52 Weeks of Sales Success

MENTORS IN THE FAMILY

My original mentors were my parents, even though I didn’t follow in my dad’s footstep as a builder. What I learned from my parents was the importance of having a strong work ethic. My parents would not let me have a paper route because they wanted me to have time for school, but on Saturdays and Sundays, I could go to work for my dad. I’d be there all the time. After he retired, he still worked every single day until he passed away several years ago. I learned from my parents that hard work pays off.

Probably more important than inheriting a strong work ethic, I learned from my parents the importance of doing things for others. My mom would do anything to help someone. I know they helped put people through college and buy cars. I remember my parents would give when they didn’t even have it to give. I learned that from them, and today I give a significant part of my time and earnings to charitable affairs. You’ve got to give something back.

I think I must have gotten my passion for selling from my grandmother. My grandparents came to Detroit from Kentucky in the 1930s so my grandfather could work in the auto industry here. Once, my grandfather got fired for smoking on the job. But, because the auto industry was booming, he was able to get hired at another plant right away. At first, they lived with a few other families in a house in Detroit.

Growing up, my brothers and I were very close with my grandparents. We called them Mom and Dad and we called my parents Mommy and Daddy. It was almost like having two sets of parents. Eventually, my grandparents and my family lived across the street from one another. My grandparents also had some property where they raised ponies. Sometimes, after school, we would go to their house to ride the ponies. Growing up with two sets of parents seemed to us to be the ideal arrangement.

When I was a toddler, my grandmother started a jewelry business. She sold costume jewelry under the name Fashion Treasures. I really enjoyed being at her selling parties—I liked being around all the people.

They tell me stories about how if the phone would ring while I was soaking in the bathtub, I’d jump out of the tub, run down the hallway naked, grab a piece of paper and pencil, say, “It’s jewelry business, I’ll get it!” There are even some photos of me doing this, naked and wet.

Later in life, I married the person who would become my most intimate mentor and confidante—my wife, Kathleen. Because we love each other dearly, Kathleen does not pull any punches when she offers insights on what I need to do to become a better salesperson . . . or a better person altogether. Having someone who accepts you as you are and still challenges you to become the best you can be is perhaps the most valuable mentor-mentee relationship you can have.

MENTORS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Another mentor I can remember was Frank Gardner. I worked in his gas station after school and eventually took on the role as manager. Frank was just a great guy. I learned how to deal with people from him.

For example, I and another guy who worked there had our girlfriends come over in the summer. It was warm, and we were washing and waxing our cars in the two bays in the gas station. I remember Frank and his wife went out to dinner that night. I didn’t think there’d be any problems. If people came in for gas, we’d hurry out and take care of them

Well, I remember Frank pulling up, and from the look on his face I knew he wasn’t happy. He came in, took his tie and jacket off. He helped us dry both the cars. Then he asked us to move the cars out, and he asked me to come into his office because I was the one in charge. When we went into his office, Frank asked me, “What do you think you did wrong?”

I said, “We shouldn’t have been washing our cars when we were working for you, Frank.”

He said, “No, that’s not what you did wrong. Sometimes there’s nothing to do; you’ve got all your work done. What you did wrong was you were doing two cars at the same time, and both of my stalls were full. If somebody drove by and wanted an oil change or a tire fixed, they would think I was busy and would go to another station. I don’t mind you working on your own vehicles, but at least the customers should know that they could pull up here and you could take care of them.”

Well, Frank could have fired me, but he didn’t. Instead, he taught me a lesson about business and how to treat people. He could have yelled at me, but the way he corrected me, I learned a lot. It’s in me forever.

MENTORS IN YOUR OFFICE

When you hear the word “mentor,” you are likely to think of someone in a superior position—a boss, a top-producing salesperson as discussed in Week 32, or an industry leader. However, anyone in any position can function as your mentor. Currently, some of my wisest mentors are the people who work “for” me. I put that in quotes because I never really think of people working for me; I think of them working with me as my fellow teammates.

My “assistant,” Lois Maljak, whom I prefer to call my second in command, is a valuable mentor. We actually tend to mentor one another. Lois often brings me back to reality, constantly reminding me that sales transactions and other business deals are less important than the people involved in those transactions. She also functions as my focus, so I can remain chaotically creative and still attend to the particulars of finishing what we have started.

Look around and try to identify the mentors who surround you. Don’t overlook those closest to you who may consider you their role model. You can learn something valuable from everyone you meet.

Ralph’s Rule: Mentors come in all varieties, from relatives and friends to bosses and coworkers. If you don’t have anyone guiding you right now, make it your business to find at least one person who can teach you something new. You can learn so much from the right people.