Last week I finished the book, The Greatest Salesman in the World, and I felt compelled to share the message in this book with all of you. At just over 100 pages, it is a very quick read, but it will transform your philosophy and strategy on sales.

I also thought this would be a timely introduction to a seminar I am creating on the art of influence and a book I am writing on the same topic but will remain nameless for now. Stay tuned for much more to come about these offerings as they will help you achieve mastery in this area of your life.

Before we get into the 10 steps to becoming the greatest salesman in the world, as defined by Og Mandino, I want to point out why sales and the art of influence are so important and what the current attitude toward sales looks like.

In today’s world, sales people tend to have a bad reputation. I know I get tired of those random sales calls pestering me for something I don’t need or want. People in this field are sometimes perceived as sleazy, pushy and/or untrustworthy. These are the words I hear when I ask others about what their thoughts are on sales people.

But, it doesn’t have to be this way and that is what The Greatest Salesman in the World is all about. If you choose it to be, “sales” can just be another word for leadership or building relationships or influence. It can be a way of life based on living from your greatness and a means to express who you are.

Whatever your context or perception on salespeople may be, the fact remains that this is a vital skill to have. Arguably, the most vital skill in your personal life and business because everything you do when engaging with another human being is based on the art of selling.

From a young age, when you first start making friends, you are selling the idea of yourself to that person. When you try to convince your parents to let you stay out late, you are selling your argument to them. As you grow older and you continue to meet people for personal or business relationships, you constantly have to sell yourself or your business to them. When you ask someone out on a date, you have to once again sell yourself to them. When you get into a “discussion” with a colleague or spouse, your goal is to sell them your point of view. Even if you’re just trying to figure out which movie to watch this weekend, you still need to know how to sell. It definitely took some selling on my part to convince my wife to see Expendables 2 with me.

The list goes on, but you can see that in any human interaction, the art of influence and sales comes into play. In fact, studies conducted by Harvard and Yale have shown that communication and interpersonal skills remain at the top of the list of what matters to recruiters. As you can see, your career, your relationships and your future depends on these skills. So we will spend some time in the coming weeks really getting into them in order for you to master them.

In today’s post, I will simply list out the ten steps or “scrolls” as described by Og Mandino in The Greatest Salesman in the World. Over the course of the next 10 posts, I will go into the details of each one of these scrolls, my interpretation of them and why each one of these skills is vital for your success. In the coming weeks after that, I will start to outline some of my own philosophies on “sales,” as a teaser to my book and workshop designed to help you master this art and in turn get everything you want in life and more. Master these skills and I guarantee that you will achieve success in every area of your life.

For now:

1 – Good habits are the key to all success
2 – Greet each day with love in your heart
3 – Persist until you succeed, or as I like to say it, success lies just one inch beyond your limits!
4 – You are nature’s greatest miracle
5 – Live this day as if it is your last
6 – Become a master of your emotions
7 – Laugh at the world.
8 – Multiply your value hundredfold and grow as a person today
9 – Take action NOW!
10 – However you want to define “God,” pray to to your “God” for guidance.

What are your thoughts on this list? Do you have anything to add or remove from this list. I would love to hear your reactions to this. Please add your comments in the section below.