The Greatest Salesman In The World by Og Mandino – Book Summary

Can a few lessons help you succeed in life? Though the book’s name suggests that it’s about being the greatest salesman in the world, it is for all individuals who want to succeed, while leading a happy and content life. Og Mandino gives a few principles, that if made habits, will eventually develop a person’s character in the long run. No wonder, the book has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide.

This book offers you insights on:

• Why good habits are necessary
• How to be trustworthy
• Why you should always aim at becoming better each day

 

1- Making Yourself Better Is The Start Of Being The Greatest Salesman

Even if you are not a salesperson by profession, in life, you are always selling something. Sometimes your personality to impress someone, sometimes your skills to land a cushy job, sometimes something else. Salesmanship is not just relevant to those whose profession it is but to all of us.

Og Mandino tells us that to become the greatest salesman, to achieve more success, you need to become a better person.  The only certain means of success is to render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be.

The book starts with a story. Pathros, a healthy trader was known as the greatest salesman in the world. When his adopted son, Hafid said that he also wants to become a salesman, Pathros passes 10 scrolls to him that contained the secrets of becoming the greatest salesman with the condition that he will open one scroll at a time and read it three times a day for a month, before opening the second scroll, and so on.

This parable takes place in the Middle East, shortly before the spread of Christianity around the world. It contains biblical references as well, but any individual can benefit from its philosophies.

 

2- Good Habits Develop You Into One Who Achieves & Succeeds

How does one maintain a good physique? How does one say healthy? By a good daily diet and regular exercise. The good “daily” diet and the “regular” exercise are good habits. Those which help you in achieving your goal of staying healthy.

Similarly, some habits are bad. Consider smoking cigarettes for example. People who smoke are aware of the risks of it but do it anyway. Why? Because it’s a habit for them, a bad one that harms their health and wellbeing. Thus, we see that habits can impact a person quite strongly, positively, or negatively, depending on whether they are good or bad.
As such, to achieve any goal (be it to lead a better life), you must develop good habits.

Good habits are developed by repetition. If you are always late for work, consider getting up early. The best way to do it is to set an alarm for an early time and wake up early every day, even when you have to force yourself to. Eventually, as your mind becomes used to this repetition, waking up early would become a habit, a good one at that.

 

3- How You Care About People Determines Your Destiny As A Greatest Salesman

In the workplace, there can often be several professional rivalries. If you find someone being jealous of you or trying to do you harm by spreading falsehoods about you, do not seek revenge. Instead, act with compassion and love. As you continue to act lovingly, the rival’s negativity would cease to exist. You should always endeavor to make everyone your friend, well-wishers, and enemies alike.

If a colleague has done good work, you must praise them. Never be cheap with compliments, genuine ones. This advice is not just applicable to one’s colleagues, but to everyone in one’s social sphere: friends, family, and customers.

It is very important to be caring and loving of people who you don’t like. When people know that you care, they begin to trust you, and trust is the bedrock of being a good person. You must aim to be trustworthy. If you can gain the trust of people with your loving attitude, you would be able to achieve success in the workplace, with your customers, and in your personal life.

 

4- Grow Everyday, But Persist & Keep Your Originality

The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it’s not given to a person to know how many steps are necessary to reach the goal. Always take another step. If that is of no avail, take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.

Sometimes people give up just before they could succeed. Never give up. Enjoy the small successes and let them motivate you to carry on. However, don’t hold on to the past too much. If you have had a bad day, start the next one afresh, with new vigor and zeal.

You must stand out from the crowd, with so many people doing the same thing, how do you differentiate yourself? The answer is by being yourself. You are not like anyone else. You are unique and rare, and therefore, you must retain your originality to shine through. Remember, that there is value in rarity, and thus, you should retain your uniqueness to differentiate yourself from the crowd.

 

5- Follow Your Emotions Where Necessary, Don’t Be Serious Every Time

A good salesperson does not get overwhelmed by his or her emotions. Remember that your emotions can lead you astray and nudge you to make bad decisions. If a colleague or a superior is angry at you and acting mean, you can become emotional and start thinking of them in a bad light. This judgment can be wrong because perhaps they were just having a bad day. You run the risk of spoiling a relationship by being a slave to your emotions. Hence, be in control.

Always remember that our emotions are impacted by the ups and downs of life, and hence, it is important to not let them control us. Today‘s dead flower contains the seed of tomorrow’s bloom, so today’s sadness carries the joy of tomorrow.

Remember, that though life can be overwhelming sometimes if you can see the funny side of a situation, you will lead a happier life.  Sometimes, despite your best efforts, things may not go the way you want them to. As such, always retain the ability to laugh and not take life so seriously.

 

6- Keep Your Goals In Focus

Ideas and Goals are of no value until they are followed by actions. It is easy for one to procrastinate and lose sight of one’s goals. That is why it is important to be disciplined and devise and follow through on a series of actions required to achieve one’s goals.

Often, when one doesn’t break down the big goals into smaller sub-goals, one is overwhelmed and seeks an easy way out, to procrastinate, or to escape! However, if you break down the big goals into smaller sub-goals, you can celebrate small achievements and aim to continuously do better on the next one.

Set the goals for the day, the month, the week, the year, and life.  Always try to do better than yesterday and you will find that these incremental improvements will add up to help you achieve your goals.

If you announce your goals to the world, you will find that it is easier to develop habits and routines and stay motivated to achieve them. Why do you ask? Because you will fear giving an excuse to people, trying to explain why you didn’t achieve your goals.

 

Conclusion Of The Greatest Salesman In The World

We hope you enjoyed this quid on The Greatest Salesman in the World, by Og Mandino. According to the author, the best way to become a salesman is eventually through becoming a great person and developing one’s character. That only can help you with salesmanship or any other profession.

To become a good person, you must inculcate good habits and get rid of the bad ones. If you can control your emotions and be persistent in the face of adversity, you will find it easy to achieve success. It always helps to set sub-goals while on the way towards larger goals. Aim to do better than your last performance, that way you will be well on the way towards success.