A good book can weave a storyline that arouses all of your senses and emotions. Finely crafted phrases can paint a picture as vivid as a Michelangelo masterpiece; create a dish as appealing as the finest gourmet meal; produce a sound as stirring as a Bob Marley classic; and stimulate an aroma as comforting as the smell of a mother’s perfume.
Apart from the sheer pleasure it can bring, reading is also a great medium for learning. I have discovered that all of the important concepts of financial success are laid out in books, readily available for anyone who wishes to grasp them. I frequently recommend persons to search for the answers to their money problems in books.
While some people may think that financial titles might be a little boring, and devoid of intriguing plots that would stimulate their interest, that isn’t always the case. There are several books that present essential principles in very entertaining ways, which can excite your imagination and educate you at the same time.
The Greatest Salesman in the World
Sales is a route to success
You don’t have to be a professional salesperson to reap the benefits of Mandino’s work. In every area of our lives, we are all involved in sales. Selling is not just marketing goods and services; it also involves promoting yourself. Employees sell their capabilities to get a job; potential spouses sell their marriageable qualities; children sell their parents on why they deserve the latest toys.
To increase your wealth, the reality is that you have to become excellent in the art of sales. If you examine the most financially successful people in history, you will realise that they had a flair for selling themselves and their offerings to reap profit. People who declare that they can’t or don’t like to sell are most likely to be financial underachievers.
When some persons think of sales, they have an image of an overly persistent product pusher, trying to offload something that no one wants. Many people also fear rejection, so in order to protect their feelings they avoid having to sell a product or service. These misconceptions and fears about sales have only served to keep many persons from increasing their earnings.
In search of the secret of sales
If you desire to achieve more out of life, there’s a lot to gain from reading The Greatest Salesman in the World. You might identify with the protagonist, Hafid, a lowly camel boy in the ancient Middle East, who is tired of being poor and boldly approaches his wealthy boss to learn how he can become a rich merchant too.
Hafid’s boss, Pathros, gives him a sales challenge and promises that if successful, Hafid will learn the secret principles of sales. Pathros counsels him to consider obstacles as beneficial, as they will serve to sharpen his skills and strength. Hafid sets off on his journey repeating Pathros’ sage advice, “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.”
Hafid fails miserably at trying to sell the robe consigned by Pathros, but in an enchanted encounter with a needy family he reveals his compassionate nature. After giving away the one thing that would deliver his sales success, the dejected youth returns home. Expecting to be ridiculed after his experience, Hafid is instead reassured by Pathros that he will be rewarded.
Pathros reveals the story of how, as a young man, his own act of kindness to a stranger in distress earned him the privilege of learning the secret of selling. Everything Pathros knows about sales success is written on ten scrolls, which he bestows upon Hafid. With a parting gift of one hundred gold coins, Pathros encourages Hafid to faithfully abide by the instructions in the first scroll.
The secret is revealed
As he reads, Hafid learns that the scrolls will teach him how to prevent failure, which is “man’s inability to reach his goals in life, whatever they may be”. The document explains that the only difference between those who fail and those who succeed are their habits. The principles of success would only work if Hafid chooses to “form good habits and become their slave”.
Each of the other nine scrolls unlocks a key element of sales success. As Hafid reads each one as prescribed and applies the techniques, he eventually blossoms into the greatest salesman of his time. It would be remiss of me to give all the secrets here; instead I invite you to go directly to the source to find the answers.
However, I will share one principle: “My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible. All are of no value unless they are followed by action. I will act now.”
Copyright © 2011 Cherryl Hanson Simpson. No reproduction without written consent.
Originally published in The Daily Observer, December 15, 2011
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Cherryl is a money coach and business mentor, and founder of Financially S.M.A.R.T. Services. See more of her work at www.entrepreneursinjamaica.com and www.financiallysmartonline.com. Contact Cherryl