Supremely Successful Selling: Discovering the Magic Ingredient

Chapter 4

Move Those Marbles

I HAD JUST FINISHED SPEAKING. If I do say so myself, it was one of my better days. The group was responsive, they laughed in the proper places. I ended with something I felt had somewhat the resounding impact of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.

People were on their feet applauding. Wow! A standing ovation. It was a blessed moment. As Tennessee Williams said: “I felt as though I had just inherited the sky.”

In a sense, these were my kind of people. It was a meeting of 500 or so men and women. I'd led them through two full days of an exhausting seminar. I was bone-tired but exhilarated with the response I received.

I finished my speech by telling the group that selling is more than a profession. It's a way of life.

If you're not selling, people aren't buying. And if they're not, there's no commerce. Everything comes to a standstill. It's your selling that makes things happen.

When the applause died down, Milton Murray, master of ceremonies, got up to thank me.

“Jerry, you've meant so much to so many of us in the last two days. The group got together and decided to do something special for you. We're going to name a chair in your honor.”

A chair! A named chair. In my honor. I was stunned.

I knew I'd have to respond in some way. But as I began pushing my chair back to stand, there wasn't a single thought in my mind. A total blank. All I could think of was the admonition: “Forget the cheese—just find a way to get out of the trap.”

Milton continued talking as ...