Chris Gardner Quotes

The best of merchandise will go back to the shelf unless handled by a conscientious, tactful salesman.

Great salespeople are relationship builders who provide value and help their customers win.

If there's a problem, we at Wine Library never tell ourselves that once we handle this issue, we'll never have to deal with the person again. We talk to every single person as though we're going to wind up sitting next to that person at his or her mother's house that night for dinner.

American business has just forgotten the importance of selling.

Ninety percent of selling is conviction, and 10 per cent is persuasion.

I have a definite talent for convincing people to try something new. I am a good salesman. When I'm on form, I can sell anything.

You have to be savvy and sharp and also straightforward with your customer. I think that authenticity is really important.

There's a right way to sell and a wrong way to sell.

Remember, don't let the pressures of doing business get in the way of what doing business is truly about: building relationships with people.

Anytime you're tempted to upsell someone else, stop what you're doing and upserve instead.

I simply believe that people who respect their customers and have faith in their own technology products should welcome competition and that consumer choice should be a paramount value in retailing.

I wasn't a very good salesman.

Some mentors are more challenging than others.

I love to sell, to visualize something for someone and make them see it.

Some of the best leaders in the world find they learn something every day to be a better leader. Whether it's developing a relationship, learning what someone likes or doesn't like, putting forth the extra effort so guys understand you do what you preach.

I had many good managers: Wim Jansen, Martin O'Neill, Frank Rijkaard, and Alex Ferguson, to name just a few.

Mentors are like friendships.

Like many entrepreneurs, I started out in sales. I began at 14, when I got a job selling shoes and tennis rackets at a pro shop, and I've been selling one thing or another ever since.

I've invested in pitches and continue to run clinics to help encourage others to do the same.

Before WeWork, I had a baby clothing company. When I started out, I had no real contacts in the garment business and no mentor to guide me on how things worked. I just had an idea to put pads on the baby clothes on to protect the baby's knees.

I was fascinated to see that if you knew what you were doing, you could sell a $3,000 computer system over the phone.

Success is rarely about having the best, the most, or the cheapest features in a product. Instead, it is almost always about knowing what matters to your sponsor in a client or partner account and delivering on that.

Marketing is fundamental to what makes us human. Marketing is not solely about selling chewing gum, cars, cellphones, and tourist packages. Everything in life involves the process of marketing something to someone.

Being a salesperson prepares you for just about everything in business: how to listen, empathize, and persuade; when to back off and when to step in; and, of course, how to close.

I think sales is the most important skill set young people can learn. Understanding how to pitch an idea with confidence and secure a client are valuable skills that apply to every single aspect of business.