ASSIGNMENT-1ST

The Greatest salesman in the World By Og Mandino

Submitted To: Lect.Anish Gupta

Submitted By: Manpreet KaurRoll no. 03Class- BBA 3rd year , 5th sem.(Pbi. Uni.)

DESH BHAGAT INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & COMPUTER SCIENCES Mandi Gobindgarh.

OG MANDINO

The author of “The Greatest Salesman In The World”

Og Mandino is an American author born in the year 1923.  He became really famous when he wrote the book, “The Greatest Salesman in the World”, which was published in 1968 and has been bestseller for almost 50 years.  It is regarded one of the best motivational and selling books ever printed.  It has sold 50 million copies worldwide and has been translated in 25 languages.

Overview

By looking at the title, The Greatest Salesman in the World, you may probably think that this is a sales book which will teach you how to become a great salesperson.  If you did, then this book is not what you are looking for.  Because this book won’t teach you the ways on how to sell, yet, it will teach you valuable principles and good habits necessary for you to acquire success and prosperity in life.

The Greatest Salesman in the World

by Og Mandino, Bantam Books, New Yorks, N.Y., 1968

Hafid is a master salesman and a traders; a very wealthy man. He lives in an elegant palace equipped with every possible comfort. One day towards the end of his life, he requests a meeting with Erasmus, his trusted servant and friend. He asks Erasmus how much money is in the treasury and tells him to estimate the worth of his property. It is a large sum. Hafid then directs Erasmus to sell all his possessions in exchange for gold, and alludes to his long practice of distributing half his annual profit to the poor. Now, says the salesman, he wishes to divide all his riches with the most needy, keeping only enough to live out his remaining days in peace. He requests that Erasmus turn over each of his emporiums to the person who manages it, together with a reward of 5,000 talents and bequeaths upon him his palace and warehouse. Though Erasmus can hardly comprehend this , Hafid again orders him to do as he has asked, assuring the servant that on his return he will share with Erasmus a long-kept secret he has imparted to no one except his wife.

When Erasmus arrives back at the palace after distributing Hafid's property, he is led to a room kept boiled for a long as anyone can remember. The only object within the room is an old chest. Hafid unlocks the chest - empty, except for some tattered scrolls. Hafid then speaks: "All the success, happiness, love , peace of mind, and wealth that I have enjoyed is directly traceable to what is contained in these few scrolls. My debt to them, and to the wise one who entrusted them to my care, can never be repaid."

Hafid explains that each of the ten scrolls contains a principle, or law, that together will enable their possessor to accumulate all the wealth he desires. Long ago he was commissioned by the one who gave him the scrolls to share them only with one person, and was told he would be given a sign to know who that person was. He petitions Erasmus to stay with him until he receives this sign. The faithful servant agrees to do so.

The story then shift back in time:

Young Hafid, a camel boy traveling with a caravan, beseeched the leader of the caravan, Pathros, to grant him the chance to be a merchant. After some argument, Pathros gave him approval and agreed to allow Hafid to sell a finely woven robe. However, he warned the boy that he would be confronted with temptations, and that his handling of these

temptations would determine his success, both in life and as a salesman. Pathros then dispatched that would-be merchant to a poor settlement - Bethlehem - to sell the garment.

For three days Hafid worked to peddle the robe, but without success. On the night before he was to rejoin the caravan, Hafid sought out a stable to tend to his donkey. There he discovered a young couple with a shivering newborn baby. Both husband and wife had wrapped their own cloaks around the infant, trying to warm him, but to little avail. Hafid gave the worried parents back their cloaks and wrapped Pathros's fine robe around the beautiful child. The boy then commenced his trek back to the caravan, considering himself a failure and trying to find an excuse, some story to cover up what had done.

When Hafid reached the caravan, Pathros was waiting outside his tent. He had observed a bright star that followed Hafid back to the camp. Something extraordinary had taken place. Hafid, in tears, blurted out the story of the robe; but instead of chiding the boy, Pathros assured Hafid that he had not failed. He would explain everything, said the merchant, once they returned to their headquarters.

There, the dying Pathros summoned the lad to him. He told how he once had rescued a traveler, and how this grateful traveler had insisted that Pathros come to live with him and his family. During this sojourn, the traveler conferred upon Pathros a chest containing ten scrolls, some money and a letter. For a year Pathros memorized the scrolls, incorporating their wisdom into his life. After leaving the traveler's home, the opened the letter, which instructed him to forever share with the poor half of his wealth, but never to divulge the information in the scrolls, except when he received a sign telling him of the person who would next guard the scrolls. As he watched the star following Hafid home that night, Pathros had come to realize that his was indeed the awaited sign.

Pathros's story ended, whereupon he instructed Hafid to go to Damascus and purchase a small supply of rugs. Hafid was to open the scroll, study it until he fully understood its contents, and begin selling the rugs. He must proceed to study each scroll thoroughly in the same way, applying the principles one by one as he learned them. Finally, he was not to share with others the knowledge contained in the scrolls, nor show the scrolls to anyone, until he himself was given a sign.

Hafid set out to inquire of the scrolls as he sold the rugs, and was taught the keys to prosperous and triumphant living:

Scroll I: Everyday a person is reborn - he can forget thefailures of the past. Habits are the difference betweensuccess and failure. Therefore in order to achieve success,it is necessary to form good habits and become their slave.

This first scroll teaches the best way to learn the meaningof the others. Each successive scroll will contain aprinciple enabling the reader to replace a bad habit with agood one. Each scroll must be read three times a day - thelast time a loud - for thirty consecutive days. This way,the scrolls' wisdom becomes both a part of the active andsubconscious mind.

Scroll II: Love can be the salesman's greatest weapon, foreven if people reject many particulars concerning thesalesman's wares, love will soften them. Love can bedeveloped by always looking for the best in people. Eachtime we meet someone we should state silently, "I Love You."But in order to love others, we must love ourselves, treatourselves with respect, and not be satisfied with anythingbut our finest efforts.

Scroll III: "I will persist until I succeed." People areborn to succeed, not to fail. Defeat will not beconsidered, and word such as quit, cannot, unable, andimpossible are not part of the growing disciple'svocabulary. Every failure moves a man closer to success.When the day ends and the salesman wants to quit, he mustforce himself to make one more sale; to end the day withsuccess.

Scroll IV: People are nature's greatest miracle. Eachperson is different in appearance as well as ability, and weshould capitalize on, rather than despise, thesedifferences. We must concentrate on the task at hand, notallowing ourselves to be preoccupied with problems of homewhile in the marketplace, or of the marketplace while we areat home. We each have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a mindwith which to think. This is everything we need to thrive.

Scroll V: Live each day as if it were your last. Dwellingon the failures or misfortunes of the past is useless, forwe cannot change them. Nor should we think about tomorrow.The present hours and minutes, pass too quickly and are goneforever, and so, they must be traded only for things ofvalue. We should always treat our family and our friends asif today were our last day together.

Scroll VI: We are masters over our emotions. Although wedaily pass through different moods, each of us has the powerto control them; to "create our own weather." If we bringjoy and enthusiasm and brightness to all that we do, otherswill react in a similar manner. "Strong is he who forceshis actions to control his thoughts." No matter how we feelwhen we arise in the morning, we can sing or laugh and makeourselves feel better. No matter what other people do orhow they react, we can decide to be positive andunderstanding.

Scroll VII: " ... Cultivate the habit of laughter." Man isthe only creature who can laugh, and the best thing to laughat is ourselves. Whenever things seem to serious or dismal,repeat the word, "This too shall pass, " and all troublesomethoughts will seem lighter. Laughers puts events -successes as well as failures - into perspective. Only withlaughter and gratitude can we enjoy the fruits ofprosperity.

Scroll VIII: Seek out opportunities and experiences thatwill multiply in value. A grain of wheat has not choice asto what it will become - whether it will be ground intobread or planted in the earth to multiply - but each humanbeing has a choice - to grow or to perish. In order to"multiply in value," we must set goals, short-term as wellas long-term. We must not worry if we experience initial

failure in reaching our goals; we compete only withourselves. Upon reaching goal, we multiply again by settinganother, and by striving to constantly make the next hour better than the present one.

Scroll IX: Our dream and plans are of no value withoutaction. Procrastination comes from fear, and we overcomefear only through action. It is better to act now and riskfailure, than to refrain from action and certainly flounder.Fireflies give light only when they fly. Through doing, webecome like them, giving off light amid the darkness. Onlyaction gives life significance. If success is offered now,we must act now.

Scroll X: Almost everyone, in a moment of terror oranguish, will turn to God for help. But a true believerwill pray for guidance, not only for help. He calls on Godnot for material things, but for the knowledge to understandthe way to acquire what is needed. Nevertheless, we mustrealize that sometimes we will not be given the sort ofguidance we ask for - this, too, is an answer to prayer.Pray for ability equal to the opportunity, for good habits,for love, to use words well, to humbly forge through allobstacles, to reach worthwhile goals.

It is now three years since Hafid has sold all his goods. Together with his wife and Erasmus, he lives a simple life. One day on unkempt traveler comes to see him. It is Paul, follower of Jesus. Paul relates to Hafid his conversion to Christ, tells about Jesus' life, and declare that Jesus has sent him to find the greatest salesman in the world and ask him to share his miraculous secrets for converting others. At last the man to whom Hafid can confer the sacred instructive scrolls, has arrived.

The Salesman’s Prayer I will pray, but my cries for help will only be cries for guidance. Never will I pray for the material things of the world. I will pray as a salesman, in this manner – Oh creator of all things, help me. For this day I go out into the world naked and alone, and without your hand to guide me I will wander far from the path which leads to success and happiness. I ask not for gold or garments or even opportunities equal to my ability; instead, guide me so that I may acquire ability equal to my opportunities. Help me to remain humble through obstacles and failures; yet hide not from mine eyes the prize that will come with victory. Spare me sufficient days to reach my goals; yet help me to live this day as though it be my last. Guide me in my words that they may bear fruit; yet silence me from gossip that none be aligned. Discipline me in the habit of trying and trying again; yet show me the way to make use of the law of averages. Favor me with alertness to recognize opportunity. Bathe me in good habits that the bad ones may drown. Suffer me to know that all things shall pass; yet help me to count my blessings of today. But all these things be only if thy will. I am a small and lonely grape clutching the vine yet thou hast made me different from all others. Guide me. Help me. Show me the way. Let me become all you planned for me when my seed was planted and selected by you to sprout in the vineyard of the world. Help this humble salesman. Guide me, God.

ConclusionI think I’ve been very positive toward this book so far, and with good reason. But in this conclusion, I think I should temper this review with a caution: it’s a good book, with good principles, but it’s not for everybody. If the stuff I’ve written about above seem too corny, and you don’t think you’ll actually try to implement any of the ideas mentioned, don’t buy the book. It would still be an interesting read, and something to think about, but it’s really not for people who are not willing to make positive changes in their attitudes or actions.

If, however, you really think you can change your life, and that your success depends on your habits and your attitudes, this book could start some very powerful changes. It won’t do the work for you, but it could be a seed of positivity that begins some pretty great things for you. In this case, I would give a buy recommendation for this book.

The only difference between those who failed and those who succeeded lies in

the difference of their habits. –Og Mandino