When I finished reading first few chapters, I thought Paolo Coelho’s ’Alchemist’ is highly inspired by this book, called ’Greatest Salesman in the world’. After reading a bit further I was sure that Robin Sharma read this book and his Monk Who Sold His Ferrari and The Saint, The Surfer and The CEO both have some styles borrowed from the book. When the book continued and reached the end, I was thinking what year the film Benhur was made? Is it before or after this book? I can see a similar approach in both in the style of presentation. I cannot establish any of these claims but to assert that this book is written in brilliant style. Superb!!!
Though it is a self help book, it is presented as a simple way with the support of a good story. If the book went to the height of the best selling book on the field of sales, I have to tell you it went up on the strength of the story and its simplicity on the one hand and its universal applicability on the other.
Nearly 2000 years ago, a camel boy called Hafid fell in love with a beautiful girl called Lisha, whose father was a big businessman. The only way to win her father and get her hand was to become the greatest salesman in the world. The young lad impressed his wealthy owner, Pathros who agree to invest in him if he proves by selling a high quality robe in a poor Bethlehem. He started his journey to Bethlehem in the Caravan of Pathros but failed to sell the robe. In a moment of love for humanity, he gave away the robe to protect a shivering new born child in a cave. Even though he failed in his endure, a brightest light followed him and it gave as a signal for Pathros who was approaching his last days and he needed to give away the chest which he was holding with him from the beginning of business, containing the secrets on how to become greatest salesman of the world. Hafid gets the Chest and the book is all about the 10 scroll Mark instructions to become the greatest salesman!
Let us look into few quotes from the book so that you get an idea of how the book will look like.
~~ Failure is man’s inability to reach his goals in life whatever they may be. Failure no longer will be my payment for struggle.
~~ I will persist until succeed. I will not allow yesterday’s success to lull me into today’s complacency. If I persist long enough I will win, I will persist!!
~~ I am not in this earth by chance, but I am the greatest miracle in this world!! Tomorrow lies buried with yesterday. Today is my last day to prove my love & greatness.
~~ Unless my mood is right, the day will be a failure. Weak is who permits his thoughts to control his actions, strong is who forces his actions to control his thoughts.
~~ I will laugh at difficult situations with ’This too shall pass’ attitude.
~~ Let others build a cave with their clay. I will build a castle with mine.
~~ This is the time, this is the place and I am the man. I will act now.
You will find huge lot of such inspirational quotes. The beauty of the book is however its simplicity. Even a child will read it and enjoy it. It also have the merit of universal acceptability. Remove the word salesman and the book can be a positive attitude book. This does not mean that there is nothing for a salesman special. There is. The author give a detail explanation of difficulty salesman has to pass through. But the author insist that the salesman has to take this approach, " Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough." Don’t expect a rosy welcome everywhere. You have to live a lonely life. But bring positive pictures always to bring new hope and enjoyment.
The book is very general in nature. The author don’t spare time to say how to but beautifully narrate the general principles, general obstacles and general remedies.
As a story teller he is a master. With few small chapters and an ending which even don’t connect a huge 35 years of gap but still made a beautiful story to covey his message. While the story is told beautifully, the 10 messages he conveyed were powerful. Most of them are limited to 3 or 4 pages but each had a beautiful way of insistence….to emote and float the reader to the mood of the book and into the spirit the success journey.
A poetic approach is taken in most of the scrolls though they re not lined like a poem. Observe this…
"I will avoid with fury the killers of time.
Procrastination I will destroy with action;
Doubt I will bury under faith;
Fear I will dismember with confidence…."
You will encounter many such powerful poetry cum instructions.
The negative Side:
1.The book name gives the impression that it is a sales book.
2. The story is not complete where the entire space for the body of the story was absorbed by the scroll teaching without practical references.
3. The book contradicts itself in several times. When it is not well explained, ’how to love ourselves’ and others will remain as a mystery. The author asks to work continuously even when others stop work and never be satisfied and multiply your target with hundred etc. This normally brings pressure and imbalance in life which is not justified with any return we brought home where there is no home is built in the first place.
4.At one point he tells to live like this is a last day in your life, where the insistence is on long term goals and its follow up.
5. The author advise to give away 50% of the profit for charity where the modern day cut throat competition even don’t permit even a 5% give away.
At the end of the day, this is a beautiful small book with 95 or less pages which I can strongly recommend to all people who engage in Sales along with any one who wish to read an inspirational book with a beautiful story in part. Mandino never dreamed that this book will be a huge hit, so was I not thought that I will be encountered with a master piece from a book I got on a discounted sale. Guys here comes a good old (1968) book. Go for it!!