OMG Claude Whitacre!!

Yeah, his book was brilliant. And obviously written by someone who actually sold. Every year, he would be the top salesperson in his company. The other salespeople hated him. They would be sitting there all day waiting for one "Up"...Girard would have 5 waiting for him to see them...not to look...not with a service problem...but to buy.

Was he brilliant? Maybe. But I honestly think he just stood out so much because he figured out what anyone could figure out...how to sell, and keep them coming back.

Remember, his book wasn't a secret. Any car salesman, even one working along side him...could have done the same thing.

Feldman and Girard were polar opposites. Feldman was quiet, small, reserved, spoke softly, and looked like an accountant.

Girard looked like a salesman, sounded like a salesman, and talked like a salesman.

What they had in common was a deep deep fire burning inside them that would never go out. These men are Legends to me.

Girard sold 17 cars (if memory serves), one at a time, in one day. That's like running a one minute mile.

This past summer I was in a small rural florida town about 50 miles from home and came across a little used bookstore.

For 50 cents I was able to pick up Joe Girard's book. I like his style of follow up.

Interesting pricing strategy on that book. Not often you see $34 kindle books. Have to say that price makes me real curious on it's content but also makes me hold back from buying it on impulse. $10 or less I just buy it and put it in my queue and some I have had in there for months and never read.

But I can't bring myself to put a $34 book in there. Interesting self study on how I buy.

Just ordered it. It sounds like a very much needed strategy when facing competition.

Tomster; I know you already know this. If you visited me for a day, you'd be sorely disappointed. I've had other retailers visit to spend the day with me to see how I sell so much. It's really boring. Very seldom am I rushing to do anything.

I may spend an hour with retail customers, and hour on the Forum (in total), a few hours writing, an hour on the phone with clients. To me, a real waste of time is forcing myself to be in the store, working the floor...talking to a visiting dealer. I don't enjoy it at all. Dan Riffle's visit was the last time I actually enjoyed talking to someone in the store.

For example, today I've sold two vacuum cleaners at retail ($1,468 total) and sold one Local Profit Geyser Client. ($5,999). a few hundred more from this and that. A good day, but not unusual.

And I've worked an hour or so on my next book. Half an hour or so telling one IT guy what to do next.

But if you watched the activity? Deadly boring. I suspect if you watched Ben Feldman in a day of selling, or any Legendary salesperson...you'd see the same thing. I could easily do twice as much, without breaking a sweat.

I had an uncle that made millions selling real estate (and owning it too), I would stop by his office, and it seemed like he was doing nothing. A few phone calls, a few people coming in....he played the guitar a little....Millions.

I do go to bed late. But I'm reading. I read a lot. Sales and marketing books.

And my new goal is to get 13 books on selling and marketing out by the time I'm 60. 13 months to go. 9 more books. But even that is just a few hours a day writing....between customers, calls, and playing on this forum.