The Death of a Salesman

Amidst all of the news today about Cliffs and Greeks etc, you may have missed the fact that Zig Ziglar, beloved motivational speaker and author has passed away at 86 yeas old.

If you’ve ever worked in a professional sales organization, odds are you’ve come across his work in some way. The brokerage industry that I grew up in was enthralled by the Ziglar books, every branch manager had a copy on his office book shelf and every sales manager could quote from them at will (and frequently did).

Ziglar has inspired millions over the last 50 years, his energy and sense of humor and tirelessness seemingly never wavered as new acolytes from every generation hopped aboard his bandwagon.

Here are ten of his best quotes, via Kevin Kruse at Forbes:

10) “Remember that failure is an event, not a person.”

9) “You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”

8 ) “People often say motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing—that’s why we recommend it daily.”

7) “There has never been a statue erected to honor a critic.”

6) “People don’t buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons.”

5) “Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.”

4) “If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.”

3) “A goal properly set is halfway reached.”

2) “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”

1) “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.”

For more, follow the links below:

Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, author of “See You at the Top,” dies in Texas at age 86 (Washington Post)

Thank you, Zig (Seth’s Blog)

Zig Ziglar: 10 Quotes That Can Change Your Life (Forbes)

Zig Ziglar at Amazon