CHAPTER ONE

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SELLING

Ambition is the spur that makes men struggle with destiny. It is heaven's own incentive to make purpose great and achievement greater.

—Donald G. Mitchell

WHY ARE SOME salespeople more successful than others?

When I started in selling many years ago, I struggled for months, barely earning enough to survive while all around me other salespeople were selling and earning much more than me, and they didn't seem to be any smarter or working any harder.

My first breakthrough was the discovery of the 80/20 rule. It says that 20 percent of the salespeople make 80 percent of the sales and earn 80 percent of the money. That means the average income of the people in the top 20 percent is sixteen times the average ...

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