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14 || P R I N T W E A R M A Y 2 0 1 6 Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Custom- er Satisfaction Is Worthless Customer Loyalty Is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Get - ting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM!. His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at salesman@gitomer.com. SELLING SMART B Y J E F F R E Y G I T O M E R I s there a secret to follow-up? No. Is there a best way to follow-up? No. Why do people quit too soon? Big question. Why do you quit too soon? Bigger question. Think and Grow Rich, written almost 80 years ago by Napoleon Hill, has an entire chapter on persistence that provides real insight as to the characteristics of what makes some stick at it until they win, while others stop either just after they start, or stop just before they taste victory. Rather than be so presumptuous as to paraphrase the great Hill, I am going to share with you the words of the master, now in the public domain. Here are some excerpts (and insights) on persistence quoted ex- actly as they were written decades ago, and are still applicable in your sales process today: WELL QUOTED "Persistence is a state of mind, therefore it can be cultivated. Like all states of mind, persistence is based upon definite causes, among them these: a. Definiteness of purpose. Knowing what one wants is the first and, perhaps, the most important step toward the development of persistence. A strong motive forces one to surmount many difficulties. b. Desire. Its is comparatively easy to acquire and to maintain per- sistence in pursuing the object of intense desire. c. Self-reliance. Belief in one's ability to carry out a plan encourages one to follow the plan through with persistence. (Self-reliance can be developed through the principle described in the chapter on autosuggestion). d. Definiteness of plans. Organized plans, even though they may be weak and entirely impractical, encourage persistence. e. Accurate knowledge. Knowing that one's plans are sound, based upon experience or observation, encourages persistence; "guess- ing" instead of "knowing" destroys persistence. f. Cooperation. Sympathy, understanding, and harmonious coop- eration with others tend to develop persistence. g. Will-power. The habit of concentrating one's thoughts upon the building of plans for the attainment of a definiteness of purpose leads to persistence. h. Habit. Persistence is the direct result of habit. The mind absorbs and becomes a part of the daily experience upon which it feeds. Fear, the worst of all enemies, can be effectively cured by forced repetition of acts of courage. Everyone who has seen active ser- vice in war knows this. HOW TO DEVELOP PERSISTENCE There are four simple steps which lead to the habit of persistence. They call for no great amount of intelligence, no particular amount of education, and but little time or effort. The necessary steps are: 1. A definite purpose backed by a burning desire for its fulfillment. 2. A definite plan, expressed in continuous action. 3. A mind closed tightly against all neg- ative and discouraging influences, Why Do Some People Persist and Some Quit? Because… continued on page 111