A Salesman's Prayer

[Bumper]

Just posted that other thread about competitors, and came across this in the same file. Thought I'd throw it in here. I remember the seminar they handed this out at....about 40 years ago. I was pretty green at the time - I had just moved from the shop into sales - and I recall both of these made quite an impression. As a matter of fact, I seem to remember thay gave us a bunch of hand outs along this line, so I'll keep on looking. They might prove useful if you're into doing training sessions for your people. I never threw anything away, and it's surprising how much of it I was able to utilize years later when I had responsibility for creating training programs within my company or for volunteer organizations I worked with.

A SALESMAN'S PRAYER

Oh Lord, in these days when anyone can sell anything, help me remember that it will not always be thus; that humility is still the hallmark of the successful salesman, that the seller is always the servant to the buyer; that arrogance loses as many orders as ignorance of the product line; that I have too short a memory to ever tell a lie, and that buyers have too long a memory ever to forget a wrong.

Above all, help me to remember that no one ever lost an order because quality was too high or service too good.

[stevo137]

Originally Posted by Bumper

Just posted that other thread about competitors, and came across this in the same file. Thought I'd throw it in here. I remember the seminar they handed this out at....about 40 years ago. I was pretty green at the time - I had just moved from the shop into sales - and I recall both of these made quite an impression. As a matter of fact, I seem to remember thay gave us a bunch of hand outs along this line, so I'll keep on looking. They might prove useful if you're into doing training sessions for your people. I never threw anything away, and it's surprising how much of it I was able to utilize years later when I had responsibility for creating training programs within my company or for volunteer organizations I worked with.

A SALESMAN'S PRAYER

Oh Lord, in these days when anyone can sell anything, help me remember that it will not always be thus; that humility is still the hallmark of the successful salesman, that the seller is always the servant to the buyer; that arrogance loses as many orders as ignorance of the product line; that I have too short a memory to ever tell a lie, and that buyers have too long a memory ever to forget a wrong.

Above all, help me to remember that no one ever lost an order because quality was too high or service too good.

Bumper, great words! Please share more. 18 years in sales has been very good to me. It can be a rough road at times but well worth it.