“You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”- Zig Ziglar

We lost a beloved and respected motivational and self-help legend when Zig Ziglar passed away this past November at the age of 86. Ziglar came from humble beginnings to establish himself as an expert sales professional and later as a best-selling author and motivational speaker. His message spanned sales, leadership, success, faith and family. His words were powerful because they resonated across many professions, industries and situations. Consider the popular Ziglar quote above, revised for the Odds Are of the sales professional:

You will get all you want in [sales], if you help enough [customers] get what they want.

‍This philosophy is born from the belief that in business and in life, you reap what you sow. Investing in the relationship offers significant advantages for the sales professional who makes the effort to do so. Even before such an effort can be made, sales professionals must obtain the selling skills and refine their sales process such that they are able to uncover and understand customer needs, cultivate a deeper customer relationship, and provide solutions that add authentic value. All of this positions the sales professional as a valuable business asset – one that helps customers get what they want. And as Ziglar pointed out, that’s how we get what we want.