers in NYC, and this year I finished as...

What makes referrals happen? It’s your actions, not your ask

I’m angry about the (mis)information offered by “experts” about referrals. I’m not angry that the majority of their information is totally off base and bogus;...

The 21.5 early warning signals the prospect is ready to buy

Question: When is the prospect ready to buy? Answer: He or she will tell you if you just pay attention (aka listen). The link between the...

People don’t know what they have: It’s better than money

I'm sure you've heard the expression, “Count your blessings.” I wonder how you interpret that. I wonder how you count them. I wonder how...

Don’t ‘close the sale’ — all you have to do is ask for it

Seems too simple: Just ask. In most cases to get the sale, at some point you must ask for it. “Yes, Jeffrey,” you say, “but...