Merv Griffin Quotes

I have the right temperament. I have the right leadership. I've built an incredible company. I went to a great school. I came out - I built an incredible company. I wrote the number one selling business book of all time: 'Trump: The Art of the Deal.'

The good lawyer is the great salesman.

Berlusconi is a genius in communication. Otherwise, he would never have become so rich.

My dad was a ham, too. He could sell those women anything. Of all his sons, I was the only one he could trust to sell as well as he could. I was proud of that.

I'm a hustler, baby; I sell water to a well!

I'm relentless. My mother says I could sell ice to the Eskimos.

Ruth was probably the greatest athlete to perform in any sport. Never has there been anybody like him.

I am a travelling salesman. I deal in ideas.

I always told people in the private sector, 'You can be the smartest person in the world, you can have the very best ideas, but if you can't sell them and you can't get other people to work with you, you're not going to succeed.'

I have a reputation in my professional work, negotiating contracts, where I've gone into deals where other people haven't closed the deal, and I've been able to get it done.

At one point my dad called me and said, 'You have always been a great salesman. I think it's time you come home and sell swimming pools.'

I still remember the five points of salesmanship: attention, interest, conviction, desire and close.

To pursue a career in Hollywood you have to have a personality bypass. Look at the top 20 stars in the world - there's probably only two actors among them. Hollywood's not about you as an actor. It's about your currency, what you 'bring to the table'. And I've never been one to jump through hoops for anyone.

I consider myself a persuasive person. With the ability to persuade comes a certain level of power.

The secret to the movie business, or any business, is to get a good education in a subject besides film - whether it's history, psychology, economics, or architecture - so you have something to make a movie about. All the skill in the world isn't going to help you unless you have something to say.

Hire sales people who are really smart problem solvers, but lack courage, hunger and competitiveness, and your company will go out of business.

To succeed in business it is necessary to make others see things as you see them.

When I became proficient as a salesman I was invited to teach new hires.

I wish I could talk like Donald Trump or Steve Wynn. Hell, I'd love it.

There ought to be so many who are excellent, there are so few.

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.

If you've ever had somebody try to sell you something - people who can sell, they really are not manipulating you. They are selling themselves.

Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something that people want.

Mr. Lincoln is one of Nature’s orators, using his rare powers solely and effectively to elucidate and to convince, though their inevitable effect is to delight and electrify as well.

The capacity to persuade is an essential part of being a great leader.