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How to Become the Ultimate Salesperson

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Today, I spoke to Harvey Mackay, who is the founder and chairman of the $100 million MackayMitchell Envelope Company. He has written six New York Times bestselling books, including the blockbuster Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, and is a nationally syndicated weekly business columnist. His books have been translated into forty languages and have sold ten million copies in eighty countries. His latest book is called The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World. In this interview, he talks about making a difference in the world, how to be a great salesperson, finding mentors, and much more.

What do you mean when you say that "one person can make all the difference in the world"?

Look at the individuals who have had earth-shattering impacts. In the last two hundred years; consider diverse individuals like Lincoln, Einstein, Helen Keller and Steve Jobs. Each registered an impact in a different way. They prove one person can create a profound difference. That said, the individuals who have the greatest impact rarely obsess on themselves as the sole source of change. They almost always value the importance of teams and partners in getting the job done.

Some phenomenal people are geniuses like Einstein. Most aren't. I've often said I will matters more than IQ. I stress the one-person potential for one reason more than any other: Most people have no idea what they can achieve with clear goals, the proper plan, rudimentary time management, and a capacity to select and motivate the right team to work with them.

Do you need to sell yourself first before selling your products/services? Why or why not?

Your product's quality and reputation may precede you. Let's say you're selling Apple, Coca-Cola, GE or Amazon. Then you're the custodian of a very prestigious brand property. The less well-known your product or service is, the more important it is for you to create credibility and acceptance for yourself first.

Even when selling yourself comes first, no salesperson will get very far without being convinced of the quality and value of the product being sold. Before you can sell others, you have to sell yourself on what you're selling.

Also beware of the idea that selling is fundamentally persuading or convincing the prospect. Effective selling is rooted in listening, information and guidance.

What is the best way to find the right mentors for your career?

Start by inventorying your strengths and weaknesses. What do you need to correct or improve about yourself to move to the next level? Look for personal similarities in a mentor's career to your own. How did they overcome similar challenges?

A mentor may be someone in your own firm, but often that's not the case. A surprising number of mentoring relationships are formed between people working together on community projects. Some mentorships may last a lifetime, but often people need different or additional mentors as their career advances.

In your book, you talk about having the right attitude, positive energy, and confidence. Why are each of these important?

Without a positive attitude, you'll never recover from setbacks and rejection. Your attitude, not your aptitude, determines your altitude. Success is 90 percent mental. You can alter your life by altering your mind. In a tough economy, for example, it may not be your fault for being down, but it is certainly your fault for not getting up.

Without a high, positive energy level, it's impossible to compete. Energy includes both wellness and physical stamina, as well as an energetic and vigorous approach to tackling challenges. Successful people, especially in sales, work harder and longer than their peers. When the economy is poor, they are still out there pounding the pavement, making calls. Positive energy creates a momentum of its own that triggers desirable chain reactions.

Without confidence, it's impossible to prevail against those obstacles that might overcome us. Confidence is a prerequisite for mastering heavy-duty assignments. Through techniques such as visualization, we can picture how to kick the winning field goal and then trace through every step necessary to achieving the task. Genuine confidence is built on rock-solid preparation.

What are the 7 C's of success and which one do you think is most important?

  1. Clarity
  2. Competence
  3. Constraints
  4. Concentration
  5. Creativity
  6. Courage
  7. Continuous learning

For me, continuous learning is the most important item on this list. That's because the world and its demands are changing so fast. For example, I will ask an audience of business executives: "How many of you know what QR Codes are?" Only fifty percent of the hands go up. These matrix barcodes are revolutionizing how we shop and gather information.

Another example: I'd hate to have a surgeon operate on me, who graduated in 2002 and didn't keep up with continuing education. Consider the breakthroughs in laser applications, nanotechnology and non-invasive procedures.

Without a disciplined commitment to continuous learning, even the brightest expert can suddenly be bypassed by game-changing advances.

Dan Schawbel, recognized as a “personal branding guru” by The New York Times, is the Managing Partner of Millennial Branding, LLC, a full-service personal branding agency. Dan is the author of Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future, the founder of the Personal Branding Blog, and publisher of Personal Branding Magazine. He has worked with companies such as Google, Time Warner, Symantec, IBM, EMC, and CitiGroup.