Zig Ziglar: The Power of Persuasion

Nobody has wowed them from the speaker's platform longer than Zig Ziglar. When he started in sales, Ziglar sold so little that at night he had to park his car several blocks from his home to keep it out of the repo man's clutches. Eventually, though, it all clicked for Ziglar, and after becoming a top salesman, he launched an acclaimed career as a speaker. His bestsellers include See You at the Top (Pelican Publishing Co.) and Ziglar on Selling (Oliver Nelson).

Entrepreneur: What's the key that unlocks persuasive power?

Ziglar: Persuasion starts with who you are. In a 1982 study of 341 salespeople, 173 were supersuccessful; the remaining 168 were moderately successful. The ones who were much more successful had two factors in common: First, their integrity was beyond question; second, they were nice people.

Supersuccessful salespeople build lasting relationships upon trust, and they are nice to everyone they deal with. They know that the switchboard operator and the billing clerk play roles in the total sale, and they are just as nice to them as they are to the president of the company.

Entrepreneur: Is there a key to being persuasive?

Ziglar: I believe the tone of your voice is crucial. When you call and say Hi, I'm Zig Ziglar, and I'm calling for Bill Schubert; may I talk to him? your tone conveys that you expect to get through. Be pleasant, but have that same expectancy when you are presenting and selling.

Entrepreneur: What if you get a loud no?

Ziglar: Most sales are made after the customer has said no four times. You have to understand that when prospects say no, what they are saying no to is what they know about the goods and services. But if you let them know more, they may say yes. So you give them more features and benefits.

Entrepreneur: Why do you say tough customers are our allies?

Ziglar: The toughies are the teachers. The more they say no, the more training you get. Learn from the objections they give you. Ninety-five percent of the objections you hear from customers are the same, and you need to become skillful at handling them.

Even if the toughie ultimately says no, don't walk out feeling defeated. Walk out feeling educated: I learned something, and I will apply it on my next sales call.

--Robert McGarvey