Nearly forty years ago a seventeen year old, super salesman wannabe, emerged onto 5^th Ave and 42^nd Street from the NYC subway. Ready to leap skyscrapers in a single bound, overpower the competition like a powerful locomotive, and move business faster than a speeding bullet – Super-SalesMan – so I thought.

My first interview was with the president of a management recruiting company for a position as a salesperson in his organization. Without a résumé and armed only with boyish charm, big smile, and infinite confidence and optimism, “I can and I will” echoed in my mind as I awaited my first conquest.

A debonair gent greeted me in their plush reception area, escorted me to his office, and invited me to sit in a tufted leather wingback chair. After 10 or 15 minutes of Q&A he asked, “Can you close a deal?” “Yes”, I replied with obvious overconfidence. He gently proposed that I sell him the stapler on his desk, which he handed to me as he stood up and politely warned, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

My value based presentation covered everything from the slick chrome finish to the felt protective bottom and anti jamming mechanism. But he didn’t bight, and whatever my close was, it wasn’t memorable.  He politely asked me for the stapler, rattled off an old boiler-room “Box Pitch”, and then explained the mechanism. He graciously donated more of his valuable time and advice with courtesy and enjoyment of my greenness. I left his office knowing that there was more to selling than a silver tongue and most of my seventeen year old ego intact.

That eye-opening meeting led to my first sales position on my next interview and set me on the path to an incredible, prosperous career in sales. In that brief encounter, I decided to excel, learn, and teach, successful sales skills.

My hope is that SalesDuJour.com is as inviting and comfortable as that tufted leather winged back chair, and as enlightening, entertaining, and enjoyable as he and many other great mentors have been to me.