By Og Mandino Bantam Books, 1974 ISBN 0-553-27757-X
The Greatest Salesman in the World is a must-read for everyone who desires success in the world of business, and indeed in life — and it is not the kind of book you read only once.
This loaded little book tells the story of a young man named Hafid. A mere camel boy, Hafid nursed the ambition of becoming a great salesman, fuelled by his master’s words; “No other trade or profession has more opportunity for one to rise from poverty to great wealth than that of a salesman.”
Like many modern-day salespeople often referred to in Nigeria as “marketers” or “business development executives”, Hafid is driven by images of attractive commissions and exceeded targets as he ventures into the world of sales. Almost immediately, he discovers that selling is not as easy as he had thought. With door after door slammed in his face, and not a single client to his name after investing huge amounts of time and energy, Hafid is at his wits end.
Fast-forward to the end of Hafid’s life: he is a millionaire who can afford to give away half of all his earnings to the poor, and hand over each of his business stations as a gift to the managers in charge of them. What happened in between? How did Hafid “make it”? The secrets that helped the young salesman cross this crucial stage of disappointment and disillusionment make this book a truly enriching read.
Hafid’s master, Pathros, gave him a set of ancient scrolls with a command to hand them over to one extraordinary person only. Hafid found precious treasure in the form of those ancient scrolls just when he needed wisdom for selling: at that fork in the road where the decision to turn back or forge ahead must be made.
As soon as Hafid was able to study, commit to memory and adopt the secrets contained in these scrolls, he became known as the greatest salesman in the world. One of the things I enjoyed most about this little book was the emotion: Hafid’s fear of failure, frustration and despair are tangible. It was almost as if I was walking around with him, hoping and despairing in turn. And when he made it? It felt like I made it!
It’s all thanks to Og Mandino’s powerful imagination, masterful storytelling and remarkable craftsmanship, of course.
We may think that it is only marketers who have something to sell, but nothing could be farther from the truth. We all have something to sell, be it a service or our personal brand. What do you do when it seems potential customers keep insisting they cannot afford your company’s product or service? What can you say when they keep telling you to go and come back next time? How can you rally when they plainly refuse to listen to your pitch?
We find Hafid asking many questions that are familiar to anyone who has ever tried to sell anything; why will the people not listen to my pitch? How does one command their attention? Why do they close their door before I have said five words? Why do they lose interest in my talk and walk away? Is everyone poor in this town? What can I say when they tell me they like my product/service but cannot afford it? Why do so many tell me to return at a later date? How do others sell when I cannot?
Many a graduate, finding himself unemployed after countless interviews, begins to wonder, “Will I ever amount to anything when I cannot even sell myself and my personal brand to an employer?”
We all sell something, every day. Have you learnt the power of sheer persistence in achieving results? Have you perfected the art of keeping at a client without becoming irritating, until at last, you make the sale? Have you identified what makes you unique and learnt to highlight it while toning down what makes you just like your competition? Have you mastered your emotions? Do you act immediately or are you a slave to procrastination?
Pick up this book. If like Hafid, you take the lessons of the ancient scrolls to heart, your life will never be the same.
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