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20 best sales quotes of all time

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Sales is a desirable line of work, and an empowering one: You set the hours, you pursue the prospects, you direct your income. But all these things can become burdensome, too. The payoff is high, but so is the risk. Sometimes, you just need an encouraging word. 

We hope that these sales quotes will inspire you, make you think and make you laugh. If you have favorites we’ve missed that have motivated your sales philosophy, let us know in the comments. And if you haven’t seen them yet, check out our 18 best business quotes of all time

together

“Enchantment is the purest form of sales. Enchantment is all about changing people’s hearts, minds and actions because you provide them a vision or a way to do things better. The difference between enchantment and simple sales is that with enchantment you have the other person’s best interests at heart, too.” – Guy Kawasaki, (1954- ) author, venture capitalist, technologist and former chief evangelist of Apple Computer.

triumph

“The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!” – Marvin Phillips, speaker and author of ”Never lick a frozen flagpole!” and other books.

door

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle, (1908-2002) American actor and comedian.

jay z

“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man!” – Jay-Z, (1969- ) American rapper, producer and entrepreneur. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

mary kay ash

 

“Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.’ Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life.” – Mary Kay Ash, (1918-2001) American businesswoman and founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics. 

(Mary Kay Ash, president of Mary Kay Cosmetics, is seen in her Dallas, Tex., office in Jan. 1982. AP Photo)

fact

“People don’t ask for facts in making up their minds. They would rather have one good, soul-satisfying emotion than a dozen facts.” – Robert Keith Leavit, (1895-1967) advertising copywriter and non-fiction writer.

spring

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” – Josh Billings, (1818-1885) American humorist.

up down

“Fall down seven times. Stand up eight.” – Japanese proverb 

keys

“In sales, a referral is the key to the door of resistance.” – Bo Bennett, programmer, designer and founder of Adgrafix, from his blog Year to Success.

today

“Today is always the most productive day of your week.” – Mark Hunter, speaker and sales trainer.

clement stone

 

“Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman, not the attitude of the prospect.” – 
W. Clement Stone, (1902-2002) businessman, philanthropist and author.

(Chicago businessman and self-made millionaire
W. Clement Stone is seen in this August 2, 1960 photo. Stone is co-author of a currently published book titled “Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude.” AP Photo)

millionaire

“On any given Monday I am one sale closer and one idea away from being a millionaire.” – Larry D. Turner, author and speaker.

henry ford

 

“The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed.” – Henry Ford, (1863-1947) founder of Ford Motors.

(Henry Ford sits at the tiller of his first automobile, the Quadricycle, in front of the John Wanamaker salesroom on Broadway between 49th and 50th Streets in New York City in 1904. The Quadricycle, completed on June 4, 1896, weighed only 500 pounds and had two forward speeds, but no reverse. Ford founded the Ford Motor Company in Detroit in June, 1903. He created the Model T in 1908 and by 1915 had produced one million automobiles. (AP Photo/Ford Motor Company)

jerry cantrell

“Success has a lot to do with luck, but it also involves a lot of real hard work. The thing about success is you really can’t gauge things by album sales.” – Jerry Cantrell, (1966- ) American guitarist, singer, soloist and songwriter, also known as the lead guitarist for the band Alice in Chains. 

(Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains performs during the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, on Thursday, August 22, 2013 in Tinley Park, IL. Photo by Barry Brecheisen//Invision/AP)

ray kroc

“If you work just for money, you’ll never make it. But if you love what you are doing, and always put the customer first, success will be yours.” – Ray Kroc, (1902-1984) American businessman, best known for his hand in growing the McDonald’s brand and franchises.

(Ray A. Kroc, founder of McDonald’s Corporation, is shown holding a hamburger in front of a McDonald’s restaurant at an unknown location in this undated photo. In 1955 Kroc, who was a 52-year-old milkshake machine salesman, acquired franchising rights to a small California based hamburger restaurant chain. In 1961, he bought out the McDonald brothers for $2.7 million. AP Photo)

enthusiasm

“Success is the culmination of failures, mistakes, false starts, confusion, and the determination to keep going anyway.” – Nick Gleason, CEO of CitySoft, Inc.

winston churchill

“Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill, (1874-1965) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940-1945, 1951-1955. 

(Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, gives his world famous V-sign, as he drives through cheering inhabitants of the town of Metz, in France, on July 14, 1946, to take part in the Bastille Day celebrations. With him is Robert Schuman, the French Minister of Finance. AP Photo)

forget

“It is not your customer’s job to remember you. It is your obligation and responsibility to make sure they don’t have the chance to forget you.” – Patricia Fripp, speaker, coach and author of Get What You Want! and other books. 

untrustworthy

“Every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust.” – Zig Ziglar, (1926-2012) American author, motivational speaker and salesman.

stop

“Obstacles can’t stop you. Problems can’t stop you. Most of all, other people can’t stop you. Only you can stop you.” – Jeffrey Gitomer, (1946- ) American author and professional business speaker.


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