The Zig Ziglar Way

On November 28, Zig Ziglar — the “master of motivation” — passed away at the age of 86.

Zig Ziglar at the Get Motivated Seminar at the Cow Palace in Daly City, CA (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

Born Hilary Hinton Ziglar in 1926 in Alabama, Zig has authored more than 29 sales and motivational books, including Selling 101, Over the Top, and Born To Win: Find Your Success Code.

I’ve always admired Zig and refer to many of his quotes during my own sales training sessions for Dale Carnegie. A fellow graduate, he began his career in public speaking and training as an instructor for the Dale Carnegie office in New York City in the early ’70s. I’d like to think that we are kindred spirits.

My favorite quote is his response to the buying objection “The price is high.”

I don’t think there’s any question about the price being high.
When you add the benefits of quality
Subtract the disappointments of cheapness
Multiply the pleasures of buying something good
And divide the cost over time
The arithmetic comes out in your favor.
If it costs you a hundred dollars but does you a thousand dollars’ worth of good, then by any yardstick you’ve bought a bargain, haven’t you?

Here are a few other gems that have served me well over the years. We’ll miss you, Zig.

You cannot perform in a manner inconsistent with the way you see yourself.

It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.

Remember that failure is an event, not a person. Yesterday ended last night.

You will get all you want in life if you help enough people get what they want.

Stop selling. Start helping.

The fear of loss is greater than the desire for gain.

It’s easier to explain price one time than apologize for quality forever.

Objections thrive on opposition, but die with agreement.

If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.

A goal properly set is halfway reached.

Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude

Do you have your own favorite Zig Ziglar quotes? Would love to hear about them!

Related articles

• Motivation guru Zig Ziglar dies at 86 (cnn.com)
• Zig Ziglar dies; motivational speaker focused on positive thinking (mercurynews.com)
• Zig Ziglar: 10 Quotes That Can Change Your Life (forbes.com)