Great Tips from the Late Mr. Zig Ziglar

A motivational marvel, Mr. Zig Ziglar is author of “Closing the Sale,” a must-read for any salesperson or sales manager of any age.  The amazing thing about Ziglar is that he had a natural instinct for persuasion and finding the right trigger to motivate people. He understood that marketers sell not just the product, but also themselves and certain principles.

Here are 10 essential Ziglar tips.

Tip #1: Inspire your customers.

“The door to balanced success opens widest on the hinges of hope and encouragement.”

Ziglar sold more hope than anything else, which is why some of the great inspirational speakers, such as Brian Tracy and Les Brown, cite Ziglar as influences.  During a sale, people are looking to be inspired; they are essentially looking for a product that will alter and elevate their lives, or they are looking to spend their hard-earned money on  a token that will remind them that their daily 9 to 5 grind is worth getting up for every day.  Sell a symbol of motivation and your customer is enticed.

Tip #2:  Be thankful for every sale, no matter how small – and show it in your demeanor.

“The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more you will have to express gratitude for.”

Sometimes a salesperson can kill his chances, just by his mindset. Thinking that a customer is small potatoes and won’t bring a big commission or lamenting that your target accounts are not the prestigious ones can sap momentum and create an aura that turns clients off. In contrast, Ziglar believed that if a person was grateful for any small success, that gratitude would lead to more and more success. That’s reflected in his story about eating a big elephant one bite at a time. Be grateful for any small bite you get as a hungry, ambitious salesperson, because one by one, the small bites can add up to a great big satisfying meal.

Tip #3:  Earn the customer’s trust.

“If people like you, they’ll listen to you. But if they TRUST you, they’ll do business with you.”

Don’t lie and inflate the benefits of what you’re selling. Don’t downplay the deficiencies either.  Be honest. Rather than reduce sales, it will magnetize them and create loyal lifetime customers.

Tip #4:  Be motivated for greatness.

“I’ve got to say no to the good, so I can say yes to the best.”

Don’t make mediocrity a goal. No matter who the customer is, aim to give the best sales pitch possible.

Tip #5:  Lead responsibly – like a goat.

Mr. Zig Ziglar loved telling a story of how sheep following a goat will jump over all the obstacles that a goat leaps over, even when the obstacle is removed. The goat had the greatest responsibility. He had to make good decisions because it affected more than just him.

Tip #6:  Radiate positivity.

 Mr. Zig’s famous quote says it all about the negative bias some salespeople have: “Some people find fault like there is a reward for it.”

Tip #7:  Don’t wait until you’re a master to start selling.

Learn while doing; recalibrate as you learn new lessons. As Ziglar says, “Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly – until you can learn to do it well.”

Tip #8:  Pass on your life wisdom.

As evidenced in his work, Ziglar strongly believed in helping people he encountered as a salesperson and motivator. He believed the best help you could give was to share your know-how.  Giving simply money and objects robbed people of dignity and by extension, their destiny, he suggested.

Tip #9:  Give yourself positive feedback.

Every salesperson needs to have their ego replenished, especially on a bad day. As Mr. Zig Ziglar always said “the most important conversations you have [are] with yourself.”

Tip #10:   Keep your eye exclusively on the sales target, no matter what.

Obstacles and momentary failure can thwart anyone, which is why Ziglar believed one shouldn’t be distracted by them, saying: “Obstacles are the things we see when we take our eyes off our goals“.

We can’t be as optimistic and positive as Mr. Zig Ziglar, all the time.  We can internalize his teachings and do a better job when dealing with our prospects, customers, and peers.