The Go-Getter

Peter Kyne wrote a book a long time ago called The Go-Getter. I just finished reading it and I must say it motivated me.  It was written in 1921 so the style of writing is a little old fashioned.  But it's the story of an extremely persistent and determined salesman working for a large logging company.  In fact, he had to work extremely hard just to get the job and then prove himself by starting with the worst responsibilities and working his way up.

I love reading stories about successful people and this book does a great job of teaching you lessons while also entertaining you.  One take away from the book was when the salesman had to sell the worst product the company offered, and rather than selling at the lowest price possible just to move it, he actually sold it at a price higher than the company requested.

I don't have an exact amount but I'm confident I have sold over $1 million worth of services or products in my short lifetime.  Many of those $300-500 annual service contracts, so that is a lot of service!  One thing I always try to avoid is selling strictly on price.  I've found that the price you sell your products or service at (within reason of course) come from your personal confidence and your value of the product.  If you are a lazy or negative person and don't see the true value, neither will your customers.  Any good sales rep knows that they must first sell themselves on their product and believe in the value.  Otherwise you won't last long.  And what you do sell will be at the lowest possible price!

I could go on and on about takeaways from the book and relate them to my own experiences, but unfortunately this isn't a paying gig and other items are calling my name right now.

Remember, believe in your own product and service, be so excited about what you are offering and how beneficial it will be for your customer, and they won't be able to live without it.